Colour of the season: Orange is the New Black

No sugar coating for the stories of women behind bars in this new show.

It isn’t easy to pull off a jumpsuit, that too in orange. But inmate Piper Chapman does one hell of a job of it. Piper and the other convicts at the Litchfield women’s correctional institute are the reason why Orange is the New Black has become one of the most popular and acclaimed shows of 2013.

Taking inspiration from Piper Kerman’s memoirs on her time in prison, the show is funny, raunchy and addictive. But it isn’t over the top. The story is built around how Piper discovers the prison way of life, and eventually grows to be somewhat comfortable in an alien environment.

Played by a convincing Taylor Schilling, Piper is in for transporting a large quantity of drug money a decade ago for her then-girlfriend, Alex. At the time she is given a 15-month sentence, Piper is engaged to a writer named Larry (Jason Biggs of American Pie fame) but her relationship with him almost seems half hearted on her part. Over season 1, her character grows and her life outside of the prison becomes more of a distant memory.

The writers have, however, made sure that Piper’s character doesn’t hog the limelight by introducing a diverse group of women — from all backgrounds, ages and sexual preferences. Each episode gives a background of the characters at the correctional institute, providing context to their personalities.



Among them is Alex, played by Laura Prepon who is most known for her role as Donna in the sitcom That ’70s Show. Two of the most well-written and humourous characters would have to be best friends Poussey and Taystee, while Red, the woman who runs the kitchen, is the one no inmate wants to mess with (watch out for a rather disturbing sandwich scene in the prison cafeteria which might put you off sandwiches for a long time).

Through these women, the show touches upon multiple topics, such as class divides, abortion and racial issues, which would be otherwise considered ‘unglamourous’ for prime time television.

Orange is the New Black wrapped up its first season on Netflix, a streaming TV network service, and has been renewed for a second season to be aired in 2014. With only 13 episodes, it has already won over a strong fan base, and with a year to go to the second season, there is ample time for others to catch up with the inmates of the Litchfield women’s correctional institute. A word of caution: these women have a lot to say and show, but do not expect them to be lady-like about it.

For more action behind bars, watch

Wentworth

Set in modern-day Australia, Wentworth is structured around Bea Smith, played by Danielle Cormack, and her first time at a prison. Leaving behind her daughter, Bea is sent to Wentworth on remand but initially has no idea how long her sentence is for. Like Orange is the New Black, Wentworth deals with how Bea gets accustomed to life in prison and the people she meets along the way.

Bad Girls

Another show which makes no attempt to sugar coat life in prison is British drama Bad Girls, set in the fictional women’s prison of Larkhall. Stories of the prisoners as well as the staff at the prison are intertwined and told through dark themes, such as suicide, sex for money and terrorism. Spread over eight seasons, the show has plenty of interesting characters to keep viewers glued to the screen.

Prison Break

The men have their turn with Prison Break, a show that was an instant hit with global audiences, and ran for four seasons from 2005 to 2009. The series revolves around two brothers — Lincoln Burrows who is wrongfully sentenced to death and Micheal Scofield, the brains behind an elaborate plan to break Lincoln out. They do eventually make it out of the prison, but the journey of how they do so is worth a watch.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, October 6^th, 2013.