# Prison Playbook (2017)

> A star baseball pitcher on the verge of his major league debut is sent to prison and must learn to survive its gangs, guards and politics.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/64995

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 92 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, comedy, crime
- Created by: Lee Woo-jung, Lee Do-hyun
- Network: tvN
- Cast: Park Hae-soo, Jung Kyung-ho, Krystal Jung, Lee Kyoo-hyung, Choi Mu-sung, Jung Min-sung, Park Ho-san, Kang Seung-yoon
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7622902/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: witty, gritty, irreverent, tense, comedic, warm

## What critics say

Audiences broadly acclaim the series for its witty dark comedy, sharp prison-life detail and strong ensemble performances.

## Synopsis

Prison Playbook (2017-2018) is a South Korean prison comedy-drama series created by Lee Woo-jung and Lee Do-hyun for tvN. Its protagonist, a star baseball pitcher poised for his major league debut, is wrongly swept into a detention center and must learn to survive a new world of rival inmate gangs, scheming guards and corrupt officials. Park Hae-soo plays Kim Je-hyeok, the pitcher who has to rethink what loyalty and ambition mean, alongside Jung Kyung-ho as Lee Jun-ho and Lee Kyoo-hyung as Looney, whose friendships and rivalries shape each episode. The series is built around everyday prison survival: negotiating cell hierarchies, outmaneuvering gangsters and seeking a way home without giving up the integrity he brought with him. Its single season of sixteen long episodes gives the story room to move from comic mishap to heavier stakes. The tone is witty and irreverent with a gritty undercurrent, balancing sharp humor against harsher prison realities. Fans of Oz, Orange Is the New Black and Misfits will find resonance in its blend of institutional satire, ensemble camaraderie and dark comedy.

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