It was always going to be a challenge to move a show whose premise effectively fitted comfortably inside a single series to a third season. And so perhaps inevitably, Prison Break moves the action back to the slammer, this time in Panama. It proves to be a wise choice, as, while plausibility has long since been thrown out of the window, it’s a more natural setting for the show.

Prison Break still follows brothers Lincoln and Michael Burrows, but this time there’s a far tougher prison that needs to be broken out of. It’s a little less claustrophobic than the last one, but more dangerous. And along with the usual terrific supporting cast of characters, the tension, twists and violence that underpin the show are all very much present and correct.

Powering Prison Break forwards, of course, is the pin-up star Wentworth Miller, who owns his role as Michael, and grounds many of the show’s extremities. And while it’s a shorter season than the first two, this third run still manages to cram in some strong entertainment.

Perhaps season three isn’t Prison Break’s finest hour, and perhaps the concept has diluted somewhat since the show first began. But this is still really good, assured entertainment, that knows what it wants to do and simply gets on with it. For that alone, it remains a show hard to resist. --Jon Foster