China Central Television has denied the report that they planned to introduce the popular US TV series "Prison Break" to mainland audiences.

A senior official of CCTV's department in charge of introducing foreign TV series, who was identified as Qin, said they never had a plan to introduce the TV show.

Tuesday's Shanghai Morning Post reported that three Chinese TV stations, including CCTV, planned to air the show, which revolves around a man who was sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit and the lengths his brother will go to save him.

The first season of the show is already widely available on pirated DVDs around large Chinese cities.

Tuesday's report said CCTV, which imported "Desperate Housewives" in 2005, plans to introduce more overseas TV shows this year. It also said that "Prison Break" won't be aired until at least June, as it will take several months to dub it into Chinese.

"Prison Break," which airs on Fox TV in the United States, was nominated for two Golden Globes last year: Best TV Series and Best Actor (Drama) for the show's star Wentworth Miller.

(Shanghai Daily January 11, 2006)