Claim: Prison Break was originally planned for a 13-episode run.

Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring , that was broadcast on Fox for four seasons from August 29 , 2005 to May 15 , 2009 , and a fifth season which premiered on April 4 , 2017 . The series revolves around two brothers , one of whom has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit , and the other who devises an elaborate plan to help his brother escape prison and clear his name . The series was produced by Adelstein-Parouse Productions , in association with Original Television and 20th Century Fox Television . Along with creator Paul Scheuring , the series is executive produced by Matt Olmstead , Kevin Hooks , Marty Adelstein , Dawn Parouse , Neal H. Moritz , and Brett Ratner who directed the pilot episode . The series ' theme music , composed by Ramin Djawadi , was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2006 .   The series was originally turned down by Fox in 2003 , which was concerned about the long-term prospects of such a series . Following the popularity of serialized prime time television series Lost and 24 , Fox decided to back production in 2004 . The first season received generally positive reviews , and performed well in the ratings . The first season was originally planned for a 13-episode run , but was extended to include an extra nine episodes due to its popularity . Prison Break was nominated for several industry awards , including the 2005 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series Drama and the 2006 People 's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama , which it won . In the United States , all four seasons have been released on DVD and released on Blu-ray internationally .   The success of the series has inspired short videos for mobile phones , several official tie-ins in print and on the Internet , as well as a video game . A spin-off series , Prison Break : Proof of Innocence , was produced exclusively for mobile phones . The series has spawned an official magazine and a tie-in novel . The fourth season of Prison Break returned from its mid-season break in a new timeslot on April 17 , 2009 , for the series ' last six episodes . Two additional episodes , titled `` The Old Ball and Chain '' and `` Free '' were produced , and were later transformed into a standalone feature , titled The Final Break . The events of this feature take place before the last scene of the series finale , and are intended to conclude unfinished plotlines . The feature was released on DVD and Blu-ray July 21 , 2009 . A nine-episode fifth season was announced by Fox in January 2016 and premiered on April 4 , 2017 , and aired on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm . The season concluded on May 30 , 2017 .