It’s been twelve years since Prison Break first hit our screens, and now it’s back as a limited event series, which starts in October on M-Net. To prepare for the event, here is your A to Z guide on the hit show.
Alexander Mahone
A brilliant character actor, William Fichtner made Alexander Mahone a man we loved to hate from Seasons 2 to 4. The producers couldn’t justify adding him to the new story, so he won’t be returning this year – but there’ll be plenty of other regulars to keep fans happy.
Banned
Prison Break was banned in thirteen prisons across the U.S.
Cherry Hill
A spin-off to Prison Break focusing on a women’s prison was in the works in 2007, but was dropped due to the writers’ strike.
Dominic Purcell
Johnny Messner and Eric Dane were both considered for the role of Lincoln Burrows, but it eventually went to Dominic Purcell. We’re happy to say: he’s back in the show this year.
Easter Eggs
Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller (who plays Michael Scofield, of course) appear together in The Flash where they drop references to Prison Break.
Favourite Scene
Do you have a favourite scene from the first four seasons? Check out Sarah Wayne Callies’ favourite here.
Golden Globes
For his role as Michael Scofield, Wentworth Miller was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama, in 2006.
Hairstyle
Robert Knepper, who is back as T-Bag, based his character’s hairstyle on that of his old science teacher. We’re not sure whether said teacher should feel flattered or not.
In the Meantime
Speaking of Knepper, you may have seen him in another limited TV series on M-Net recently, as Rodney Mitchum in Twin Peaks: The Return. Since 2009, when Season 4 of Prison Break ended, the rest of the cast has also kept busy, joining popular shows such as The Walking Dead, The Mentalist, and The Fixer.
Joining the Cast
Along with favourite regulars, there will be new faces too. Royal Pains’ Mark Feuerstein appears as Jacob Anton Ness, Sara’s new husband; while Augustus Prew, whom you might recognise from Kick-Ass 2, has been cast as Michael’s new cellmate.
Keach
As in Stacey Keach, who played Warden Henry Pope in the first and second seasons, actually spent six months in jail back in 1984. He modelled his performance in Prison Break after his own warden.
Lost and 24
The success of these hit shows convinced Fox to take on Prison Break.
Mondays
The day of the week you can watch Prison Break on M-Net. Tune in every Monday at 19:00, starting 2 October.
Nine
No, not the musical – nine is the number of episodes in this limited series. It’s a short one, so make sure you don’t miss a single episode.
Ogygia
This is the name of the prison – set in Sana'a, Yemen – Michael finds himself in. Take a tour here.
Pobeg
It’s not just Americans who love making their own versions of popular foreign TV shows. The Russians are just as fond of the practice, and in 2010 they made their own version of Prison Break. Although saying “their own version” is a bit of a stretch because a lot of the dialogue was copied verbatim.
Quick Casting
Wentworth Miller was cast as Michael one week before filming started on the very first season.
Ramin Djawadi
The talented composer is back to score the show. Does his name look familiar? That’s because he’s also behind the score for Game of Thrones and Westworld.
Sara Tancredi
Did you know Sarah Wayne Callies’ character Sara was going to be killed off in Season 1? However, fans took to her so much that the producers decided to keep her on, and now she’s back again!
Tattoo
It took the makeup artists four hours to apply Michael’s tattoos. Watch them at work here.
U.S. Presidents
Several characters are named after American presidents and politicians including Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell (named after Theodore Roosevelt), Lincoln Burrows (after Abraham Lincoln) and Benjamin Miles “C-Note” Franklin (after Benjamin Franklin).
Vancouver
Filming took place in this Canadian city, as well as in several locations in Morocco.
Wentworth Miller
Shooting to fame after his stint in Prison Break, the actor has kept busy since, most notably as Captain Cold in Legends of Tomorrow and The Flash.
X-Men
No, there are no mutants on the show, but it does have a link to the movie franchise. Brett Ratner, who directed X-Men: The Last Stand, is an executive producer on Prison Break. He spotted Wentwortth Miller’s talent after he auditioned for the role of Superman in the canned film Flyby, recognition which stood him in good stead when it was time to cast Prison Break.
Yemen
The prison is set in Yemen, but the cities of Rabat, Casablanca, and Ouarzazate stood in for the country during shooting.
‘Zines
As in magazines! In 2006 an official magazine for the show was released – perfect for die-hard fans.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan or not, Prison Break is bound to be a thrilling ride (or should we say escape) even if you haven’t watched or can’t recall the first four seasons.
Tune in every Monday at 19:00, starting 2 October, on M-Net. For more on the series, check out the show page here.