Orange Is The New Black: 6 Reasons It's Netflix's Best Original Series

Is it a comedy or a drama?

It's a frequently asked question about Orange is the New Black, and one not helped by the fact that it was previously considered a comedy at awards shows, but is now - due to some rule changes, not to mention the increasingly dark tone - recognised as a drama.

The answer is that it's definitely a drama, but one that can, at times, be absolutely hilarious. While Netflix has some truly magnificent comedies (looking at you, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/BoJack Horseman/Master of None), the fact Orange is the New Black can at times match such hilarity is a testament to the quality of its writing and its cast.

No character serves purely as comic relief, but there are a couple of noticeable ones when it comes to cracking the funnies. Nikki is an obvious example, with a harsh, sarcastic wit that can be devastatingly funny, while Taystee's exasperation and intelligence shines through in her remarks. It's not just in the dialogue either, as the show has its share of physical comedy, or even in the acting - the show playing Papa Roach's Last Resort as the inmates dismember a body is a slice of deliciously dark humour that few other shows would go for.