21 Years Ago Today: A Fox Thriller Debuted To 10.5 Million Viewers And Earned An Immediate Full Season

Fox executives worried that the serialized format of "Prison Break" was unlikely to be a hit with viewers, but the premiere's ratings appeased their doubts. On August 29, 2005, Fox aired the show's two-part premiere to an audience of 10.5 million. Its viewership was especially strong with the much-coveted 18-to-49 demographic.

Granted, the premiere had an advantage that most of Fox's other shows didn't: It aired before the fall TV season officially began. Most shows on broadcast TV tend to premiere after Labor Day, and Fox's new season that year officially began on September 19. Still, the show's early ratings were undeniably impressive, and in late September, this encouraged Fox to extend the Season 1 episode count from 13 to 22 episodes.

Critics noted that "Prison Break" also benefitted from a lack of hit original dramas elsewhere that season; networks were trying and failing to premiere shows that would capture the mystery-box, sci-fi appeal of "Lost," and it would only be with the following year's debut season of "Heroes" that one of those shows would find similar breakout success. While the other networks were trying to make the new "Lost," "Prison Break" seemed more interested in making the next "24."

Although Season 1 was a hit, critics doubted from day one that the show would enjoy the same longevity as its competition. They weren't entirely wrong — whereas "24" kept going strong for years, reaching the height of its ratings and critical success in Season 5, "Prison Break" had all the makings of a one-hit wonder. After all, exactly how many times can one break out of prison?

That's why it particularly annoyed "Arrested Development" fans when Fox canceled their show, which aired the same night as "Prison Break," seemingly as punishment for not matching up to the prison thriller's ratings. Tim Goodman, TV critic for SFGate at the time, argued that the cancellation was an unwise choice because a critical darling like "Arrested Development" could help Fox's brand for years, while "Prison Break" would almost certainly flame out soon. 

The concerns were somewhat accurate. "Prison Break" did indeed fail to stay a pop cultural phenomenon for anywhere near as long as "24" did, ultimately falling into a ratings tailspin and being canceled in Season 4. Still, the show had enough cultural staying power for "Prison Break" to earn a revival season in 2017. "Prison Break" may have made TVLine's list of shows that should've ended after one season, but it did reasonably well for itself all the same.