7 Reasons Why Oz Was The Most Groundbreaking TV Show Ever

7. First Of Its Kind

Oz was the very first hour long drama produced by HBO. You know HBO, that mega network behind The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Sex and the City, Game of Thrones, Westworld and so on and so forth.

HBO was delving into more and more original content as the '90s rolled in. Tales From The Crypt, The Larry Sanders Show and Dream On among others had been positively received by critics and audiences alike. With Oz however, HBO showed the perks of being a subscription only service by allowing a vast array of more adult themes to the surface. Due to not carrying standard commercials like broadcast television would, HBO was able to provide audiences with far edgier content. This in turn perked up viewer interest worldwide both in HBO itself and in what a TV show could be moving forward.

Oz’s success with critics and audiences was enough of a confidence boost for HBO to greenlight The Sopranos, and the rest is history. Had Oz flopped back in ‘97, we may have missed out on everything from gangsters to Bernarnold to that final season of GOT everyone just loved so, so much...