One of Netflix's first original shows is officially drawing to a close.
The streaming service has announced that prison series Orange Is the New Black, which stars Taylor Schilling and Laverne Cox, will end with its forthcoming seventh season.
Responding to the news, creator Jenji Kohan said: “After seven seasons, it’s time to be released from prison. I will miss all the badass ladies of Litchfield and the incredible crew we’ve worked with. My heart is orange but fade to black.”
Vice President of Original Content for Netflix Cindy Holland reflected on the series' legacy in a statement which read: “During production of season one, everyone involved with [the series] felt like we knew a special secret we couldn’t wait to share with the world. Since then, we have laughed, cried, raged, and roared with the women of Litchfield, and every moment spent with them felt like borrowed time — too good to last forever.”
Orange Is the New Black, based on Piper Kerman's memoir, debuted to acclaim in 2013 and has since become one of Netflix's most-watched original series. Over the past six years, it's been nominated for 12 Emmys and became the first series to feature in both the drama and comedy categories. Uzo Aduba won twice for her role as Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren.
The final series is expected to arrive in the summer of 2019.
