'Orange is the New Black': Behind the Bars

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The darkly hilarious new series Orange is the New Black premieres today on Netflix streaming, and the show's stars, Taylor Schilling and Laura Prepon, are taking you behind the scenes of the prison dramedy, courtesy of our pals at ET Canada.

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Drawn from the real-life prison experiences of Piper Kerman, Orange is the New Black (written and directed by Weeds creator Jenji Kohan) boasts a colorful cast of misfits based on inmates the author encountered during her year-long stint in the federal slammer.

"There's a certain kind of intrigue when it comes to women's prison," explains Prepon (of That '70s Show fame), who dyed her signature red locks jet black for her role as lesbian drug-runner Alex Vause. "Some women accidentally stumbled into something, and here they are. Some women did do something really violent to get here."

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Click the video for a behind-the-scenes look at the series, including an interview with cast member Natasha Lyonne, an actress admittedly familiar with the federal prison system.

All 13 episodes of Orange is the New Black are now streaming on Netflix.