Season 1 – American Hostage

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2:36

Premieres Sep 20

Crime

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

8 Reviews

Popcornmeter

0 Ratings

Fred Heckman, a beloved local radio reporter, is thrust into the middle of a life-or-death crisis when hostage-taker Tony Kiritsis demands to be interviewed on his popular radio news program.

Jared Richards

The Age (Australia)

20 hrs ago

3/5

[The] weariness builds throughout American Hostage, with Hamm’s minute expressions – used so well in Mad Men – revealing an inner turmoil that, while fascinating, probably could have been conveyed in five episodes rather than eight.

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Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

3 days ago

2.5/4

The final result is never dull, which can’t be said about a lot of modern streaming mini-series. But it’s also never as satisfying as it could or should have been, even if we didn’t see this story in film earlier this year.

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Keith Phipps

TV Guide

Sep 11, 2026

7.2/10

While it might be overstuffed, much of American Hostage works anyway.

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Brittany Frederick

TVBrittanyF.com

2 days ago

A-

In an era when true crime stories are played out and overwrought, co-creators Shawn Ryan and Eileen Myers have done the unthinkable: they’ve made this one a hell of a lot of fun.

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Rodrigo Perez

The Playlist

3 days ago

Overstuffed, intermittently ambitious, and frustratingly dull, “American Hostage” has plenty of plot. What it lacks is enough insight to justify spending eight hours getting through 63.

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Ricky Valero

Geek Vibes Nation

4 days ago

6/10

American Hostage does many things right, but where it falters is where I struggle to give this a recommendation.

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Jon Hamm

Fred Heckman

Giovanni Ribisi

Tony Kiritsis

Kristoffer Polaha

Dick Hall

William Jackson Harper

Ben Hairston

Mireille Enos

Barbara

Adam Arkin

Director

Episode 1

Airs Sep 20

My Town Indy

WIBC News Director Fred Heckman gets the story of his career when a hostage-taker, Tony Kiritsis, demands to be interviewed live on air; Fred must decide whether to air the explosive interview.

Details

Episode 2

Airs Sep 20

McMahon, Martinis & Madness

Fred has a groundbreaking on-air interview with Tony, only to find himself pulled further and further away from his role as news director.

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Episode 3

Airs Sep 27

Magic Ticket Sweepstakes

When a report from WIBC sends Tony into a deadly spiral, Fred is forced to embrace the role of hostage negotiator to prolong Dick's life.

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Episode 4

Airs Oct 4

A Taste of Indianapolis

Fred, in trying to talk Tony through a dark period of despondency, ends up revealing deep personal truths that have repercussions for his marriage.

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Episode 5

Airs Oct 11

WIBC Mystery Science Theater

Fred is pushed to the brink as he waits to see whether Tony will accept the DA's immunity offer; a moment of connection between him and FBI Special Agent McNally shifts into a tense game of cat and mouse, and Fred must face a moral reckoning.

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Episode 6

Airs Oct 18

Moon News and Markets

Fred wrestles with selling the false immunity agreement to Tony over the air, taking the story back to 1972.

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Episode 7

Airs Oct 25

Tomorrow Is Here

Having sold the lie of immunity on-air and successfully convinced Tony to sign the agreement, Fred now finds himself shut out of law enforcement's plans to bring this crisis to an end today, one way or another.

Details

Episode 8

Airs Nov 1

Break the Bank

Fred must do everything he can to keep Tony alive when they're thrust into the spotlight.

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American Hostage: Season 1 Trailer

2:36

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American Hostage: Season 1 Episode 1 Exclusive Sneak Peek - Antenna

3:06

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Director: Adam Arkin, Nina Lopez-Corrado
Executive Producer: Adam Arkin
Network: MGM+
Genre: Crime, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date: Sep 20, 2026

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Season 1 – American Hostage

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