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15 Secrets You Didn’t Know About Prison Break - Part 1
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5. THE NETWORK HAS A STRANGE HISTORY WITH SPIN-OFFS
After Prison Break became a massive hit, Fox tried to use the success of the show to promote various spin-off materials. The first was the Prison Break: Proof of Innocence shorts, which revolved around Amber McCall trying to exonerate her friend L.J. Burrows. It was released exclusively for mobile phones, because it was 2006 and that probably seemed like a cutting-edge decision at the time. Another series of shorts, Prison Break: Visitations, centered on the villains of Sona. Fox then decided to try their hand at a true spin-off series called Prison Break: Cherry Hill, focusing on a women’s prison. Molly, the protagonist of the spin-off, was meant to be introduced during Prison Break‘s third season. However, producers had trouble casting her and then were derailed by the WGA strike. Fox later announced Cherry Hill would merely be an unconnected brand spin-off, then it disappeared completely.
In season three, Michael and company were thrown into the Sona Prison, which operated in a strange way. After the prisoners started a violent riot, the prison guards retreated outside the prison walls and left the inmates to run things on their own. Sona’s interesting set-up was partially based on the true story of Carandiru, a prison in Brazil, but real life turned out to be more violent than Prison Break. In 1992, the prisoners of Carandiru started a riot and the guards lost control of the situation. In the real-life case, the military police took over, and they ended the standoff by storming the prison and ending the lives of 111 inmates. Forensic evidence concluded that the prisoners were likely executed by the military police. Dozens of policemen were sent to prison for their part in the massacre, and the incident was considered a human rights violation.
3. MICHAEL’S TATTOO CAUSED A LOT OF PROBLEMS
Michael’s tattoos were an iconic part of the series, which made many fans question why Michael got a quick tattoo removal in season four. Producers regretted the shoehorned scene, but the tattoos had become far too difficult to maintain. From the beginning, Michael’s ink required four and a half hours of makeup to apply every day. At least part of the tattoo had to be applied every time Michael’s torso or arms were shown. Wentworth Miller eventually requested that the tattoo be removed to make filming easier. He explained, “In 100-degree heat, [I was] wearing long-sleeve shirts because we’re still pretending I actually have the thing on.” As the tattoos were no longer plot-relevant, the request was granted. When Prison Break returned for its fifth season, Michael’s elaborate tattoos returned in all of their former glory.
2. THE THIRD SEASON WAS AFFECTED BY THE WRITER’S STRIKE
The WGA strike of 2007 rocked most of Hollywood at the time, forcing changes in many shows that were airing at the time. Dozens of shows aired with shorten seasons due to delayed production.Others were postponed for a long hiatus or cancelled by the networks. Prison Break was one of the lucky shows to continue production. However, it aired with a shortened season of 13 out of the usual 22 episodes.
The producers reportedly had to turn their mid-season cliffhanger into the season three finale.
The plan may have worked out for them in the end, though, as some speculate the shortened third season was a big reason Fox renewed the series for its fourth season. The strike may have also cancelled the intended spin-off Prison Break: Cherry Hill.
1. FOX ORIGINALLY TURNED DOWN THE SHOW
Although Prison Break turned out to be one of Fox’s most popular shows, the network was not convinced the show could succeed at first. When series creator Paul Scheuring pitched the idea to Fox in 2003, the network executives turned him down. They did not believe the show had long-term possibilities. Scheuring pitched to other networks, who also turned it down. Prison Break was then considered for a miniseries, an idea which briefly drew the attention of Steven Spielberg. By that time, television networks had also witnessed the successes of similar shows like Lost and 24. Fox decided to reconsider Scheuring’s idea for a television series and green-lit the project in 2004. In retrospect, with five seasons of Prison Break and a sixth expected, the network saved themselves from a huge mistake and avoided turning down a long-term hit.
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