Original channel: FOX
Country of origin: United States
Original present: 2005
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Action
Created by Paul Scheuring
Language: English

The first season is about Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), who is accused of murdering Terrence Steadman (Jeff Perry), the brother of the Vice President of the United States. Because of convincing evidence, Lincoln is sentenced to death. He is incarcerated in Fox River State Penitentiary where he awaits his execution. Lincoln's brother, brilliant structural engineer Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), is convinced of Lincoln's innocence and formulates an escape plan. In order to gain access to Fox River, Michael commits armed robbery intentionally in order to receive a five year sentence. While incarcerated he must race against the clock and make important connections with other inmates and staff. One staff member in particular is the prison doctor, Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies). Michael befriends her when he pretends to suffer from Type 1 diabetes in order to gain daily access to the prison's infirmary. The brothers' fight to ward off the execution is aided by their lifelong friend Veronica Donovan (Robin Tunney), who begins to investigate the conspiracy that put Lincoln in jail. However, they are hindered by covert agents, members of an organization known as The Company. The Company was responsible for framing Lincoln, and they did so because of Lincoln's father, Aldo Burrows, and his former connections to the company. The brothers, along with six other inmates, Fernando Sucre (Amaury Nolasco), Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell (Robert Knepper), Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin (Rockmond Dunbar), David "Tweener" Apolskis (Lane Garrison), John Abruzzi (Peter Stormare), and Charles "Haywire" Patoshik (Silas Weir Mitchell) who come to be known as the Fox River Eight finally escape in the season finale because of the help of Dr. Sara Tancredi who has been convinced by Michael to leave the infirmary door unlocked. Because of her involvement, Sara overdoses on morphine.