'The New Stanford Prison Experiment': Inside Netflix's Controversial Reality Series
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Inside ‘The New Stanford Prison Experiment,’ Netflix’s Controversial Reality Series: ‘People Are Going to Have Very Strong Feelings’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Executive producers Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth take us inside their social experiment reality show premiering October 21 on Netflix. Plus: see a chilling clip from the series.
By Marlow Stern
Courtesy of Netflix. © 2026
The Stanford prison experiment, one of the most notorious social experiments ever conducted, inspired numerous films, documentaries, and psychological studies. In August 1971, Stanford psychology professor Philip Zimbardo recruited 24 male college students to participate in a study funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research about antisocial behavior and the effects of imprisonment.
The participants, with no criminal records or medical conditions, were randomly assigned to be either guards or prisoners in a mock prison setting. They were dehumanized by being referred to only by their prison uniform numbers, and guards were encouraged to maintain order by any means necessary.
By day two, the inmates had rebelled, barricading themselves in their cells. The guards responded with fire extinguishers, forcing the prisoners to strip and sleep on cold concrete. As the situation escalated, with cruel punishments and mental breakdowns, the experiment ended on the sixth day. It's now considered an ethical failure due to its lack of safeguards, poor oversight, and the fact that Zimbardo, the experimenter, also served as the "prison" superintendent.
So, now would be the perfect time for a redo, right?
“The New Stanford Prison Experiment,” debuting October 21 on Netflix, aims to do just that. It seeks to answer the question, "Does power corrupt?" and raises additional ones about conformity, dominance/submission, voyeurism, and the bounds of reality television.
Executive produced by Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth ("Top Chef," "Project Runway") through their production company Alfred Street Industries, the show transports thirty participants from diverse backgrounds to a decommissioned prison.
Remember that:
This experimental series explores the human condition and the impact of power dynamics in a controlled environment, inviting viewers to consider their own reactions and beliefs.