“Getting
involved in a same-sex
relationship leads to imprisonment
for a naïve young woman who is
unwittingly implicated in a drug bust
in the no-holds-barred comedy
drama series about life on the inside
— Orange Is The New Black...”
HAVING SPLIT FROM HER DRUG-DEALING GIRLFRIEND, thirty-something Piper Chapman
(Taylor Schilling: Argo) is living happily in Brooklyn, running her own business
and engaged to Larry Bloom (Jason Biggs). But her wild past is coming back to
haunt her…
Writer Larry has to deal not only with finding out his girlfriend was in a same-sex
relationship with drug dealer Alex Vause (Laura Prepon) but that she had transported
money for her, albeit unknowingly, giving her a criminal past.
For the crime that took place ten years ago, Piper is sentenced to 15 months
in the Federal Correctional Institution at Litchfield, New York. She is having
to endure loss of liberty, infrequent visits from Larry and unwanted attention
from the strange Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren (Uzo Aduba).
“Orange
Is The New Black
is not for
the faint-hearted;
amusing and emotive,
the series is
a tongue-in-cheek look
at survival inside a
women’s prison...”
Reluctantly
trading her comfortable lifestyle in New York for the trademark orange prison
jumpsuit, Piper quickly learns from her mistakes as she works her way through
prison 'etiquette'.
At one stage starved for a careless remark about the food, she begins to realise
that she has to change the way she thinks in order to prove herself and experience
the unexpected camaraderie shared by her eccentric fellow inmates.
With flashbacks revealing how Piper's fellow inmates found themselves in their
predicament on the inside, each of them has a story to tell. Some were unfortunate
such as the Russian Galina (Kate Mulgrew), who runs the prison kitchen, who
burst her supposed friend's bubble when she accidentally punctured her fake
boob, causing purported damage of $60,000.
Also finding how unfair life can be is transsexual Sophia Burset (Laverne Cox),
a larger-than-life character who is distressed to find herself suddenly deprived
of her essential hormone treatment. Other inmates include the gentle Yoga Jones
(Constance Shulman), drug addict Tiffany 'Pennsatucky' Doggett (Karyn Manning)
and Big Boo (Lia DeLaria).
With scenes of female nudity and strong sexual references, Orange Is The
New Black is not for the faint-hearted; amusing and emotive, the series
is a tongue-in-cheek look at survival inside a women's prison. Critically acclaimed
and well loved, it is an intimate comedy about women inmates that will tug at
your emotions. Toilet humour that doesn't seem to add anything to the series
is a big turn-off.
Things become more complicated for Piper when she is horrified that someone
from her past, someone she never wished to see ever again, has been transferred
to the prison — her former lover Alex.
Orange Is The New Black also features: Danielle Brooks as Tasha 'Taystee'
Jefferson; Brendan Burke as Officer Wade Donaldson; Michael Chernus as Cal Chapman;
Beth Fowler as Sister Ingalls; Maria Dizzia as Polly Harper; Lolita Foster as
Elique Maxwell; Joel Marsh Garland as S O'Neill; Selenis Leyva as Gloria Mendoza;
Vicky Jeudy as Janae Watson; Lauren Gomez as Bianca Flores; Pablo Schrieber
as Pornstache; Matt McGorry as Bennet; and Dascha Polanco as Daya.
Music is by Gwendolyn Sanford and Brandon Jay with Scott Doherty; Cinematography
is by Vanja Cernjul and Yaron Orbach; Created by Jenji Kohan (Weeds);
Written by Liz Friedman and Jenji Kohan; Writers are Piper Kerman and Jenji
Kohan, who is also an Executive Producer; Producer is Neri Kyle Tannenbaum;
*
Heralded
as 'the break-out comedy of the year', Orange Is The New Black (Season
One) will be released by Lionsgate Home Entertainment in the UK on DVD and Blu-ray
on 19 May 2014. Running Time: 700 Minutes | 13 Episodes | Discs: DVD 4 / Blu-ray
3 | DVD: £34.99; Blu-ray: £39.99.
Special Features — Gag Reel | Two Producer audio Commentaries |
Four Featurettes: New Kid On The Cell Block; It's Tribal; Mother Hen: Red Runs
The Coop; Prison Rules.
"Orange Is The New Black is not for the faint-hearted; amusing and emotive,
the series is a tongue-in-cheek look at survival inside a women's prison" —Maggie Woods
“Getting
involved in a same-sex