By Joe Otterson
Plus IconJoe Otterson
TV Reporter
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Courtesy of Netflix. © 2026 Netflix has commissioned an unscripted series based on the notorious Stanford Prison Experiment, Variety has learned exclusively.
The series, titled “The New Stanford Prison Experiment,” will debut on Oct. 21. The first season will consist of six 45-minute episodes. A first-look photo from the series can be seen above. The official synopsis of the series states:
“Thirty willing participants enter a real prison and are randomly assigned as guards or prisoners. Thrust into a system of power, hierarchy, and control, they’ll discover whether ordinary people inevitably conform to the roles they’re given—or whether empathy, morality, and individuality can withstand the forces pushing them in the opposite direction. As the pressure builds and the balance of power begins to shift, the central question feels more urgent than ever: Does power corrupt?”
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