Oz is an Australian television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes (and also forcefully received the actual OZ tattoo that was filmed for the credits). It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons. The series finale aired February 23, 2003.