Orange Is the New Black

Orange Is the New Black
Genre Comedy-drama
Created by Jenji Kohan
Based on Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison 
by Piper Kerman
Starring
Theme music composer Regina Spektor
Opening theme "You've Got Time"
Composer(s) Scott Doherty
Brandon Jay
Gwendolyn Sanford
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 3
No. of episodes 39 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Jenji Kohan
Liz Friedman (pilot)
Producer(s) Neri Kyle Tannenbaum
Location(s) New York
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 51–60 minutes
89–92 minutes (season 2 and 3 finale)
Production company(s) Lionsgate Television
Tilted Productions
Distributor Netflix
Release
Original network Netflix
Picture format 1080p (16:9 HDTV)
Audio format Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 with Descriptive Video Service track
Original release July 11, 2013 (2013-07-11) – present
External links
Website

Orange Is the New Black (often abbreviated to OITNB) is an American comedy-drama series[1][2] created by Jenji Kohan. The series, produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television, is based on Piper Kerman's memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison (2010), about her experiences at FCI Danbury, a minimum-security federal prison. Orange Is the New Black is streamed on Netflix, and premiered on July 11, 2013.[3] The third season premiered on June 11, 2015.[4] All seasons have consisted of 13 episodes. In April 2015, the series was renewed for a fourth season, to be released on June 17, 2016. In February 2016, the series was renewed for a fifth, sixth and seventh season.[5]

Orange Is the New Black has become Netflix's most-watched original series.[5][6] It has received critical acclaim and many accolades. For its first season, the series garnered 12 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, winning three. A new Emmy rule in 2015 forced the series to change categories from comedy to drama.[7] For its second season, the series received four Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, and Uzo Aduba won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Orange Is the New Black is the first series to score Emmy nominations in both comedy and drama categories.[8] The series has also received six Golden Globe Award nominations, six Writers Guild of America Award nominations, two Producers Guild of America Awards, an American Film Institute award, and a Peabody Award.

Plot

Season Episodes Originally released
1 13 July 11, 2013 (2013-07-11)
2 13 June 6, 2014 (2014-06-06)
3 13 June 11, 2015 (2015-06-11)

The series revolves around Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), a woman in her 30s living in New York City, who is sentenced to 15 months in Litchfield Penitentiary, a minimum-security women's federal prison (operated by the "Federal Department of Corrections", a fictionalized version of the Federal Bureau of Prisons) in upstate New York. Piper has been convicted of transporting a suitcase full of drug money for her then girlfriend Alex Vause (Laura Prepon), an international drug smuggler. The offense had occurred 10 years prior to the start of the series, and in that time, Piper had moved on to a quiet, law-abiding life among New York's upper middle class, so her sudden and unexpected indictment seriously disrupts her relationships with her fiancé, family, and friends.

In prison, Piper is reunited with Alex (who named Piper in her trial, resulting in Piper's arrest), and they re-examine their relationship and deal with their fellow prisoners. The show often shows flashbacks of significant events from various inmates and prison guards' pasts. These flashbacks typically explain how the inmate came to be in prison or otherwise further develop the character's backstory. The majority of the characters featured are in prison for offences related to narcotics, fraud, and larceny, while some are in prison for organized crime, homicide, and aggravated assault charges. Most are from lower- and middle-income backgrounds, although some are from wealthy backgrounds, and others are from broken or dysfunctional families. The show also depicts corruption and inadequacies of the U.S prison system and the abuse of power by some correctional officers upon female inmates. As the series has progressed, the focus on Piper as the lead character has lessened and shifted to the ensemble and concurrent plot themes.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Recurring cast

Production

The series cast at The Paley Center For Media's PaleyFest 2014 event honoring the show

Show creator Jenji Kohan came across Piper Kerman's memoir after a friend sent it to her. She then set up a meeting with Kerman to pitch her on a TV adaptation, which she notes she "screwed up" as she spent most of the time asking Kerman about her experiences she described in the book rather than selling her on the show. This appealed to Kerman as it let her know that she was a fan and she signed off on the adaptation.[9] Kohan would later go on to describe the main character, Piper Chapman as a "trojan horse" for the series allowing it to focus on characters whose demographics would normally would not be represented on TV.[10]

In July 2011, it was revealed that Netflix was in negotiations with Lionsgate for a 13-episode TV adaptation of Kerman's memoirs with Kohan as creator.[11] In November 2011, negations were finalized and the series had been greenlit.[12] Casting announcements began in August 2012 with Taylor Schilling, the first to be cast, in the lead role as Piper Chapman,[13] followed by Jason Biggs as Piper's fiancé Larry Bloom.[14]

Laura Prepon and Yael Stone were next to join the series,[2] Prepon initially auditioned for the starring role of Piper however Kohan felt that she was not sympathetic enough in the role noting that "toughness and a presence to her that wasn’t right for the character" Kohan instead gave her the roll of Alex. [9] Around the same time Laverne Cox, a black transgender woman was cast, as Sophia Burset, a transgender character. The Advocate touted Orange Is the New Black as possibly the first women-in-prison narrative to cast a transgender woman for this type of role.[15] This American Life host Ira Glass was offered a role as a public radio host, but he declined. The role instead went to Robert Stanton, who plays the fictional host Maury Kind.[16]

The series is set in a fictional prison in Litchfield, New York, which is a real town in upstate New York, but it does not have a federal penitentiary.[17] The series began filming in the old Rockland Children's Psychiatric Center in Rockland County, New York, on March 7, 2013.[18] The title sequence features photos of real former female prisoners including Kerman herself.[19]

On June 27, 2013, prior to the series premiere, Netflix renewed the show for a second season consisting of 13 episodes.[20] For the second season, Uzo Aduba, Taryn Manning, Danielle Brooks, and Natasha Lyonne were promoted to series regulars.[21] Laura Prepon did not return as a series regular for a second season because of scheduling conflicts, but returned for season 3 as a regular.[22] On May 5, 2014, the series was renewed for a third season, as revealed by actress Laura Prepon.[23] For the third season, several actors were promoted to series regulars, including Selenis Leyva, Adrienne C. Moore, Dascha Polanco, Nick Sandow, Yael Stone, and Samira Wiley.[24] Both Jason Biggs and Pablo Schreiber were confirmed as not returning for the third season, but Schreiber appeared in the 10th episode of the third season.[25][26][27] The series was renewed for a fourth season on April 15, 2015, prior to its third-season premiere.[28][29] For the fourth season, Jackie Cruz and Lea DeLaria are promoted to series regulars.[30] On February 5, 2016, the series was renewed for a fifth, sixth and seventh season.[5]

Reception

Critical response

Members of the cast and crew with their Peabody Award, May 2014

Orange Is the New Black has received critical acclaim, particularly praised for humanizing prisoners[31][32] and for its depiction of race, sexuality, gender and body types.[33][34][35][36][37][38][39]

The first season received positive reviews from critics, review aggregator Metacritic gave it a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 based on reviews from 32 critics, indicating favorable reviews.[40] On Rotten Tomatoes, season one has a 93% approval rating based on 40 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2 out of 10 . The site's critical consensus is "Orange Is the New Black is a sharp mix of black humor and dramatic heft, with interesting characters and an intriguing flashback structure."[41]

Hank Stuever, television critic for The Washington Post, gave Orange Is the New Black a perfect score. In his review of the series, he stated: "In Jenji Kohan's magnificent and thoroughly engrossing new series, Orange Is the New Black, prison is still the pits. But it is also filled with the entire range of human emotion and stories, all of which are brought vividly to life in a world where a stick of gum could ignite either a romance or a death threat."[42] Maureen Ryan, of The Huffington Post, wrote: "Orange is one of the best new programs of the year, and the six episodes I've seen have left me hungry to see more."[43]

The second season also received critical acclaim. Rotten Tomatoes gave a rating of 97%, with an average rating of 9.1 out of 10 based on 36 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "With a talented ensemble cast bringing life to a fresh round of serial drama, Orange Is the New Black's sophomore season lives up to its predecessor's standard for female-led television excellence.[44] Metacritic gave the second season a score of 89 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[45] David Wiegland of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the season a positive review, calling the first six episodes "not only as great as the first season, but arguably better."[46]

The third season received critical acclaim. On Metacritic, it has a score of 83 out of 100 based on 24 reviews.[47] On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 94% rating with an average score of 8.4 out of 10 based on 33 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "Thanks to its blend of potent comedy and rich character work, Orange is the New Black remains a bittersweet pleasure in its third season."[48]

Broadcast

Netflix is famously tight-fisted when it comes to offering up viewership data about its original series. But execs with the streaming giant have repeatedly confirmed that OITNB is its most-watched original series. That has been backed up by the efforts of outside measurement companies to track viewing in the Netflix eco-system.

—Variety[5]

The series began airing on broadcast television in New Zealand on TV2 on August 19, 2013.[49] It premiered in Australia on October 9, 2013, on Showcase.[50] The second season began on Showcase on July 16, 2014,[51] and the third season premiered on June 11, 2015.[52]

Ratings

Orange Is the New Black generated more viewers and hours viewed in its first week than the other Netflix original series House of Cards and Arrested Development.[53][54] In October 2013, Netflix stated that the show is a "tremendous success" for the streaming platform. "It will end the year as our most watched original series ever and, as with each of our other previously launched originals, enjoys an audience comparable with successful shows on cable and broadcast TV."[55][56] As reported in February 2016, Orange Is the New Black remains Netflix's most-watched original series.[5][6][57]

Accolades

Orange Is the New Black has received many accolades since its debut. The series has garnered 16 Emmy Award nominations and four wins. For its first season, it received 12 Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, winning three.[58] Taylor Schilling received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama.[59] In 2013, the American Film Institute selected the series as one of the Top 10 Television Programs of the Year.[60]

A new Emmy rule in 2015, classifying half-hour shows as comedies and hour-long shows as dramas, forced the series to change categories from comedy to drama for its second season.[61] That year, the series received four Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, and Aduba won her second Emmy Award, for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.[58] Orange Is the New Black became the first series to receive Emmy nominations in both comedy and drama categories.[62] For its second season, the series also received three Golden Globe Award nominations: Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for Schilling, and Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for Aduba. At the 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards, the series won Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and Aduba won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series.[63]

For its third season, Orange Is the New Black won Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (Aduba).[64] It received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy.[59] The series has also received, among other accolades, six Writers Guild of America Award nominations,[65] five Satellite Awards,[66][67] four Critics' Choice Television Awards,[68][69] a GLAAD Media Award,[70] an American Cinema Editors Award,[71] a Producers Guild of America Award,[72] and a Peabody Award.[73]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dunne, Susan (July 3, 2013). "Danbury Women's Prison Setting For Netflix Original Series". The Hartford Courant. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  2. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (September 17, 2012). "Duo Cast in Netflix's 'Orange Is The New Black', Don Stark Upped on VH's 'Bounce'". Deadline. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  3. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (April 30, 2013). "Netflix Sets Premiere Date for Jenji Kohan's 'Orange Is the New Black'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  4. ↑ Stedman, Alex (June 11, 2015). "‘Orange is the New Black’ Season 3 Gets Early Release". Variety. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Littleton, Cynthia (February 5, 2016). "‘Orange Is the New Black’ Renewed For 3 Seasons By Netflix". Variety. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Denham, Jess (February 5, 2016). "Netflix renews Orange is the New Black for three more series". The Independent.
  7. ↑ VanDerWerff, Todd (July 16, 2015). "7 Emmys rules and quirks that explain the 2015 nominations". Vox. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  8. ↑ Birnbaum, Debra (August 4, 2015). "‘Orange Is the New Black’ Boss Jenji Kohan on Running the Show Her Way". Variety. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  9. 1 2 Radish, Christina (July 7, 2013). "Creator Jenji Kohan Talks ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, Her Research Into Prison Life, and Graphic Sex Scenes". Collider. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  10. ↑ "'Orange' Creator Jenji Kohan: 'Piper Was My Trojan Horse'". NPR. August 13, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  11. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (July 22, 2011). "Netflix Eyeing Second Original Series – Comedy From Weeds Creator Jenji Kohan". Deadline. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  12. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (November 11, 2011). "Netflix, Lionsgate TV Closing Deal For Jenji Kohan's 'Orange Is The New Black' Comedy". Deadline. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  13. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (August 30, 2012). "Taylor Schilling To Star in Jenji Kohan's Netflix Series Orange Is The New Black". Deadline. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  14. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (September 12, 2012). "Jason Biggs to Co-Star in Netflix's 'Orange Is the New Black' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
  15. ↑ Anderson, Diane (July 10, 2013). "Why You Should Watch 'Orange Is the New Black'". The Advocate. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
  16. ↑ Molloy, Tim (August 13, 2013). "Ira Glass 'Politely Declined' Role on 'Orange Is the New Black'". The Wrap. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Is the 'Orange is New Black' Prison Real? Yes, and it is Located Near Utica". WIBX 950 AM. January 6, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  18. ↑ Serico, Chris (March 7, 2013). "Netflix series 'Orange is the New Black' filming in Rockland". Newsday. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  19. ↑ Pate, Caroline (August 21, 2013). "'Orange is the New Black' Title Sequence Uses Actual Former Prisoners". Bustle. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Netflix Renews Original Series "Orange Is the New Black" for Second Season" (Press release). Netflix. June 27, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  21. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (August 8, 2013). "Uzo Aduba Upped To Regular On ‘Orange Is The New Black’, Steven Culp In ‘Revolution’". Deadline. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  22. ↑ Stern, Marlow (April 22, 2014). "Orange is the New Black’s Laura Prepon on the Return of Alex Vause and Tom Cruise Dating Rumors". The Daily Beast. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  23. ↑ Hibberd, James (May 5, 2014). "'Orange is the New Black' renewed for 3rd season". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  24. ↑ Simms, Andrew (June 12, 2014). "'Orange is the New Black' season 3 promotes Dascha Polanco to series regular". Hypable. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  25. ↑ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (February 20, 2015). "‘Orange Is the New Black': Jason Biggs Not Returning to Season 3". Variety. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  26. ↑ Miller, Gregory E. (July 23, 2014). "‘Pornstache’ out ahead of ‘Orange’ season 3". New York Post. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  27. ↑ Huggins, Sarah (June 13, 2015). "Pablo Schreiber's Pornstache has an 'OITNB' Season 3 surprise in store for fans". Zap2it. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  28. ↑ Bibel, Sara (April 15, 2015). "'Orange Is The New Black' Renewed for Season 4 by Netflix". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  29. ↑ Abrams, Natalie (January 17, 2016). "Netflix sets premiere dates for OITNB, Kimmy Schmidt, and more". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  30. ↑ Petski, Denise (April 28, 2014). "Lea DeLaria Upped To Regular On ‘Orange Is The New Black’". Deadline. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  31. ↑ Abramson, Seth (July 26, 2013). "How ‘Orange Is the New Black’ humanizes inmates". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  32. ↑ Simon, Rachel (June 17, 2014). "Has 'Orange is the New Black' Changed the Way We Think of Prisoners? Former Inmates Say No, But There's Progress Ahead". Bustle. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  33. ↑ Greenwald, Andy (July 15, 2013). "The Great Orange Is the New Black Is Suddenly the Best Netflix Series Yet". Grantland. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  34. ↑ Rorke, Robert (June 4, 2014). "‘Orange Is the New Black’ ignites a TV revolution for women". New York Post. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  35. ↑ McClelland, Mac (June 18, 2015). "Orange is the New Black: Girls Gone Wrong". Rolling Stone (1237).
  36. ↑ Ross, L.A. (March 15, 2014). "‘Orange Is the New Black’ Cast Dishes on Prison Sex, Women Calling the Shots, and What Red Did". TheWrap. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  37. ↑ Gennis, Sadie (July 24, 2013). "Trans Actress Laverne Cox Breaks New Ground with Orange Is the New Black". TV Guide. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  38. ↑ Schroeder, Audra (August 5, 2013). "How "Orange Is the New Black" changed the way we talk about TV". The Daily Dot. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  39. ↑ Poniewozik, James (July 25, 2013). "Dead Tree Alert: Orange Is the New Black Is the New Way of Talking About TV". Time. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Critic Reviews for Orange Is the New Black Season 1". Metacritic. 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  41. ↑ "Orange is the New Black: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  42. ↑ Steuver, Hank (July 11, 2013). "Netflix's Orange Is the New Black: Brilliance behind bars". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  43. ↑ Ryan, Maureen (July 10, 2013). "'Orange Is The New Black' Review: Subversive Netflix Prison Drama Proves Addictive". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  44. ↑ "Orange is the New Black: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  45. ↑ "Critic Reviews for Orange Is the New Black Season 2". Metacritic. 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  46. ↑ Wiegland, David (June 3, 2014). "'Orange Is the New Black' review: Me vs. we". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  47. ↑ "Orange Is the New Black: Season 3". Metacritic. 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  48. ↑ "Orange is the New Black: Season 3". Rotten Tomatoes. 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  49. ↑ "Orange Is The New Black". TVNZ. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  50. ↑ Knox, David (September 9, 2013). "Airdate: Orange is the New Black". TV Tonight. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  51. ↑ "Most anticipated returning shows in 2014". Foxtel. January 14, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  52. ↑ "Orange is the New Black S3: same time as the US". Foxtel. June 4, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  53. ↑ Greenwald, Andy (June 4, 2014). "Brilliant ‘Orange’". Grantland. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  54. ↑ Kafka, Peter (July 23, 2013). "Netflix's No-Name Show Beating "House of Cards" and "Arrested Development"". All Things Digital. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  55. ↑ Ha, Anthony (October 21, 2013). "Netflix: ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Is Our Most-Watched Original, But Our TV Exclusives Are Even Bigger". TechCrunch. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  56. ↑ Hernandez, Brian Anthony (October 21, 2013). "'Orange Is the New Black' Is Netflix's Most-Watched Original Series". Mashable. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  57. ↑ Smith, Nigel M (February 5, 2016). "Orange is the New Black renewed for three additional seasons". The Guardian. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  58. 1 2 "Orange Is The New Black". Television Academy. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  59. 1 2 "Orange is the New Black". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  60. ↑ "AFI Awards 2013". American Film Institute. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  61. ↑ VanDerWerff, Todd (July 16, 2015). "7 Emmys Rules and Quirks that Explain the 2015 Nominations". Vox. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  62. ↑ Birnbaum, Debra (August 4, 2015). "‘Orange Is the New Black’ Boss Jenji Kohan on Running the Show Her Way". Variety. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  63. ↑ "SAG Award Winners 2015: Full List". Variety. January 25, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  64. ↑ "SAG Awards: The Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. January 30, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  65. ↑ "Previous Nominees & Winners". Writers Guild of America. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  66. ↑ "2013 Satellite Awards". International Press Academy. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  67. ↑ "2015 Satellite Awards". International Press Academy. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  68. ↑ "Critics' Choice Television Awards 2014: Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. June 19, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  69. ↑ "Critics’ Choice Awards Winners: Full List". Variety. May 31, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  70. ↑ "George Takei, "Orange is the New Black," "Concussion" among #GLAADAwards recipients in New York City". GLAAD. May 3, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  71. ↑ "'Star Wars' Among Nominees for ACE Eddie Awards for Film Editing". The Hollywood Reporter. January 4, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  72. ↑ "PGA Awards: 'Orange Is the New Black' Wins Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy". The Hollywood Reporter. January 24, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  73. ↑ "Orange is the New Black (Netflix)". Peabody Awards. Retrieved April 17, 2016.

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