--- title: "Oz: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/oz/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/oz" critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Oz (1997): what the critics said Critics' score 81 from 8 reviews: 8 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are uniformly positive about Oz, with praise clustering around its ensemble performances, forceful writing and willingness to confront prison violence without offering much comfort. Most critics regard it as an important influence on later television drama, particularly in its treatment of difficult male protagonists. Its portrayal of racial divisions, predatory behaviour and institutional tensions earns respect for its believability. The experimental flourishes and effective voiceover also draw praise for giving the brutality purpose beyond shock. The reservations concern how long that force lasts, and how much grimness the drama can bear. Variety admires the prison setting’s realism but finds the relentless bleakness burdensome and offers little sense of anyone to root for. /Film and Collider question the plausibility of later storylines, while The AV Club notes diminishing returns. The spread is between admiration and qualified approval, rather than a dispute over the programme’s strengths. ## Empire — Kat Brown Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 February 2007. The review highlights how the series blends extreme violence with a subtle touch and strong writing, including an effective voiceover, keeping it above mere exploitation. It singles out the excellent ensemble cast, including standout performances, as one of the best in recent TV and calls the show relentlessly entertaining. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/oz-season-1-review/) ## The Telegraph — Ed Power Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 June 2017. When HBO’s Oz debuted in 1997 it was the ultimate shocking experience, pushing boundaries with explicit violence, rape and taboo subjects far further than modern series, rendered nightmarish with avant-garde flourishes and experimental style. It was television without a safety net, bearing witness to American prison realities with uncanny believability and groundbreaking elements like a prominent Muslim character and gay romance. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/0/ultimate-short-sharp-shock-oz-still-tvs-toughest-prison-drama/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 May 2009. Oz is an unrelentingly grim drama about life and death in an experimental American prison, the bleakest series ever produced in a dehumanising world where every good deed is punished. It is profoundly disturbing, with shocking explosive violence and a recurring struggle for power, yet still nothing on television quite like it. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2009/may/29/oz-emerald-city-dvd-boxset) ## The AV Club — Danette Chavez Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 2017. The piece positions Oz as the proto-prestige drama that pioneered HBO's boundary-pushing approach to television a year and a half before The Sopranos. It highlights the show's lasting influence on characterization and difficult male protagonists in later series while noting its strong initial reception and six-season run despite later diminishing returns. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/20-years-ago-oz-locked-down-the-prestige-drama-formula-1798263937) ## Variety — Ray Richmond Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 July 1997. The critic describes the HBO prison drama as vicious, raw and bleak with no one to root for, pushing TV content boundaries in its portrayal of sadistic inmates and retribution. It admires the realistic depiction of racial divisions, predatory behavior and institutional tensions but notes the overall grimness weighs heavily. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/oz-3-1200450542/) ## Den of Geek — Jamie Andrew Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 November 2016. The article celebrates Oz as an overlooked seminal prison drama and grandparent to modern prestige TV like The Sopranos, praising its bleakness, verisimilitude, narrative risks and powerful performances. It argues the show took huge storytelling risks that set the template for the golden age of television. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/why-hbos-oz-is-still-influential-20-years-later/) ## Collider — Ryan Heffernan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2023. The critic ranks Oz seasons, highlighting season 1 as groundbreaking for its mix of violence and drama that paved the way for new TV, and season 4 part 1 as peak, while noting absurd elements in later seasons. They single out the influence on television history. [Read the review](https://collider.com/oz-seasons-ranked/) ## /Film — Rachel Ho Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2023. The critic ranks the seasons of Oz, praising the debut season for its fresh, boundary-pushing storytelling that influenced modern TV, while criticizing later seasons for jumping the shark with absurd plots. They single out the pioneering role of the series in premium cable television. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1298366/every-season-oz-ranked-worst-best/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/oz.md