The first season of the American comedy-drama television series Orange Is the New Black premiered on Netflix on July 11, 2013, at 12:00 am PST in multiple countries.

Taylor Schilling was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama.

Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) is sentenced to fifteen months at Litchfield Penitentiary, a women's prison, for a drug-related crime she committed ten years earlier.

Piper also meets Sam Healy (Michael J. Harney), her homophobic counselor who deals with many of the inmates' problems.

The first season mainly focuses on Piper's experiences in prison and her growing relationship with Alex, while also providing the backstories of several inmates at Litchfield.

Sentenced to 15 months for a crime she committed 10 years earlier, Piper Chapman leaves her supportive fiancé Larry for her new home: Litchfield Penitentiary, a women's prison.

Piper is then shocked to discover that Alex Vause, her former lover who recruited her into carrying drug money, is in the same prison.

Transgender inmate Sophia Burset has her dose of exogenous estrogen reduced in response to budget cuts.

Piper moves into the cube of Miss Claudette, a stern inmate with high expectations for cleanliness and privacy.

Miss Claudette's code of conduct is violated when Suzanne vengefully urinates on the floor of their space.

After Piper loses a screwdriver, the prison staff searches high and low to find it before it is used as a weapon.

Bennett and Daya pass notes to each other; Aleida advises her daughter to date another guard who can do her favors.

Healy is tired of dealing with the inmate's problems and announces elections for the women's advisory council.

The guards start searching for a missing mobile phone; Piper finds it hidden in the wall of the bathroom.

Piper hands Healy the missing phone in exchange for getting the prison's running track reopened.

When Healy does not go through with the plan, Piper manipulates Fischer into reopening the running track, which pleases Janae.

Healy reads the article and begins acting coldly towards Piper upon discovering her history with Alex.

During Taystee's release party, Piper and Alex share a sexually charged dance; Pennsatucky snitches on them for "lesbianing together," after which Healy sends Chapman to SHU.

Bennett learns of Daya's pregnancy and is concerned that the system will discover their relationship, which could result in disciplinary action for both.

After Piper learns that psych is worse than SHU, she successfully petitions Caputo to have Pennsatucky returned to general population.

A journalist following Larry's interview asks Natalie Figueroa, the deputy warden, about spending cuts at Litchfield, despite an increase in the prison's funding.

[5] In July 2011, it was revealed that Netflix was in negotiations with Lionsgate for a 13-episode TV adaptation of Kerman's memoirs with Kohan as creator.

[4][10] Prepon initially auditioned for Piper Chapman,[11] however Kohan felt she would not worry about her [in prison], noting a "toughness and a presence to her that wasn’t right for the character."

[13] Likability was important for Morello, whom casting director Jen Euston deemed "a very helpful, nice, sweet Italian girl.

The Advocate touted Orange Is the New Black as possibly the first women-in-prison narrative to cast a transgender woman for this type of role.

[13] Uzo Aduba read for the part of Janae Watson but was offered the character Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren.

[16] Orange Is the New Black has received critical acclaim, particularly praised for humanizing prisoners[17][18] and for its depiction of race, sexuality, gender and body types.

"[21] Hank Stuever, television critic for The Washington Post, gave Orange Is the New Black a perfect score.

But it is also filled with the entire range of human emotion and stories, all of which are brought vividly to life in a world where a stick of gum could ignite either a romance or a death threat.

"[22] Maureen Ryan, of The Huffington Post, wrote: "Orange is one of the best new programs of the year, and the six episodes I've seen have left me hungry to see more.