Parents guide

There is a theme of rape throughout the series, particularly of the prisoners. While the majority of it is kept off screen, the few instances of onscreen rape are graphic and disturbing.

There is pervasive graphic male nudity throughout this series, quite possibly the most in any mainstream TV series. For the record, it has far more genital nudity than "Game of Thrones". At one point, a character moons another character and spreads his buttocks, explicitly flashing his anus to the camera.

There is a lot of male nudity, full frontal and rear.

Posters of women can be seen in some prisoners cells. Nothing graphic, and mostly out of focus.

There are some references to prison guards having affairs with prisoners.

Prisoners also have pornographic magazines in their cells but this as well isn't graphic, and features no up close or graphic nudity. Mostly out of focus and attention isn't drawn to them.

Murders are frequent and usually without remorse. People are stabbed, shot, raped, and overall abused constantly and without letup.

The whole show takes place at "Oswald State Correctional Facility", which is an extremely unrelenting and brutally violent level 4 maximum-security state prison. Murderers, rapists, and arsonists are mixed with common thieves and white-collar criminals with unpleasant results.

Best friends murder each other, naive people are taken advantage of, prisoners use their connections on the street to murder while in prison, and much more happens.

In an episode, a man peels his own gums with a razor blade. He screams in extreme agony as blood pours from his mouth. Very bloody, graphic and extremely painful to watch.

An unconscious man is poured gasoline over him and is then burned alive. In the next episode, we see staff viewing photos of his burned face before we're shown in close-up the man in a body bag, with a very clear view of his horrifically charred corpse. VERY GRAPHIC AND DISTURBING.

This show is VERY VERY violent, VERY VERY often. There is a murder in nearly every single episode, usually by "shanking", or stabbing/cutting with makeshift blades. Prisoners and guards are killed by electrocution, beatings, and shootings. The electric chair is frequently used for execution, as well as firing squads and hanging. Prisoners on death row are allowed to choose their means of execution.

Drug trade is very active in the prison and many, many prisoners are killed because of it.

When a prisoner is introduced, their crime is shown. While a narrator tells us their name and prison number. Flashbacks to these sometimes occur. Some of them are DEEPLY disturbing.

Rape is quite common in the prison, and the majority of guards are totally apathetic, if not encouraging, of it.

Blood is shown in almost every violent scene (Gore is never shown).

"Cocksucker" is used numerous times throughout the series

Foul language is said literally every other sentence. There is pervasive use of racial and homophobic slurs between prisoners (and even the staff). The profanity becomes numbing after a certain point.

Oz is one of the most profane tv shows of all time

Thousands of F words. Several uses of cunt.

There's extremely strong and vulgar language continuously and frequently said by the prisoners in this show, which includes several uses of "fuck", "shit", "bitch", "ass", as well as slurs like "nigger", "faggot", etc.

Drinking and smoking in a lot of episodes.

Drugs are a main theme of the show and nearly every character on the show is either involved or affected by the drug trade/drugs at some point.

Many prisoners are drug addicts and alcoholics, and illegal drugs are dealt and used quite explicitly in the prison by several main characters.

The most disturbing part of the show is its graphically disturbing portrayal of how prison drives men insane, and worst of all its sheer authenticity, being just like how it actually happens in real-life.

There are lots of horrifying and frightening moments throughout the series.

The character of Vern Schillinger is extremely evil. He is the leader of the Aryan brotherhood and as such is a very intimidating, sadistic, and depraved man; not to mention a violent rapist.

Oz is an extremely hardcore show. It's cold, brutal, harsh, and wholly unforgiving. In addition to being relentlessly tense with the constant threat of violence looming, Oz is one of the most explicit series ever made and it's for that reason that, despite its gripping story and high quality, it should be approached with great caution.

This is perhaps the most pervasively and explicitly graphic and disturbing TV series ever made. The tone is relentlessly bleak and cynical. Nearly all of the characters are psychologically broken with many displaying SEVERE, aberrant and antisocial violent and sexual behavior. All of which is shown in explicit detail. NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.

The details of the crimes for which characters are in prison for are shown in flashbacks. While some are non-violent and relatively tame, the majority are HIGHLY disturbing, deviant, and savage. They include: rape, cop murder, racial assault, assassination, arson, and other crimes of the most heinous nature against innocents, including children. Perhaps some of the most broken and evil characters ever depicted in television.

Many instances of sexual assault / abuse, emotional and psychological manipulation, near-constant brutality including torture, execution, and retributive violence between savage and depraved men. Also themes of institutional dysfunction, abuse of power, and corruption in the prison system. This is a story about people with nearly no connection left to their humanity which can be upsetting to even the most hardened of audiences.

Oz is not at all a series aimed at sensitive or immature viewers, due to its relentlessly graphic, in your face, and authentic look at prison life.

Rated TV MA for strong graphic brutal violence throughout including grisly images and rape, disturbing aberrant behavior, pervasive strong language including racial epithets, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, and explicit drug use.