That's a perfect way to describe it. So much great TV has been made in the past twentyish years, especially on HBO. I don't think Oz quite makes that list, but as you said, it opened the door and there should always be a place in the books for Oz because of that. Prior to Oz, HBO had some half hour comedies that were decent but not great (with the exception of Larry Sanders, which was incredible). Oz broke the mold for an hour long drama that was relatively successful, and again as you said, that paved the way for stronger shows like Sopranos and The Wire.

Pretty sure Edie Falco left Oz to play Carmela Soprano. Of course Gandolfini gets most of the praise for Sopranos, but Edie Falco nailed her role. She probably doesn’t get enough credit.