Prison Break is an American television series that premiered on the Fox Network on August 29, 2005. The story revolves around a man who was sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit and his brother's elaborate plan to help him escape his death sentence. Created by Paul Scheuring, the show is produced by Adelstein-Parouse Productions in association with Original Television and 20th Century Fox Television. The current executive producers are Paul Scheuring, Matt Olmstead, Dawn Parouse, Marty Adelstein, Neal Moritz and Brett Ratner.[1] Its theme music is composed by Ramin Djawadi, which was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2006.[2] The show is currently undergoing its second season, which premiered on August 21, 2006. Regarding the future of the series, executive producer Paul Scheuring says, "With success comes questions about season three, so now we’re framing the first two seasons as chapter one of the ‘trilogy’."[3]

The serialized story structure of Prison Break is attributed to the format of storytelling adapted by the writers as each episode covers a part of the escape plan, a similar format used by Lost and 24. The first season of Prison Break was primarily filmed at Joliet Prison which also contributed to the uniqueness of the show.[4] Its success and recognition as a prison drama also revived interest in the genre.[5] In popular culture, the show was featured in the 465th issue of the humor magazine, Mad as "Prison Fake". The show's official magazine, published by Titan Publishing, was launched on 21 November 2006.

The origins of Prison Break began as a concept (a man deliberately getting himself sent to prison in order to break out again) that was suggested to Paul Scheuring by colleague, Francette Kelley. Although Scheuring thought it was a good idea, he was initially stumped as to why someone would embark on such a mission or how he could develop it into a viable television show. He later came up with the story of the wrongfully accused brother, and the conspiracy subplot. He then started work writing the plot outline and devising the characters. In 2003, he pitched the idea to the Fox Broadcasting Company, but was turned down as Fox felt somewhat nervous about the long-term possibilities of such a series. He subsequently showed the concept to other channels with no luck. The show was later considered as a possible 10-part miniseries, which allegedly drew interest from big names in the film industry such as Steven Spielberg and Bruce Willis. However, the miniseries never materialized. Following the huge popularity of serialized prime time television series such as Lost and 24, the Fox Network had a change of heart and backed the production in 2004.[6]

On October 24, 2006, it was reported by the Associated Press that Donald and Robert Hughes filed a lawsuit against Fox Broadcasting Company and the show's executive producer and creator, Paul Scheuring for copyright infringement, seeking unspecified damages and other costs. They claimed that in 2001, they had sent Fox their manuscript which was based on their own experiences of a prison break at a juvenile facility. In the 1960s, Donald Hughes planned and successfully executed a prison escape for his brother, Robert Hughes, who was wrongfully incarcerated.[7][8]

The majority of the first season of Prison Break was filmed on location at Joliet Prison, Illinois.[9] After it was closed down in 2002, Joliet Prison became the permanent set of Prison Break in 2005, and was immortalized as Fox River State Penitentiary on screen. Scenes set in Lincoln's cell, the infirmary and the prison yard were all shot on location at the prison.[10] Lincoln's cell is the same one that John Wayne Gacy was incarcerated in. Most of production crew refused to enter the cell, thinking that it is haunted.[9] The cells that housed the general prison population were specially built with three tiers whereas the actual cells located in Joliet Prison only had two tiers a