American Hostage (TV series)
American crime drama series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American Hostage is an American crime thriller television anthology series created by Shawn Ryan and Eileen Myers for MGM+. Based on the podcast of the same name, the series premiered on September 20, 2026.
| American Hostage | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | |
| Based on | |
| Directed by |
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| Starring | |
| Composer | Robert Duncan |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Production location | Winnipeg |
| Cinematography | Attila Szalay |
| Editors |
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| Running time | 41–50 minutes |
| Production companies | MiddKid Productions Furious Agreement Productions Criminal Content Sony Pictures |
| Original release | |
| Network | MGM+ |
| Release | September 20, 2026 – present |
Plot
Beloved Indianapolis radio reporter Fred Heckman 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.
Cast
Main
- Jon Hamm as Fred Heckman
- Mireille Enos as Barbara Heckman
- William Jackson Harper as Ben Hairston
- Giovanni Ribisi as Tony Kiritsis
- Kristoffer Polaha as Dick Hall
- Jonathan Tucker as Cormac McNally
- Kat Cunning as Ibby Hall
Recurring
- Mark McKinney as Chief Gallagher
- June Laporte as Ginny Hughes
- Joe Cobden as Jerry Morris
- Lisa Codrington as Judy
Guest
- Adam Arkin as John Ruckelshaus
- Fred Ewanuick as Jimmie
Production
Development
On November 15, 2023, it was reported that Sony Pictures Television will produce the television series adaptation of the American Hostage podcast with Shawn Ryan and Eileen Myers serving as showrunners and executive producing the series with Jon Hamm, Connie Tavel, Marney Hochman, Shawn Christensen and Gabriel Mason.[1] On April 23, 2025, MGM+ greenlit the series.[2] On June 26, 2025, Adam Arkin was set to direct the first four episodes of the series and serve as executive producer.[3] Nina Lopez Corrado also served as director and executive producer of the series.[4]
Casting
On November 15, 2023, Hamm was set to portray Fred Heckman in the first season.[1] In August 2025, Mireille Enos joined the cast.[5] In September 2025, William Jackson Harper, Giovanni Ribisi, and Kristoffer Polaha joined the cast.[6][7][8] In October 2025, Jonathan Tucker and Kat Cunning were cast in recurring roles.[9][10]
Filming
On April 23, 2025, it was reported the first season would be filmed in Winnipeg, Canada.[2]
Episodes
| No. | Title [11] | Directed by | Written by [12] | Original release date [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "My Town Indy" | Adam Arkin | Shawn Ryan & Eileen Myers | September 20, 2026 |
| 2 | "McMahon, Martinis & Madness" | Adam Arkin | Sharon Hoffman & Eileen Myers | September 20, 2026 |
| 3 | "Magic Ticket Sweepstakes" | Adam Arkin | Imogen Browder | September 27, 2026 |
| 4 | "A Taste of Indianapolis" | Adam Arkin | Mike Skerrett | October 4, 2026 |
| 5 | "WIBC Mystery Science Theater" | TBA | Tanya Barfield | October 11, 2026 |
| 6 | "Moon News and Markets" | TBA | Story by : Charlie Haddaway Teleplay by : Sharon Hoffman & Imogen Browder | October 18, 2026 |
| 7 | "Tomorrow Is Here" | TBA | Abby St. Clair | October 25, 2026 |
| 8 | "Break the Bank" | TBA | Story by : Stacy McDonald Teleplay by : Eileen Myers & Sharon Hoffman | November 1, 2026 |
Release
The series premiered on MGM+ on September 20, 2026.[14][15] Before the MGM+ release, it received a preview screening in the "Primetime" program at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.[4]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 16 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10.[11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on eight critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[16]