Best tv shows like Prisoner: Cell Block H

Last updated March 2024

Looking for tv shows like Prisoner: Cell Block H? Offer your insights to navigate others to tv series and films you've already viewed that might appeal to them too. Support expanding the assembly of people recommending videos to one another. We encourage your participation!

Plot Summary:

Prisoner is an Australian soap opera that is set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. In the United States and United Kingdom it was billed as Prisoner: Cell Block H, and in Canada as Caged Women. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation in Australia, and aired on Network Ten, running 692 episodes from 27 February 1979 to 11 December 1986, after originally only devised as a 16 part mini-series. The series was inspired by British television drama Within These Walls, which had achieved moderate success in Australia. Prisoner producers even approached Googie Withers of Within These Walls to play the role of Prisoner's governor, an offer that she declined. Because of an injunction brought by UK-based ATV, which considered the title too similar to their own series, The Prisoner, it was originally not possible for overseas broadcasters to screen the show under the Prisoner title, which necessitated a name change. In March 2012, it was announced that the series would be "reimagined" on Foxtel in a new version entitled Wentworth.


IMDB Rating: 8.2

IMDB Votes: 2000

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: Australia

Duration: 50 min

Plot tags: rough, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing, soap opera

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Best tv shows and movies like Prisoner: Cell Block H (1979):

Similar in 80%

The Ceremony (1963)

Plot Summary:

A man (Robert Walker) has an affair with his condemned brother's (Laurence Harvey) girlfriend (Sarah Miles) while plotting his escape in Tangier.


IMDB Rating: 5.8

IMDB Votes: 241

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: Spain, USA

Duration: 105 min

Plot tags: noir, rough, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing, gloomy

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Time (2021)

Plot Summary:

A prisoner consumed by guilt, an officer with an impossible choice. What does it take to survive? A tense story of punishment and principles, starring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham.


IMDB Rating: 8.2

IMDB Votes: 26000

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: UK

Duration: 59 min

Plot tags: captivating, suspense, suspenseful, disturbing, crying

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Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms (2012)

Plot Summary:

Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms is a six-part Australian drama miniseries, screened on Network Ten on 15 May 2012. Bikie Wars is based on the book Brothers in Arms by Lindsay Simpson and Sandra Harvey. The screenplay was written by Greg Haddrick, Roger Simpson and Jo Martino. It is directed by Peter Andrikidis. Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms cost A$6,000,000 to make.


IMDB Rating: 7.0

IMDB Votes: 822

Genere: Drama

Country: Australia

Duration: 45 min

Plot tags: tense, serious, disturbing, rough, captivating, bleak, realistic

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Similar in 78%

Blue Murder (1995)

Plot Summary:

Detective Sergeant Roger "The Dodger" Rogerson got fame because he knew how to take care of most dangerous and violent criminals. His success was, however, also due to the sinister alliance with violent underworld figures like Neddy Smith who got police protection in exchange for tips and money.


IMDB Rating: 8.2

IMDB Votes: 1000

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: Australia

Duration: 198 min

Plot tags: slasher, detective, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful

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Hinter Gittern - Der Frauenknast (1997)

Plot Summary:

Drama set in a women's prison in Germany.


IMDB Rating: 4.2

IMDB Votes: 336

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: Germany

Duration: 48 min

Plot tags:

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Bad Girls (1999)

Plot Summary:

Bad Girls is a British television drama series that was broadcast on ITV from 1 June 1999 to 20 December 2006 and starred Simone Lahbib, Mandana Jones, Debra Stephenson, Linda Henry, Jack Ellis and many more throughout the eight-year run. The series was broadcast in 17 countries and was produced by Shed Productions, the company which later produced Footballers' Wives and Waterloo Road. It is set in the fictional women's prison of Larkhall, and features a mixture of serious and light storylines focusing on the prisoners and staff of G Wing. From 2010, the UK broadcast rights were bought by CBS Drama, and is repeated regularly – as of September 2012, the channel is re-running the series again in a late-night time slot.


IMDB Rating: 7.9

IMDB Votes: 3000

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: UK

Duration: 90 min

Plot tags: rough, bleak, serious, captivating, realistic, disturbing, queer cinema

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The Yard (2018)

Plot Summary:

After a fateful domestic clash, a devoted mother finds herself in prison and fighting to survive in hopes of reuniting with her daughter.


IMDB Rating: 7.2

IMDB Votes: 2000

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: Turkey

Duration: 120 min

Plot tags: captivating, psychological, tense, suspense, queer cinema

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Ghosts... of the Civil Dead (1988)

Plot Summary:

The inmates and guards of a modern, clean and efficient maximum security wing are slowly and increasingly brutalized until they erupt in violence. Dark and macabre, and based in truth, the story is told in a traditional dramatic style combined with telephone interviews and narration.


IMDB Rating: 6.9

IMDB Votes: 2000

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: Australia

Duration: 93 min

Plot tags: disturbing, sad, cult classic, independent film, rough, thought provoking, bleak, serious, realistic, art house

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Emmanuelle in Hell (1982)

Plot Summary:

Emanuelle goes undercover into a prison to expose the corrupted officials who are brutalizing the inmates. Emanuelle is shocked by the horrors and humiliation the prisoners are subjected to, but when her true identity is discovered, she finds herself at the receiving end.


IMDB Rating: 4.6

IMDB Votes: 959

Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Country: Italy, France

Duration: 99 min

Plot tags: rough, suspenseful, bleak, disturbing, psychotronic, bloody, suspense, cult classic, disgusting, erotic

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Similar in 81%

Buried (2003)

Plot Summary:

Buried is a British television drama series, produced by World Productions for Channel 4 and originally screened in 2003. The programme starred Lennie James as Lee Kingley, who is serving a long prison sentence in order to protect a member of his family from a violent criminal. Critically well-received, the programme won the Best Drama Series category at the British Academy Television Awards in 2004.


IMDB Rating: 8.4

IMDB Votes: 193

Genere: Drama

Country: UK

Duration: 60 min

Plot tags: tense, rough, serious, suspenseful, thought provoking, bleak, captivating, realistic

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Similar in 81%

Women's Prison (1988)

Plot Summary:

A young woman about to get married discovers all too late that her spouse has mafia connections, when violence breaks out during her wedding. Caught up in the crossfire Lynn gets arrested and thrown into a women's prison.


IMDB Rating: 6.3

IMDB Votes: 98

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: Hong Kong

Duration: 90 min

Plot tags: rough, bleak, serious, captivating, realistic, suspenseful

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Similar in 79%

Civil Brand (2002)

Plot Summary:

Forced to work under slave-like conditions in a "prison for profit" program, the inmates of a mostly-African-American female prison, Whitehead Correctional, try to take over the institution. At the core of the story is Frances, who finds herself in prison after being falsely convicted of murder, and who is told that her baby has been murdered, sparking her to lead her fellow inmates in the protest.


IMDB Rating: 5.1

IMDB Votes: 790

Genere: Drama, Thriller, Crime

Country: USA

Duration: 95 min

Plot tags: tense, rough, bleak, disturbing, thought provoking, serious, realistic, suspenseful, hood, independent film

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Similar in 79%

Screwed (2011)

Plot Summary:

The film is a semi-biographical story based on the experiences of former prison guard Ronnie Thompson who spent seven years working in some of the UK's most dangerous prisons. Based on Thompson's book of the same name, the project stars James D'Arcy (Master & Commander), Noel Clarke (Kidulthood), Frank Harper (The Football Factory), Jamie Foreman (Layer Cake), Andrew Shim (This Is England) and Kate Magowan (Stardust). The story revolves around former soldier Sam Norwood who takes a job as a prison officer when he returns from Iraq and becomes exposed to the underworld of prison culture - including corrupt guards and drug trafficking.


IMDB Rating: 5.6

IMDB Votes: 2000

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: UK

Duration: 110 min

Plot tags: rough, disturbing, tense, serious, sincere, bleak, captivating, emotional, realistic, cult film

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Similar in 78%

I Know My First Name Is Steven (1989)

Plot Summary:

7-year old Steven Stayner is kidnapped a few days before Christmas by Kenneth Parnell. Under the belief that Parnell has been given legal custody of him, and that his family has moved away, he stays with Parnell for seven years, enduring repetitive sexual abuse the entire time. Finally, at fourteen, he returns home to his family.


IMDB Rating: 7.7

IMDB Votes: 3000

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: USA

Duration: 180 min

Plot tags: disturbing, psychological, suspenseful, emotional, thought provoking, sad, tense, bleak, serious, realistic

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Similar in 80%

Chopper (2000)

Plot Summary:

The true and intense story of Mark 'Chopper' Read, a legendary criminal who wrote his autobiography while serving a jail sentence in prison.


IMDB Rating: 7.1

IMDB Votes: 41000

Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama

Country: Australia

Duration: 94 min

Plot tags: disturbing, dark comedy, rough, cynical, brutal, dark, cult classic, stylized, black comedy, intellectual

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Similar in 76%

Carandiru (2003)

Plot Summary:

Carandiru, a story based on real facts and on the book written by the doctor Drauzio Varella, starts when he decides to carry out an AIDS prevention program inside Latin America’s largest prison: the Casa de Detenção de São Paulo, Carandiru, the victim of one of the darkest days in Brazilian History, when the State of São Paulo’s Military Police, with the excuse for law enforcement, shot to death 111 people.


IMDB Rating: 7.6

IMDB Votes: 21000

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: Brazil, Argentina, Italy

Duration: 145 min

Plot tags: bleak, compassionate, rough, touching, captivating, realistic, sincere, disturbing, controversial, perverse

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R: Hit First, Hit Hardest (2010)

Plot Summary:

The R of the title stands for the young protagonist, Rune, fearlessly played by Pilou Asbæk. Imprisoned for violent assault, he's a cocky, good-looking young man placed in the hardcore ward, where his survival depends on quickly learning the prison's parallel world of rules, honor, and obligations. R also stands for Rachid, a young Muslim prisoner who becomes Rune's friend and accomplice, defying the rigid racial stratifications among the inmates.


IMDB Rating: 7.1

IMDB Votes: 5000

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: Denmark

Duration: 99 min

Plot tags: tense, realistic, rough, captivating, disturbing, psychological, suspense, thought provoking, independent film, bleak

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Animal Factory (2000)

Plot Summary:

A young man goes to prison and a tough, older convict takes him under his wing as a mentor.


IMDB Rating: 6.6

IMDB Votes: 14000

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: USA

Duration: 94 min

Plot tags: tense, realistic, bleak, atmospheric, harsh, disturbing, intense, serious, rough, cult classic

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Helter Skelter (1976)

Plot Summary:

The investigation of two horrific mass murders leads to the capture and trial of the psychotic pseudo-hippie Charles Manson and his "family".


IMDB Rating: 7.3

IMDB Votes: 4000

Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Country: USA

Duration: 194 min

Plot tags: disturbing, slasher horror, spooky, psychological, tense, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, talky

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Killing Time (2010)

Plot Summary:

Killing Time is an Australian television drama series on TV1 subscription television channel which first screened in 2011. It is based on the true story of disgraced lawyer Andrew Fraser. In New Zealand it screens on Prime Television. The ten part series is written by Ian David, Mac Gudgeon, Katherine Thompson and Shaun Grant. The executive producer is Jason Stephens. The series was initially due to screen in 2010 but was deferred due to strong violence and horror content scenes of the mini-series, which jeopardised a series of gangland trials that were in progress.


IMDB Rating: 7.3

IMDB Votes: 375

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: Australia

Duration: 60 min

Plot tags: realistic, tense, captivating, psychological, serious

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Ezel (2009)

Plot Summary:

Ömer, a young man returning from military service, is set up by his friends and fiancé and ends up in prison for ten years. He fakes his own death and manages to escape. He re-creates himself as ‘Ezel’, a high-end gambler who is outwardly a successful man, but inwardly driven by one thing - his determination to understand why the people he loved betrayed him, and take his revenge.


IMDB Rating: 8.7

IMDB Votes: 36000

Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Country: Turkey

Duration: 90 min

Plot tags: tense, serious, suspenseful, soap opera, captivating, realistic

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The Straits (2012)

Plot Summary:

Set among the turquoise waters and lethal wildlife of Australia’s Far North Queensland and the Torres Strait, The Straits is an exotic, darkly humorous crime drama. The Montebellos are not your average Australian family. Modern day smugglers, their family business is transporting drugs into Australia and guns and exotic wildlife out, making use of ties of blood and loyalty in the Torres Strait Islands.


IMDB Rating: 7.2

IMDB Votes: 572

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: Australia

Duration: 60 min

Plot tags: captivating, realistic, suspenseful, rough, serious, stylized

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Similar in 77%

Life of Crime (2013)

Plot Summary:

A female cop becomes obsessed with tracking down the killer of a 15-year-old girl, and hunts him over the course of her 28 year career in the force.


IMDB Rating: 6.6

IMDB Votes: 730

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: UK

Duration: 132 min

Plot tags: tense, captivating, realistic, suspenseful, detective, period piece, rough, serious

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Love/Hate (2010)

Plot Summary:

Modern-day underworld characters Nidge and John Boy wrestle for control of Dublin's illicit drug trade in this forceful crime drama.


IMDB Rating: 8.5

IMDB Votes: 7000

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: Ireland

Duration: 51 min

Plot tags: suspenseful, tense, rough, serious, realistic, stylized

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Mafiosa (2006)

Plot Summary:

By the will of her dead uncle who was murdered Sandra Paoli is propelled to the head of a powerful mafia clan. She becomes a respected, but also hated, woman in a world of men, murder and criminality.


IMDB Rating: 7.2

IMDB Votes: 680

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: France

Duration: 416 min

Plot tags: serious, rough, suspenseful, semi serious, captivating, realistic, erotic, detective, sensual

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Traffik (1989)

Plot Summary:

Traffik is a 1989 British television serial about the illegal drugs trade. Its three stories are interwoven, with arcs told from the perspectives of Afghan and Pakistani growers and manufacturers, German dealers, and British users. It was nominated for six BAFTA Awards, winning three. It also won an International Emmy Award for best drama. The 2000 crime drama film Traffic, directed by Steven Soderbergh, was based on this television serial. In turn, the 2004 American television miniseries Traffic was based on both versions.


IMDB Rating: 8.4

IMDB Votes: 2000

Genere: Crime, Drama

Country: UK

Duration: 315 min

Plot tags: serious, tense, thought provoking, disturbing, rough, bleak, political, realistic, suspenseful

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Orange Is the New Black (2013)

Plot Summary:

A crime she committed in her youthful past sends Piper Chapman to a women's prison, where she trades her comfortable New York life for one of unexpected camaraderie and conflict in an eccentric group of fellow inmates.


IMDB Rating: 8.0

IMDB Votes: 316000

Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama

Country: USA

Duration: 59 min

Plot tags: humorous, clever, offbeat, realistic, erotic, sexy, captivating, melancholic, funny, epic

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Oz (1997)

Plot Summary:

The daily lives of prisoners in Emerald City, an experimental unit of the Oswald Maximum Security Prison where ingroups - Muslims, Latinos, Italians, Aryans - stick close to their mutual friends and terrorizes their mutual enemies.


IMDB Rating: 8.7

IMDB Votes: 105000

Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Country: USA

Duration: 55 min

Plot tags: rough, thought provoking, bleak, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing, serious, talky, dramatic, controversial

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Similar in 77%

Wentworth (2013)

Plot Summary:

Bea Smith is locked up while awaiting trial for the attempted murder of her husband and must learn how life works in prison. A modern adaptation and sequel of the iconic Prisoner series.


IMDB Rating: 8.6

IMDB Votes: 24000

Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Country: Australia

Duration: 45 min

Plot tags: serious, tense, suspenseful, rough, bleak, erotic, sexy, dark, dramatic, thrilling

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The Take (2009)

Plot Summary:

Freddie Jackson is just out of prison. He's done his time, made the right connections and now he's ready to use them. His wife Jackie dreams of having her husband home but she's forgotten the rows and the girls Freddie can't leave alone. His younger cousin, Jimmy, dreams of making a name for himself on Freddie's coattails.


IMDB Rating: 7.7

IMDB Votes: 9000

Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Country: UK

Duration: 180 min

Plot tags: serious, captivating, rough, bleak, realistic, stylized, sentimental, dramatic, twist ending, anime

Is The Take tv show similar to Prisoner: Cell Block H? Leverage your insights to guide others toward movies and tv shows you've already viewed that might likewise intrigue them. Assist in growing the cohort of people bringing up videos between each other. We value your contribution!

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