5 Things You Didn't Know About Prison Break

From AskMen.com

5 Things You Didn't Know About Prison Break
By Craig Mazin
Entertainment Correspondent - Every other Sunday


Every television season has a breakout hit. In 1985, for example, it was the immortal Growing Pains. Thankfully, the shows that make a splash today are of greater quality. Exemplifying this quality is Prison Break, a gripping drama that FOX has ridden to their best Monday ratings since the salad days of Melrose Place. Immediately grabbing people’s attention was the premise of an innocent man intentionally going to jail in order to help bust out his brother on death row. The show’s fine acting and inventive plot twists have kept viewers interested and critics impressed.

Some critics, however, have griped that the show leans too heavily on its far-fetched premise and other plot gimmicks. On the other hand, FOX had a federal copyright suit filed against it by two brothers from Missouri, one of whom helped the other escape from a juvenile facility in the 1960s, for stealing their life story without compensation. So, perhaps Prison Break isn’t far-fetched enough.

If you’re not a part of the show’s hard-core fan base, here are five things you didn’t know about Prison Break.

1- It was filmed in John Wayne Gacy’s former cell
The producers of Prison Break were intent on making the series as authentic as possible, but viewers had little idea just how close to reality it would tread. The permanent set for the first season was at Joliet Correctional Center, a real penitentiary in Illinois that closed down in 2002. Scenes set in the cell blocks, the infirmary and the prison yard were all shot on location at the prison.

But in an especially macabre touch, show producers determined that Lincoln’s cell would be set in the same one that actually housed Joilet’s most infamous inhabitant, the notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Cast members were understandably queasy about the set and some of the staff refused to enter the cell. But Dominic Purcell hasn’t expressed the same squeamishness and claims that Gacy’s cell is the best locale to shoot Lincoln because “it has the best light.”

2- Prison Break’s stars were cast at the last minute
Once FOX gave the go-ahead to shoot the first season in 2005, series mastermind Paul Scheuring worked to get everything in place for the new show: directors, crew members and supporting players. But, Scheuring almost forgot to cast the stars. The roles of Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows went unfilled until less than a week before the show started filming.

Wentworth Miller was pegged as Michael only six days before the series began and Dominic Purcell was plucked to play Lincoln with a mere 72 hours to spare. Scheuring was having serious trouble finding actors who truly fit the look and feel of the roles and was therefore forced to “sit on pins and needles” until he found the perfect duo at the last minute.

3- Prison Break was almost a superstar miniseries
The premise of Prison Break is so innately intriguing that it’s no wonder it was a hot piece of property before FOX picked it up as a permanent series. But, the premise of the show begs the question: How long can the story line sustain itself? Paul Scheuring has readily admitted that he initially only conceived a two-season storyline and, as of the start of the second season, he had little idea what direction the story would take in season three. Given the apparent limits of the storyline, it makes sense that it was initially sought after as a possible 10-part miniseries.

Interested parties of the miniseries included the likes of Steven Spielberg and Bruce Willis. Spielberg actually committed to being executive producer of the proposed miniseries, but bowed out at the last minute to produce War of the Worlds (2005) with Tom Cruise. In 2004, FOX executives were finally convinced that the concept could work as a regular series when they saw the success of the fellow maverick show Lost, which stars Evangeline Lilly.

4- A spinoff series was made exclusively for mobile phones
Prison Break’s instantaneous ratings success, especially with the all-important young male demographic, made it an immediate favorite with sponsors. In fact, Toyota was so eager to identify itself with the show that it signed a deal with FOX that gave it sole sponsorship rights to an exclusive internet spinoff show. The first of several “mobisodes,” Prison Break: Proof of Innocence, became available on the internet in May 2006 and several others have followed.

Prison Break continued its streak of internet-savvy innovations in October 2006. FOX, worried that viewers might forget about the series during the baseball playoffs, decided to air reruns on the internet to keep fans hooked. But, unlike other networks that streamed ad-supported episodes on their sites, FOX made Prison Break one of the first network shows to be officially offered on the social networking site MySpace.

5- Wentworth Miller is Mariah Carey’s video hunk of choice
Both of Prison Break’s stars, Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller, have become prime-time heartthrobs for the female audience due to their chiseled looks and -- let’s face it ladies -- that irresistible convicted-felon, bad-boy aura. But some hard-core Prison Break fans might be perturbed to know that Miller has a whole other career as an object of affection on MTV. Miller is a favored love interest of Mariah Carey -- in her videos at least.

In Mariah’s hit “It’s Like That,” Miller reveals himself at a masquerade party as Carey’s date. “We Belong Together” was the sequel video to “It’s Like That,” and Miller returned as the suave former flame to steal Mariah from under Eric Roberts’ nose at a wedding. Miller picked the right video to star in, as “We Belong Together” was one of the biggest pop singles of 2005.

WHY IS IT SEARCHED?
Along with Lost and 24, Prison Break is part of a new breed of highly serialized, extremely popular dramas. These shows all have complicated storylines, are conceptually daring almost to the point of incredulity and possess outstanding production values. Prison Break is immensely popular among male viewers in the crucial 18-to-49 demographic, who have been attracted by the understated, tough-guy acting and suspenseful action

LENGTH OF THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST?
As previously stated, some critics have complained that strains in the plot are showing already, with the show’s writers relying on Michael’s maze of body tattoos as a cure-all for any lulls in the storyline. Prison Break does have a rabid fan base, and is still attracting very strong audiences well into its second season. As long as the writers consistently find a good plot for the protagonists, the public will keep watching.


AskMen.com’s Analysis
Longevity of this term’s popularity - 8/10

Source

I actually knew all this stuff, but I thought other members of this board may find this article interesting.

[Clic]

Thank you for this post Dom
I already knew about those things coz they aired a footage here in France
nd for the 4th thing, i knew about Myspace thanks to internet
though i didnt know about Toyota investments in that ! Wow !

I knew all that stuff too, Dom. but it was great to be reminded.

Thank you, I knew a fwe bits but not all. Its nice to get some back info.

[exNeo]

i knew these things already, do i get a prize???

[abby123]

I knew the last two, but the first three I didn't! Thanks for posting that!

lol fifth one is funny
gotta watch those videos again now!
thanks for the info DomFan!

[*DQ]

wow in Gacy's cell? Thats crazy and creepy all at the same time