Top 250 Tv Shows Like Up The River

You bet ~ IT'S FUNNY a movietone laugh riot.

A list of the best tv shows similar to Up the River. If you liked Up the River then you may also like: Fire Country, Alcatraz, Anger Management, Bad Girls, Blood & Oil and many more great tv shows featured on this list.

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Daily life at men and women's prison units where baseball and the marching band are serious business. Two prisoners escape in order to help paroled Steve from being blackmailed by his girlfriend's ex-partner-in-crime.

Fire Country

Seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence, young convict Bode Donovan joins a firefighting program that returns him to his small Northern California hometown, where he and other inmates work alongside elite firefighters to extinguish massive blazes across the region.

Alcatraz

A unique team, consisting of a federal agent, a police officer and a conspiracy theory novelist, investigate the shocking reappearance of Alcatraz's most notorious prisoners, fifty years after they supposedly vanished.

Anger Management

Charlie is a non-traditional therapist specializing in anger management. He has a successful private practice and he performs pro bono counseling for an inmate group at a state prison. Prior to his career as a therapist, he was a major league baseball player whose career was put on the shelf for good by his own struggle with anger issues.

Bad Girls

Bad Girls is a British television drama series that was broadcast on ITV from 1 June 1999 to 20 December 2006 and starred Simone Lahbib, Mandana Jones, Debra Stephenson, Linda Henry, Jack Ellis and many more throughout the eight-year run. The series was broadcast in 17 countries and was produced by Shed Productions, the company which later produced Footballers' Wives and Waterloo Road. It is set in the fictional women's prison of Larkhall, and features a mixture of serious and light storylines focusing on the prisoners and staff of G Wing. From 2010, the UK broadcast rights were bought by CBS Drama, and is repeated regularly – as of September 2012, the channel is re-running the series again in a late-night time slot.

Blood & Oil

Billy and Cody LeFever dream of a new life and move to "The Bakken" in North Dakota, booming after the biggest oil discovery in American history. They’re soon pitted against a ruthless tycoon who forces them to put everything on the line, including their marriage.

Breakout Kings

Driven by the fact that there are few things more dangerous than a prisoner who has just escaped, and tired of following protocol and resorting to outdated methods of law enforcement, veteran U.S. Marshals Charlie Duchamp and Ray Zancanelli are taking an unorthodox approach to their work: using former fugitives to catch fugitives.

Conviction

A brilliant young attorney, who is also the daughter of a former U.S. president, is blackmailed to head up LA's new Conviction Integrity Unit. She and her team investigate cases where people may have been wrongly convicted.

The Daltons

Unshackle your laughing gas, put your ball and chain away, take a prison break and get ready to escape with the Daltons! The fab four are back! The Daltons will try every trick in the books to get out and then some: a maze of tunnels, explosives, hot air balloons and rain dances, and a whole cast of zany characters to help them get free ... or not! The only thing they don’t try using are their brains! But what they lack in intelligence, they sure make up for in willpower and imagination! The far west has never been crazier!

The Event

The Event is an emotional, high-octane conspiracy thriller that follows Sean Walker, an everyman who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his would-be fiancée Leila, and unwittingly begins to expose the biggest cover-up in U.S. history.

The Following

Notorious serial killer Joe Carroll, after being found guilty of murdering 14 female students on the Virginia college campus where he taught literature, escapes from death row. The FBI calls former agent Ryan Hardy to consult on the case, as he was the one responsible for Carroll’s capture in 2003. Ryan, working closely with an FBI team, including Mike Weston and FBI Specialist Debra Parker, piece together the ever-growing web of murders orchestrated by the devious Carroll.

The Huntress

The Huntress is an American TV series that appeared on the USA Network over subsequent summers of the 2000 and 2001 television seasons. It was inspired by a book about the real bounty hunter, Dottie Thorson, and is also a belated sequel to the 1980 Steve McQueen film, The Hunter.

I (Almost) Got Away With It

Murders, drug dealers, bank robbers or jail escapees. The stories are different, but the motive is always the same: to stay out of prison. See what pushed these fugitives to their crimes, how they changed their identities, evaded the law and - almost - got away with it.

I'm in the Band

Tripp Campbell is the new lead guitarist for Iron Weasel, a band that once ruled the world of 80s pop metal. Can he push the washed-up rockers out of his parents' guest room and back in the limelight?

The League of Gentlemen

The League of Gentlemen is a British comedy television series that premiered on BBC Two in 1999. The show is set in Royston Vasey, a fictional town in Northern England based on Bacup, Lancashire. It follows the lives of dozens of bizarre townspeople, most of whom are played by three of the show's four writers—Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, and Reece Shearsmith—who, along with Jeremy Dyson, formed the League of Gentlemen comedy troupe in 1995. The series originally aired for three series from 1999 until 2002 followed by a film in 2005. A three-part revival mini-series was broadcast in December 2017 to celebrate the group's 20th anniversary.

Life

Complex, offbeat Detective Charlie Crews returns to the force after serving time in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Crews’ new lease on life has provided him with a Zen-like outlook, peace of mind and no need for vengeance, an attitude which can be challenging to maintain when someone he cares about is threatened — or when he is investigating the mystery surrounding the murder he was falsely accused of.

The Middle

The daily mishaps of a married woman and her semi-dysfunctional family and their attempts to survive life in general in the city of Orson, Indiana.

Minder

This comedy drama series featured Terry McCann, a former boxer with a conviction for G.B.H., and Arthur Daley, a second-hand car dealer with an eye for a nice little earner. Alongside his many business ventures, Arthur would regularly hire Terry out as a minder or bodyguard, later replaced by nephew, Ray Daley.

MINDHUNTER

An agent in the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit develops profiling techniques as he pursues notorious serial killers and rapists.

Orange Is the New Black

A crime she committed in her youthful past sends Piper Chapman to a women's prison, where she trades her comfortable New York life for one of unexpected camaraderie and conflict in an eccentric group of fellow inmates.

Party of Five

The five Acosta children navigate daily life struggles to survive as a family unit after their parents are suddenly deported back to Mexico.

Picket Fences

Picket Fences is an American television drama about the residents of the town of Rome

Pit Bulls and Parolees

Follow Tia Torres, founder of Villalobos Rescue Center, and her family as they rehabilitate both felons and ill-reputed pit bulls who come together to rescue one another from their dim pasts, and bring new meaning to life.

Prison Break

Due to a political conspiracy, an innocent man is sent to death row and his only hope is his brother, who makes it his mission to deliberately get himself sent to the same prison in order to break the both of them out, from the inside out.

Ray Donovan

Set in the sprawling mecca of the rich and famous, Ray Donovan does the dirty work for LA's top power players, and makes their problems disappear. His father's unexpected release from prison sets off a chain of events that shakes the Donovan family to its core.

The Rifleman

The Rifleman is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show was filmed in black-and-white, half-hour episodes. "The Rifleman" aired on ABC from September 30, 1958 to April 8, 1963 as a production of Four Star Television. It was one of the first prime time series to have a widowed parent raise a child.

SportsCenter

SportsCenter is a daily sports news television program, and the flagship program of American cable and satellite television network ESPN since the network's launch on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major sporting events, along with commentary, previews and feature stories. The show has aired more than 50,000 unique episodes, more than any other program on American television, and is shot in ESPN's high definition studio facilities in Bristol, Connecticut and Los Angeles, California.

Time Trax

Time Trax is an American/Australian co-produced science fiction television series that first aired in 1993. A police officer, sent through time into the past, has to track down and return convicted criminals who have escaped prison in the future. This was the last new production from Lorimar Television.

Who's the Boss?

A former professional baseball player, along with his preteen daughter, moves into New York advertising executive Angela Bower's house to be both a housekeeper and a father figure to her young son. Tony 's laid-back personality contrasts with Angela's type-A behavior.

Living with Fran

Living With Fran is an American sitcom that debuted on The WB in April 2005 that starred Fran Drescher. The show last aired on March 24, 2006.

Reba

After her dentist husband of 20 years leaves her for his dental hygienist, Reba Hart's seemingly perfect world is turned upside down.​

The Prisoner

After resigning, a secret agent is abducted and taken to what looks like an idyllic village, but is really a bizarre Kafkaesque prison. His warders demand information. He gives them nothing, but only tries to escape.

Hollyoaks

The daily soap that follows the loves, lives and misdemeanours of a group of people living in the Chester village of Hollyoaks where anything could, and frequently does, happen...

Falcon Beach

Set in a quiet town where locals and summer visitors mingle, and relationships change as quickly as the tide. Will the hot days of summer prove long enough to resolve the abundant seduction and scandal of Falcon Beach?

Superjail!

An eccentric warden and his staff run a bizarre maximum security prison full of dangerous prisoners.

Oz

The daily lives of prisoners in Emerald City, an experimental unit of the Oswald Maximum Security Prison where ingroups - Muslims, Latinos, Italians, Aryans - stick close to their mutual friends and terrorize their mutual enemies.

Les Bougon, c'est aussi ça la vie !

They’re dirty, vulgar, dishonest, grouchy, uncultured. They’re also a big, happy family. The Bougon are a joyous bunch of scoundrels who live on the margins of society, doing whatever it takes to scam their way through life, thinking up new schemes for avoiding work, and never conforming to the system.

Lark Rise to Candleford

Set in the small hamlet of Lark Rise and the wealthier neighbouring market town, Candleford, the series chronicles the daily lives of farm-workers, craftsmen and gentry at the end of the 19th Century. Lark Rise to Candleford is a love letter to a vanished corner of rural England and a heart-warming drama series teeming with wit, wisdom and romance.

Lockup

Lockup explore prison facilities throughout the United States, profiling notable inmates, incidents, and prison operations.

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo was a 1956 ITC Entertainment/TPA television series adapted very loosely from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, adapted by Sidney Marshall. It premiered in the UK in early 1956 and ran for 39 thirty-minute episodes. The first twelve episodes were filmed in the United States, at the Hal Roach studios, with the rest being filmed at ITC's traditional home of Elstree. A 5-disc DVD set containing all thirty-nine episodes was released by Network Studio on 12 April 2010. ITC produced a film based on the same source-material, The Count of Monte-Cristo, in 1975.

Grandma's House

Sitcom about a former television presenter searching for something more meaningful to do in life.

Teen Mom 2

Jenelle, Chelsea, Kailyn, and Leah are four young women navigating complicated lives. It's not always easy being a young mom.

Beyond Scared Straight

Observing programs for troubled teens in which inmates reveal the realities of prison life in the hope of deterring them from a life of crime.

Prisoners' Wives

Behind every prisoner, there's a wife, girlfriend or mother doing time on the outside. For some it's a nightmare, for others a liberation. Prisoners' Wives - it's time to tell their stories.

Public Enemies

Public Enemies explores the relationship between 28-year-old Eddie, recently released on life licence from prison after serving 10 years, and his probation officer, Paula, returning from suspension following a shocking crime committed by an offender under her supervision.

Queenie

A half-caste beauty emigrates from India to Great Britain, pursues fame and fortune at the cost of personal happiness, and becomes a Hollywood movie star while suppressing the truth of her heritage.

Rectify

After 19 years on Death Row for the rape and murder of his teenage girlfriend, Daniel Holden is going home. His conviction has been vacated due to new DNA evidence. Now he has to return to a world he no longer knows and his reentry into the outside world may be as unforgiving as prison. Daniel is haunted by the past, dogged by the present, and uncertain of the future. As he struggles to adapt to his new life, his homecoming reignites the fears of a small town and threatens to shatter his family’s fragile peace. Daniel’s alleged crime divided a community. Will his freedom tear it in half?

Hostages

A high-octane suspense drama that centers on Dr. Ellen Sanders, a premier surgeon thrust into a chilling political conspiracy when she and her family are held captive in their home by rogue FBI Agent Duncan Carlisle, a desperate man doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, who orders Dr. Sanders to assassinate the President when she operates on him.

The New Adventures of Lucky Luke

The cowboy who draws a gun faster than his shadow is back! Lucky Luke, the famous wandering cowboy fights crime and injustice, most often in the form of the bumbling Dalton brothers. He rides Jolly Jumper, "the smartest horse in the world" and is often accompanied by Rantanplan, "the stupidest dog in the universe".

Escape from Colditz

The best known and most notorious PoW camp in history is Colditz, an 18th century castle in eastern Germany. With its imposing walls, steep cliffs, and rigorous policing, it was seen as the ultimate prison, home to the worst troublemakers from allied PoW camps all over Europe. Using archive material and dramatic reconstruction, and the personal testimony of Colditz veterans, this series documents the creative and often spectacular attempts to go over, under, around or through the walls. A specially commissioned archaeologist, working with the veterans, also uncovers the secret rooms, hidden tunnels and concealed doors that were so important in securing each precious escape from Colditz. At the start of 1942, British prisoners were lagging behind the French and Dutch in terms of "home runs" but the British success rate was about to improve, as they were getting help from a new source.

Storage Wars: Northern Treasures

On a daily basis, high-stakes buyers descend upon repossessed and forgotten storage units. Storage Wars: Northern Treasures follows four teams hoping to score big on a modern treasure hunt.

Vinyl

In 1970s New York, jaded record exec Richie Finestra tries to resurrect his failing label and fractured personal life while keeping his finger on the pulse of the city's new sound.

Killer Medics On Death Row

Responsible for people’s lives and welfare on a daily basis doctors and nurses are sworn to protect and look after their patients. This series explores the dark and sinister motives behind the doctors who abuse the trust put in them and instead of using medicine to heal their patients; they used their powers to murder unsuspecting victims. We examine the cases of doctors and nurses who have been convicted for terrible crimes.

Animal Kingdom

17-year-old Joshua "J" Cody moves in with his freewheeling relatives in their Southern California beach town after his mother dies of a heroin overdose. Headed by boot-tough matriarch Janine "Smurf" Cody and her right-hand Baz, who runs the business and calls the shots, the clan also consists of Pope, the oldest and most dangerous of the Cody boys; Craig, the tough and fearless middle son; and Deran, the troubled, suspicious "baby" of the family.

Inside the World's Toughest Prisons

Crime journalist Raphael Rowe goes behind the bars of some of the world’s most notorious and toughest prisons. Immersing himself in maximum security facilities around the world to live as a prisoner, he encounters the inmates locked up for their crimes and meets the men and women on the right side of law tasked with keeping the criminals behind bars.

60 Days In

An unprecedented look at life behind bars at Indiana's Clark County Jail as seven innocent volunteers are sent to live among its general population for 60 days without officers, fellow inmates, or staff knowing their secret.

Paula

A chemistry teacher's life is turned upside down after a one-night stand with James. They become locked in a dance of destruction. Only one can survive.

The Eleven

Follow investigators as they reexamine the murders of eleven teenage girls in and around Galveston County, Texas after discovering a confession letter from current inmate and convicted murderer Edward Harold Bell.

Love After Lockup

Couples finally meet their fiancé upon prison release. Once the bars are gone, will their love survive after lockup on the rocky road to the altar? Will the inmates ditch their mate as they face shocking "firsts", fights & family drama! Is it true love or just a con?

Escape at Dannemora

The stranger-than-fiction account of a prison break in upstate New York in the summer of 2015, which spawned a massive manhunt for two convicted murderers who were aided in their escape by a married female prison employee with whom they both became sexually entangled.

I Am a Killer

Death row inmates convicted of capital murder give a firsthand account of their crimes in this documentary series.

First and Last

Take an intimate look at the emotionally charged first and last days of new and soon-to-be released inmates at Georgia's Gwinnett County Jail.

Brassic

A group of working-class friends finding unconventional ways to win at life in northern suburbia. These lads have dealt, scammed, bribed and conned their way through adolescence, but now, on the brink of adulthood, their dealing and stealing is catching up with them and a whole load of trouble is heading their way.

Nine Tailors

Stranded in a sleepy village after a car accident, Lord Peter quickly stumbles upon a decades-old case of stolen emeralds, unidentifiable corpses, and coded messages.

Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes

A unique look inside the mind of an infamous serial killer with this cinematic self-portrait crafted from statements made by Ted Bundy, including present-day interviews, archival footage and audio recordings from death row.

Very Scary People

A chronicle of the twisted lives of some of the most frightening, diabolical characters in recent history. Each two-hour episode traces the heinous, criminal acts of these elusive miscreants and the eventual road to justice.

Kids Behind Bars: Life or Parole

The individual stories of previously convicted child offenders sentenced to mandatory life terms, without parole, who are now seeking resentencing on the heels of a recent United States Supreme Court ruling. While some may be resentenced to life, others could be immediately released or given a new sentence that makes them eligible for parole.

Thatcher: A Very British Revolution

The irresistible rise and dramatic downfall of Margaret Thatcher. Her inner circle reveal how a political outsider won power and dominated British life through a turbulent decade.

For Life

A prisoner becomes a lawyer, litigating cases for other inmates while fighting to overturn his own life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit.

The I-Land

Wiped clean of memories and thrown together, a group of strangers fight to survive harsh realities -- and the island that traps them.

College Behind Bars

Explore the transformative power of education through the eyes of a dozen incarcerated men and women trying to earn college degrees – and a chance at new beginnings – from one of the country’s most rigorous prison education programs.

Crime and Punishment

Series that captures the work of police, probation, prison, prosecution and parole all coping with difficult cases - managing risk to the public and themselves, with limited resources.

Shantaram

Escaped convict Lin Ford flees to the teeming streets of 1980s Bombay, looking to disappear. Working as a medic for the city’s poor and neglected, Lin finds unexpected love, connection, and courage on the long road to redemption.

Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez

Via interviews with friends, players and insiders, this docuseries examines how Aaron Hernandez went from an NFL star to a convicted killer.

The Eddy

The owner of a Paris jazz club gets tangled up with dangerous criminals as he fights to protect his business, his band and his teenage daughter.

Top Dog

A mysterious disappearance makes two completely separate worlds collide, creating an extremely odd couple – the lawyer Emily and recently released convict Teddy. They have two opposing desires. She wants up. He wants out. She wants to secure her future. He wants to leave his old life behind. They are both forced to thi

Fugitifs

Every year, dozens of inmates flee. This series presents spectacular escapes that occurred in Quebec. Narrated by prison guards, journalists and investigators, the breakouts are reconstructed with meticulousness and precision.

Outcry

A five-part documentary series examining the gripping story of high school football star Greg Kelley who was convicted of sexual assault of a four-year-old boy, and sentenced to 25 years in prison with no possibility for parole. But a groundswell of support emerged for Kelley, calling into question the investigation, the prosecution's tactics and ultimately, the validity of the conviction.

A Killer Uncaged

In this crime docuseries spinoff, a convict is paroled 30 years after being sentenced to death for murder. Then he makes a stunning confession.

Mayor of Kingstown

In a small Michigan town where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry, the McClusky family are the power brokers between the police, criminals, inmates, prison guards and politicians in a city completely dependent on prisons and the prisoners they contain.

The Duchess

Katherine's a single mom juggling her career, her tween daughter, her relationship with her boyfriend — and pondering getting pregnant with her ex.

Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman explores real-life prison breaks that have captured the attention of the public, showcasing an up close and personal view of what the prisoners are faced with in executing their break outs.

Intergalactic

The story of fearless young cop and galactic pilot, Ash Harper, who has her glittering career ripped away from her after being wrongly convicted of a treasonous crime and exiled to a distant prison colony.

Time

Guilt, violence and impossible choices – what does it take to survive? Tense, gritty and heartbreaking – Jimmy McGovern's award-winning prison drama, with an all-star cast.

My True Crime Story

Rapper and host Remy Ma profiles ordinary people who reveal how they got mixed up in criminal acts, from bank robberies to jewelry heists, and share their road to redemption in this true crime series.

Prisoner of Love

Prisoner of Love follows Chelsea Holmes, the self-proclaimed "prison matchmaker," as she dedicates her time to helping men and women living free lives find love with prisoners behind bars. And Chelsea isn't simply a matchmaker, she is also looking for love with someone on the inside. Prisoner of Love documents couples as they navigate the unique struggle of dating someone in prison. Chelsea does all she can to give these singles the tools to make their relationships successful beyond prison walls, but are these matches built to last?

The Program: Prison Detox

In Sevier County, Arkansas, an unprecedented drug rehabilitation program gives qualified inmates a second chance at life. If they complete the three-month program, they will be released from jail. If they mess up, they will do time in state prison.

Inside Man

A prisoner on death row in the US, a vicar in a quiet English town, and a maths teacher trapped in a cellar cross paths in the most unexpected way.

Love During Lockup

Four years after the launch of one of the most successful franchises in WE tv history, “Love After Lockup” and “Life After Lockup,” a captivating new series is coming to WE tv in January of 2022. “Love During Lockup” documents the fascinating drama that unfolds when ordinary people first decide to pursue relationships with prison inmates, and an early dating period filled with a very specific set of unique challenges and obstacles. From scouring photos online, admirers who are completely obsessed with the prisoner pursuit, to failed paramours with a first-time prison pen pal, each has a specific reason for wanting love with an inmate.

Screw

Rob Williams' darkly comic crime drama portrays prison as you've never seen it before: through the embattled and inspiring characters who work there.

Hard Cell

A Netflix comedy series written and directed by Catherine Tate set in a women's prison. Tate plays multiple characters as a documentary crew follows the inmates and staff of HMP Woldsley capturing the penal system at its brutal humorous best.

King of the Con

From whiz kid, to convict, to pastor, to fraud fighter, to convict yet again, Barry Minkow has become the master of self reinvention - just ask the countless individuals who fell victim to him over the years. KING OF THE CON gives true crime fans the ultimate look at how a scam artist can reinvent himself and get rich - many times over - by featuring one of the first interviews with Minkow discussing his life and crimes.

The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe

The extraordinary and compelling story of how John Darwin faked his own death to claim life insurance and avoid bankruptcy will be told in The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe. The drama relates how Anne Darwin's husband, a prison officer, came up with the hare-brained scheme to defraud insurance companies, unbeknownst to their two sons.

Sprung

A convicted criminal is determined to turn his life around after serving more than two decades in prison. When he is released unexpectedly from prison due to the pandemic with no place to live and the world on lockdown, Jack shelters-in-place with an unlikely group of former inmates, who band together and use their criminal expertise for good.

First Blood

“First Blood" examines some of America’s most notorious serial killers through the prism of their first known kills to reveal what drove them to the moment when violent fantasy and curiosity became a devastating reality.

Inmate to Roommate

Follows recently released inmates as they re-enter society and move in with everyday people who welcome them into their homes. America has one of the world’s highest recidivism rates with approximately 76% of released prisoners being re-arrested after 5 years. One of the most significant factors in reducing recidivism rates is access to housing. Both the former inmates and their respective roommates will enter this this new living arrangement with their own baggage.

I Am a Stalker

Convicted stalkers and survivors share harrowing accounts of harassment, abuse and other crimes in this documentary series.

Parole

As futures hang in the balance, what would you decide? An eye-opening look at Britain's parole boards, making complex, life-changing decisions for prisoners - and their victims.

The Earl of Montecristo

Television adaptation of the literary classic by Alexandre Dumas. After being unjustly arrested and convicted of treason, Edmundo Dantés manages to escape from the Château d'If prison after 14 years of captivity. During his stay in this place, another prisoner of Italian origin, Abbe Faria, entrusted him with the secret of a treasure. When Edmundo manages to find it and dig it up, he decides to start a revenge against those who ruined his life, for which he assumes the identity of the powerful Count of Monte Cristo.

Prisoner

Wrongfully accused of a crime she didn't commit, 13 year old Guadalupe Santos is sentenced to 30 years in jail, while in jail she gives birth to a baby girl who is taken from her by her older sister Milagros. 15 years later she escapes jail and meets with Daniel Moncada who turns out to be the brother of the man she was accused of killing.

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