Prison Break Shares A Universe With This Forgotten Action Thriller Series

Eight years after the original run of Fox's megahit "Prison Break" came to an end in 2009, fans were surprised with a revival season, 2017's "Prison Break: Resurrection." But what about that mostly forgotten spin-off that happened in between? In 2011, "Prison Break" writers and producers Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora brought us "Breakout Kings," an action crime drama set in the same universe that brings DC's Suicide Squad to mind.

The series featured mostly new characters, including Charlie Duchamp (Laz Alonso) and Ray Zancanelli (Domenick Lombardozzi), two U.S. Marshals who use felons to hunt down escaped prisoners in exchange for reduced sentences. Their ragtag team includes Jimmi Simpson's behavioral expert Lloyd Lowery, Malcolm Goodwin's fugitive tracker Shea Daniels, and Serinda Swan's bounty hunter Erica Reed. But there was one "Prison Break" alum who served as the hook in this crossover: Robert Knepper reprised his role as Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell in the Season 1 episode "The Bag Man," bridging the gap between the shows and confirming that they were indeed set in the same universe.

When "Breakout Kings" debuted it was a hit in the ratings, even shattering records for its network. According to a report by TV by the Numbers, the March 2011 series premiere brought in 2.8 million total viewers, with an impressive 1.5 million adults in the age 18-49 demographic. This was a record-high launch for an original scripted series on A&E at the time, beating the previous benchmark set by the crime drama "The Glades," which was basically an early-2010s version of "R.J. Decker."

While "Breakout Kings" broke records at A&E, the strong start the show made in terms of viewership wasn't mirrored by the critical reception. The first of the show's two seasons scored just 41% on Rotten Tomatoes, while Season 2 didn't even attract enough reviewers to generate a score, such was the lack of interest by then. But what did the critics say about it, exactly? Was it really that bad?

Variety brushed off "Breakout Kings" as an uninspired brand extension for the network with weak characters, adding that the crooks-catching-crooks trope felt worn out. Not all of the Tinseltown trades were so harsh, however. The Hollywood Reporter said that, while the premise relied on a tired cliché, the show overcame it through solid character development, clever twists, and enough turn-your-brain-off entertainment to make for a fun diversion.

It was clear that regular viewers were enjoying "Breakout Kings" more than critics (as reflected in the first season's audience score of 70% on Rotten Tomatoes), but not enough of them stuck with the show. Viewership had dropped by half by the time the Season 2 finale aired, so A&E pulled the plug. Matt Olmstead jumped straight back into the saddle as the showrunner of NBC's "Chicago Fire," while Nick Santora created the action drama "Scorpion" for CBS.

If you're a "Prison Break" fan who has never seen "Breakout Kings," you can stream the series for free on Tubi.