H BO ran a series of full-page newspaper ads this past Wednesday hyping that night’s “season finale” of the gritty prison drama, “Oz.”
The only problem? The “Oz” finale is next Wednesday, Sept. 1.
“We obviously goofed,” said a red-faced HBO spokesman. “There was an error in communications.”
The ad features a handcuffed prisoner with the words, “Oz: It’s No Place Like Home.”
Underneath are the words: “Season finale tonight at 10.”
The spokesman said the ad was published in five newspapers encompassing New York, Los Angeles and the nationally distributed USA Today. He would not say what the ad campaign had cost, but did say no one was fired over the incident.
The ad did not run in TV listings publications such as TV Guide.
“Everywhere else it appears correctly,” he said. “And at the end of Wednesday-night’s [‘Oz’] episode, it clearly said ‘tune in next week for the finale.'”
HBO received a few calls from viewers confused about the mixup, the spokesman said.
And, he said HBO isn’t sure if it will rerun the ad next Wednesday to hype the real season finale.
“We’re not sure what we’re going to do,” he said.
“Oz,” now in its third season, was created by “Homicide” co-creator Tom Fontana and is a hard-edged, violent look at life inside a tough, inner-city prison.
The show stars Ernie Hudson, B.D. Wong, Rita Moreno and Edie Falco.