This past summer, millions of fans said goodbye to one of the most popular shows in Netflix history. Orange is the New Black wrapped up its seven-season run of 91 episodes on July 25, 2019. Those who loved the series were sad to see it go and were left with a void to fill. What could they possibly watch next?
Thankfully, we're currently in what many consider to be the "Golden Age" of television. There is no shortage of great shows out there that can become a new favorite now that Orange is the New Black has finished.
Updated on May 26th, by Matthew Wilkinson: While it has now been almost a year since this fantastic prison based series came to an end, Orange is the New Black has still remained popular. However, with so many other shows now available to people, there is tons of content that is around for fans of this series to pick up on.
While they might not be exactly the same, there are subtle similarities from personalities to the content itself that will have fans of this show having their needs fulfilled. We've picked out the 15 shows we think would work best based on the things that made Orange is the New Black so popular.
Shameless
When Orange is the New Black first started, it seemed like a show mostly centered around Piper Chapman. As it progressed, the scope became wider and the diverse inmates were all given more character depth to make this into an ensemble piece. Showtime's hit Shameless is also about a big group of flawed people.
To be fair, Shameless has a much less diversified cast than OITNB, with the focus primarily being on a mostly Caucasian family. However, what makes this similar to the Netflix prison show is how the people involved get into criminal activities and must deal with the consequences of their sometimes terrible actions. It is the kind of gripping entertaining OITNB fans love.
Hollywood
While the tone and characters of Hollywood couldn't be further from those inside Litchfield, there are many similarities in both shows. Even though there aren't as many troubled characters with criminal pasts, instead focusing on the glitz and glamour of old-school Hollywood, it touches on many similar topics.
Hollywood focuses heavily on difficulties surrounding race, gender equality, and homophobia, which are all subjects that OITNB focuses on heavily. So while the worlds are very different, it tackles the same subjects in a slightly different way.
Jessica Jones
OITNB is far from the only Netflix original series with powerful females leading the charge. There is no stronger woman on the streaming juggernaut than the lead on Jessica Jones. Jessica is an enhanced human with powers including super strength, super speed, and more.
Part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jessica Jones ran for three seasons on Netflix. Led by a masterful performance from Krysten Ritter, this wasn't your typical superhero show. There was a darkness to Jessica and it dealt with serious themes like alcoholism, rape, and drug addiction.
Arrested Development
Much like OITNB, Arrested Development is a comedy that brings together a lot of different characters with varying personalities. While there isn't quite as much focus on true emotional drama in this show, there are still moral lessons to be learned and there is a real connection between audience and character.
The show focuses on one family, of which several end up in jail throughout the series due to mistakes that they made. While it's a little more comedic than OITNB, its humor and delightfully offbeat characters will still entertain fans in a similar way.
Ozark
Piper Chapman ended up in Litchfield Prison for the role she played in a crime ring that got busted. It took something as simple as that to set a long-running series in motion. Now imagine if the show began before she got incarcerated. That's kind of the case with another Netflix series, Ozark.
Ozark tells the story of Marry Byrde, a financial planner who gets caught up in the world of money laundering. He's way out of his league and that makes the show exciting. Byrde spends the series with both the police and drug lords hot on his heels. Jason Bateman and Julia Garner both took home Emmy Awards in 2019 for their stellar work.
Better Call Saul
Don't be put off by the Breaking Bad links for this show, as this is actually a prequel to the hit series and therefore anyone who hasn't seen Breaking Bad will be absolutely fine to just jump into this one. Much like OITNB, this series focuses on a character who breaks the law, but attempts to do good in the end.
Saul Goodman tries to be a good lawyer and play it by the rules, but can't help breaking them to gain success and money. The vast majority of Litchfield's inmates aren't bad people either, but do things for others that land them in jail. The humor in this show is also fantastic, and that is something OITNB fans will appreciate.
Orphan Black
You'll notice a trend on this list where we figure fans of Orange is the New Black will enjoy shows about large casts of different kinds of women. Orphan Black follows that concept, except the cast is much smaller. That's because Orphan Black is a show about clones who are all played by one cast member, Tatiana Maslany.
This show grabs viewers instantly with a crazy hook and keeps them coming back with plot twists. The real kicker is the work of Maslany. She more than earned her Emmy victory by playing five different main characters. That's not including the smaller supporting roles she took on. Though the women are identical, each has a unique personality and you can tell who is who just by watching Maslany's incredible performance.
Killing Eve
Killing Eve is a lot more intense than OITNB in tone and plot, however, it has also grown a mass following and is a show all about female empowerment. That push to have strong female lead characters is one of the big reasons OITNB became so popular, and this series does it just as well.
It follows two incredibly skilled women, one an MI6 operative and the other an assassin, as their lives are intertwined together. This show has some great action and some truly thrilling and intense moments that everyone gets hooked by.
The L Word
Though The L Word doesn't deal with some of the heavy and intense drama you get in a prison, it does share some key similarities with OITNB. For one, it is another show that features a large cast of ladies. For another, and this one is more important, it deals heavily with LGBTQ+ issues.
The L Word followed a group of friends who were mostly lesbian women in California. This groundbreaking show was one of the first to feature LGBTQ+ characters at the forefront. It was met with widespread acclaim and has left a lasting legacy in pop culture. To tie it closer into OITNB, there was once an unaired spin-off centered in a female prison. Now is a great time to check out this show, as a sequel series titled The L Word: Generation Q is set to premiere in December 2019.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Much like Orange is the New Black, the core focus of Brooklyn Nine-Nine is on the comedy. This series has a great cast of characters and is incredibly consistent with being very funny. The show will have audiences in stitches as they laugh along at the running gags, and it has become incredibly popular.
While it focuses on the other side of the criminal world, following detectives rather than prison inmates, seeing the other side in a comedic way like this is something that OITNB fans will enjoy. There are also some very well written and strong LGBTQ+ characters in this show, which is something that OITNB did incredibly well.
Sense8
After everything The L Word did to bring LGBTQ+ characters to prominence, shows like Sense8 could thrive. Another Netflix original, Sense8 was about a group of eight strangers from around the world who discovered they were linked both emotionally and mentally. Like Orange is the New Black, it dealt with topics such as politics, sexuality, and religion.
Sense8 was loved by most critics and fans during its short run of two seasons. The Dorian Awards nominated the show for for LGBTQ TV Show of the Year, and audiences consistently praised it for how it handled the subject. When Sense8 was canceled, there was an uproar from fans across social media and part of the reason was the loss of these beloved characters.
Jailbirds
As much as you enjoyed Orange is the New Black, maybe you're looking for something a bit more realistic. If that's the case, Jailbirds is the perfect show for you. This Netflix documentary-style series tells the true story of the women incarcerated in Sacramento County Jail.
Jailbirds has been described as a real-life version of Orange is the New Black. Viewers find out what the women are in for, including robbery, assault, and sometimes murder. It's not all grim, as the show also dives into the everyday lives and relationships of the ladies.
Weeds
Jenji Kohan has worked as a creator and writer for two successful shows. Her most famous is OITNB, but her first was Showtime's Weeds back in 2005. That show followed a widowed mother of two who starts selling marijuana to support her family. She quickly learns that she's in over her head, but she goes further down the rabbit hole of crime as the show progresses.
It is trademark Jenji Kohan. If you love the combination of dire situations, intense drama, and black comedy of OITNB, then you're sure to love Weeds. Most fans seem to agree that the last few seasons take a dip in quality, but when Weeds was clicking, it was one of the best shows on television.
GLOW
While Jenji Kohan only created Weeds and Orange is the New Black, she serves as an executive producer on Netflix's GLOW. This show is led by an ensemble group of strong women stuck together in an odd situation. Sound familiar? GLOW is more upbeat, taking place in the fun 1980s and the women are all part of a wrestling television program.
GLOW features the kind of writing style that fits right in with OITNB. There's a lot of humor and awkward moments. Each character is given a lot to work with, in a delicate balancing act that seems incredibly difficult to pull off. They've dealt with sexual harassment, eating disorders, racism, stereotypes, and at least two characters struggling with coming out as openly gay. No matter what you're looking for, GLOW has a bit of everything.
Wentworth
There is no way that someone can watch Wentworth and not think about Orange is the New Black. It is basically the Australian version of the Netflix series. It even followed a similar pattern in terms of how the show was laid out. Wentworth started with one woman as the main character before growing into an ensemble piece.
The core difference between the two shows would probably be the tone. OITNB certainly has had its fair share of depressing moments, but there's sometimes a lightheartedness to it all. Wentworth is simply darker and grittier. It comes across feeling like a more realistic take on the prison experience.