Return to Oz

If you’ve been watching Oz on E4 you’ll already know about the violent and oppressive Oswald State Penitentiary. With the third season starting August, Elise Harris takes a look inside.

Oz has been running on HBO in the US since 1997, but it’s never got the same attention in this country as its channel-mates The Sopranos and Sex In The City.

It started as a spin-off to Homicide: Life on the Street. The H:LOTS episode Prison Riot guest-starred Dean Winters (Ryan O’Reily), Charles S. Dutton (Alvah Case) and Tim McAdams (Johnny Post in early Oz episodes) and many performers and directors have worked on both shows.

The series has elicited a lot of strong opinions, been praised for its realism and criticised for its lack of realism. In the US it’s got a loyal and devoted cult following, and members of the cast have received several awards.

US stars are queuing up to get inside the prison gates. The first season saw Eric Roberts as a condemned prisoner, and several rap stars, including LL Cool J, have taken their place among the inmates. The fourth season, just finished in the US and due to be aired here later this year, featured ex-Beverly Hills 90210 star Luke Perry as a disgraced priest.

Kathy Bates, Steve Buscemi and Chazz Palminteri have all directed episodes, and diva Cher has expressed a desire to direct a future instalment.

Jerry Seinfeld has even been inside, albeit only in a 1999 Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Beecher, Schillinger, Ryan O’Reily and Hill.

Producer Tom Fontana is dedicated to his creation - the arm being tattooed with ‘Oz’ in the opening credits is his. He started his career on the quirky 80s hospital show St Elsewhere.

There are frequent, bloody, riots and prisoners are always offing each other. Some of the characters seem to spend most of their time either in solitary or the infirmary. But it’s not all misery in Oz, there are a few love-stories there - most notably between Ryan O’Reily and Gloria, McManus and most of the female staff and Beecher and... well you’ll see. Season five is due in spring 2002, and bets are being taken on whether Luke Perry will make a reappearance. In the meantime enjoy season three and some of the the slightly bizarre developments coming your way.

Character guide

Key Prisoners

It’s a scary place, Oz, full of betrayals, killings and assault. Many of the guards are corrupt, and drug-culture is rife. It’s sometimes difficult to tell which characters are good, and which are bad. So who are the prisoners and who are the staff?

Beecher (Lee Tergesen)


Imprisoned after killing a girl in a drunk-driving incident, Tobias Beecher started the series as a naive ex-lawyer (he was disbarred after his conviction). Vern Schillinger soon taught him a thing or two - for example, never trust a crazed neo-nazi who makes you into his prison-bitch and tattoos a swastika onto your behind. A salient lesson for us all.
After dealing with his wife’s suicide in season two Beecher’s problems are far from being over.

Schillinger (JK Simmons)


Nazi nemesis of Beecher. After being temporarily blinded by the angry Beecher, Schillinger concocted a revenge plan with Chris Keller, resulting in Beecher’s legs and arms being broken. JK Simmons has been signed to play newspaper editor J Jonah Jameson in the upcoming Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie.

Chris Keller (Christopher Meloni)

A relative newbie in Oz, Keller befriended Beecher, only to betray him. As the season begins, he’s starting to regret his actions. Can he persuade Beecher of his remorse?


Ryan O’Reily(Dean Winters)

O’Reily has been through a lot. In the last season he had breast-cancer. He’s in recovery, but the experience has damaged more than just his life. During his treatment he fell for Dr Gloria Nathan and enlisted his brain damaged brother Cyril ( played by Dean Winter’s real-life brother Scott Winters)to kill Gloria’s husband. Now Cyril is in Oz for the murder, and Gloria wants nothing to do with Ryan.
Dean Winters has been cast in a lead part in Hellraiser 6.

Hill (Harold Perrineau)


Augustus Hill is the Greek Chorus-type narrator of the series. You’ll need a willing suspension of disbelief for his direct-to-camera scenes. Hill is the moral centre of Oz, rising above the indignities. Harold Perrineau has been signed to appear in the next two episodes of The Matrix.

Said (Eamonn Walker)


Leader of the powerful black Muslim group in the prison. Kareem Said is dignified and almost always calm - although a heart-attack in season one disturbed him a bit. Eagle-eyed viewers might recognise actor Eamonn Walker for his rôle as Alf Garnett’s camp home help Winston (aka Marigold) in the1980s sitcom In Sickness and in Health. Walker is set to appear in a British TV production of Othello this year.

Shirley Bellinger (Kathryn Erbe)

Drove her car into a lake and left her daughter to drown. Shirley is the first woman sentenced to the death penalty in the state since the end of the 19th century.
Kathryn Erbe played Kevin Bacon's wife in Stir Of Echoes.

Bob Rebadow (George Morfogen)

Long-term prisoner. Used to be an architect until he lost his temper and stuck a fork into a client’s neck. Close friends with relatively new Oz resident Busmalis (Tom Mardirosian).

Simon Adebisi(Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje)

Always seen with a tiny hat perched precariously on his shaved head. Adebisi is mean and violent, definitely not someone to cross.
Watch out for him in The Mummy Returns.

In charge

Tim McManus (Terry Kinney)

McManus and Adebisi squaring up for a conflict

The unit manager of Em City (Cell Block 5), the special unit in Oz. McManus is a tortured soul who’s been romanced and dumped by several of the Oz female staff. His problems are set to get worse in season three.

Diane Wittlesey (Edie Falco)


Before she was Carmela Soprano, Edie Falco was a key player in the running of Oz. As guard Diane Wittlesey She’s been involved in a dodgy-cigarette deal with the late Scott Ross, and may have something to do with his death. She’s also been involved, romantically, with Mark McManus. Although who hasn't?

Dr Gloria Nathan (Lauren Velez)


A bit upset about Ryan O’Reily’s actions. Has also had a secret affair with McManus.

Sister Peter Marie (Rita Moreno)


Nun and prison counsellor. Always sensible up till now, but Keller is going to disturb her equilibrium, and make her question her calling, during this season.
Rita Moreno was, of course, in West Side Story, Singin' In The Rain and countless other big screen classics.

Warden Leo Glynn (Ernie Hudson)


Unswayed by any nonsense and very nearly incorruptible. Glynn can be a bit harsh sometimes, but he’s usually fair.

Father Ray Mukada (BD Wong)


Caring and compassionate priest. He’s also fallible, but he always has the best intensions. BD Wong was the voice of Captain Li Shang in the Disney animated feature Mulan.

Oz, E4, Fridays at 10pm. Season three starts August 3

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