NBC Unknowingly Helped Fund One Of HBO’s First Dramatic Series

Well before “The Sopranos,” “Band of Brothers,” or “The Wire,” HBO’s original drama slate hinged on a single show. Tom Fontana‘s violent, captivating prison drama “Oz” premiered in 1997, kicking open the door for the network’s prestige reign that continues to this day. Though HBO’s first original drama sometimes liked to bring out its shark-jumping water skis — the less said about the rapid aging pill from Season 4, the better — the show held its characters and audiences equally captive throughout its six-season run, and time hasn’t diminished its ability to stand proudly alongside newer shows.

Fontana had already spent 15 busy years…