# Prison Playbook (슬기로운 감빵생활)
**Prison Playbook** (슬기로운 감빵생활, *Seulgirowun Gamppangsaenghwal*; also known as Wise Prison Life or Smart Prison Living) is a 2017 South Korean television drama series broadcast on tvN, directed by Shin Won-ho and starring [Park Hae-soo](https://www.edgepedia.org/park-hae-soo), Jung Kyung-ho, and Jung Soo-jung. It tells the prison-adaptation, comeback, and growth story of superstar baseball pitcher Kim Je-hyuk, who is imprisoned overnight just before his move to a major league career.[1](https://tvn.cjenm.com/ko/prisonplaybook/about/) • [2](https://www.jnfilm.or.kr/sys_board2/board.php?bbs_code=injeonnam&mode=view&uid=563) • [3](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Prison_Playbook)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Native / English titles | 슬기로운 감빵생활; Prison Playbook, also Wise Prison Life / Smart Prison Living[3](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Prison_Playbook) • [4](https://www.cjenm.com/en/featured-contents/prison-playbook/) |
| Broadcast | tvN, 16 episodes, November 22, 2017 to January 18, 2018, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:10, episodes about 1 hour 32 minutes[5](https://mydramalist.com/22624-wise-prison-life) • [3](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Prison_Playbook) |
| Creator and writer | Directed by Shin Won-ho; screenwriter Jung Bo-hoon (정보훈)[2](https://www.jnfilm.or.kr/sys_board2/board.php?bbs_code=injeonnam&mode=view&uid=563) • [3](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Prison_Playbook) |
| Lead cast | Park Hae-soo as Kim Je-hyuk; Jung Kyung-ho as Lee Joon-ho; Jung Soo-jung (Krystal)[2](https://www.jnfilm.or.kr/sys_board2/board.php?bbs_code=injeonnam&mode=view&uid=563) • [3](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Prison_Playbook) |
| Filming location | Former Jangheung Prison (구 장흥교도소), August 2017, with cooperation from Jangheung County[2](https://www.jnfilm.or.kr/sys_board2/board.php?bbs_code=injeonnam&mode=view&uid=563) |
| Streaming | Netflix (TV-MA, tagged Witty, Gritty, Award Winner) and HBO Max (one season, 16 episodes)[6](https://www.netflix.com/title/80214406) • [7](https://www.hbomax.com/pw/en/show/46d40a09-4e36-4b58-9bf2-09724440d82e) |
| Audience score | 8.9 on MyDramaList from 39,301 users[5](https://mydramalist.com/22624-wise-prison-life) |
## Premise and narrative structure
Kim Je-hyuk is a famous baseball player arrested after using excessive force while chasing a man who was attempting to sexually assault his sister; he is sentenced to a year in prison just as his major league debut is within reach.[5](https://mydramalist.com/22624-wise-prison-life) • [6](https://www.netflix.com/title/80214406) [HBO Max](https://www.edgepedia.org/hbo-max)'s synopsis describes him as an all-star player about to join the [Boston Red Sox](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-red-sox) who is suddenly imprisoned for trying to protect his sister.[7](https://www.hbomax.com/pw/en/show/46d40a09-4e36-4b58-9bf2-09724440d82e)
tvN's official synopsis frames the series as three things at once: an adaptation story of a superstar athlete locked up overnight, a comeback story of a man striving to rise again in the worst environment, and a growth story of living inside the prison as another society.[1](https://tvn.cjenm.com/ko/prisonplaybook/about/) Inside, inmates are called by prisoner numbers instead of names, and everyone wears the same blue prison uniform regardless of prior social status.[1](https://tvn.cjenm.com/ko/prisonplaybook/about/) Cells of roughly three pyeong (about 10 square meters) hold more than ten people, and the guards themselves live under 24-hour observation.[1](https://tvn.cjenm.com/ko/prisonplaybook/about/) In prison Je-hyuk meets [Lee Joon](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-joon)-ho, a childhood friend who is now a prison guard.[5](https://mydramalist.com/22624-wise-prison-life)
## Cast and characters
Park Hae-soo plays Kim Je-hyuk, whom tvN's character page describes as an elite closer for the Nexen Heroes with two consecutive Korea Series MVP awards, a three-year Golden Glove streak, and saves and ERA titles.[8](https://tvn.cjenm.com/ko/prisonplaybook/character/?pgmPrsnGropSeq=1242) The character page continues the premise in detail: days before leaving for the United States for a major league contract, Je-hyuk's life changes 180 degrees, and he receives a green plastic spoon and an old blanket in a cell of about three pyeong.[8](https://tvn.cjenm.com/ko/prisonplaybook/character/?pgmPrsnGropSeq=1242) Jung Kyung-ho plays Lee Joon-ho, the guard and childhood friend, and Jung Soo-jung (Krystal) appears in the main cast.[5](https://mydramalist.com/22624-wise-prison-life) • [2](https://www.jnfilm.or.kr/sys_board2/board.php?bbs_code=injeonnam&mode=view&uid=563)
## Production
The series was directed by Shin Won-ho and written by screenwriter Jung Bo-hoon (정보훈).[2](https://www.jnfilm.or.kr/sys_board2/board.php?bbs_code=injeonnam&mode=view&uid=563) • [3](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Prison_Playbook) Filming took place in August 2017 at the former Jangheung Prison (구 장흥교도소) in South Jeolla Province, with cooperation from Jangheung County, according to the Jeonnam Film Commission's production record.[2](https://www.jnfilm.or.kr/sys_board2/board.php?bbs_code=injeonnam&mode=view&uid=563) Shin Won-ho is also the creator credited by Netflix for Prison Playbook.[6](https://www.netflix.com/title/80214406)
## Broadcast and reception
All 16 episodes aired on tvN from November 22, 2017 to January 18, 2018, in the Wednesday and Thursday 21:10 slot, with episodes running about 1 hour 32 minutes and a 15+ rating.[5](https://mydramalist.com/22624-wise-prison-life) • [3](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Prison_Playbook) The series is a single season; HBO Max lists it as one season of 16 episodes from 2017.[7](https://www.hbomax.com/pw/en/show/46d40a09-4e36-4b58-9bf2-09724440d82e)
Internationally, the series streams on Netflix, which lists it as a 2017 TV-MA Korean drama created by Shin Won-ho and tags it Witty, Gritty, Drama, Prison, Korean, Award Winner, Emotional.[6](https://www.netflix.com/title/80214406) HBO Max also carries it, tagged Drama, Comedy, and Dark Comedy.[7](https://www.hbomax.com/pw/en/show/46d40a09-4e36-4b58-9bf2-09724440d82e) On MyDramaList it holds a user score of 8.9 from 39,301 users.[5](https://mydramalist.com/22624-wise-prison-life)
According to the DramaWiki entry, the series won Best Drama at the 2018 12th Korean Cable TV Awards, Park Hae-soo won Best New Actor at the 2018 2nd Seoul Awards, and at the 2018 54th Baeksang Arts Awards Park Ho-san won Best Supporting Actor while [Jung Hae-in](https://www.edgepedia.org/jung-hae-in) received a Popularity Award.[3](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Prison_Playbook)
## The title
The native title 슬기로운 감빵생활 romanizes as Seulgirowun Gamppangsaenghwal and is rendered in English as Prison Playbook, with Wise Prison Life and Smart Prison Living as alternate translations.[3](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Prison_Playbook) • [4](https://www.cjenm.com/en/featured-contents/prison-playbook/) CJ ENM's international catalog lists the series as Prison Playbook.[4](https://www.cjenm.com/en/featured-contents/prison-playbook/)
## References
1. [슬기로운 감빵생활 – 프로그램 소개, tvN official](https://tvn.cjenm.com/ko/prisonplaybook/about/)
2. [슬기로운 감빵생활, Jeonnam Film Commission](https://www.jnfilm.or.kr/sys_board2/board.php?bbs_code=injeonnam&mode=view&uid=563)
3. [Prison Playbook – DramaWiki (d-addicts)](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Prison_Playbook)
4. [Prison Playbook | Drama | CJ ENM](https://www.cjenm.com/en/featured-contents/prison-playbook/)
5. [Prison Playbook (2017) – MyDramaList](https://mydramalist.com/22624-wise-prison-life)
6. [Watch Prison Playbook | Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/title/80214406)
7. [Prison Playbook | HBO Max](https://www.hbomax.com/pw/en/show/46d40a09-4e36-4b58-9bf2-09724440d82e)
8. [슬기로운 감빵생활 수용자 소개, tvN official character page](https://tvn.cjenm.com/ko/prisonplaybook/character/?pgmPrsnGropSeq=1242)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Korean contemporary drama › Comedy and slice-of-life series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license