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American Hostage: Jon Hamm and Giovanni Ribisi in a TV Series Based on 1977 Hostage Crisis

2:03 PM ETConfirmed

Entertainment Desk

In Short: American Hostage, a new MGM+ series, follows Jon Hamm and Giovanni Ribisi in a hostage situation inspired by a real 1977 event.

American Hostage, a new MGM+ series, begins streaming on September 20 with two episodes and will continue through November 1st. The series, developed by Shawn Christensen and adapted by Shawn Ryan, is based on a podcast about Tony Kiritsis, who took his mortgage broker hostage in 1977.

In the series, Fred Heckman (Jon Hamm), a radio reporter in Indianapolis, finds himself in the middle of a life-or-death situation when Tony Kiritsis (Giovanni Ribisi) demands to be interviewed on his radio news program after kidnapping his mortgage broker, Dick Hall (Kristoffer Polaha).

The series closely follows the real-life hostage crisis where Kiritsis took Hall hostage with a sawed-off shotgun, placing a dead-man's line to ensure Hall's death if Kiritsis was killed. Ribisi's performance as Kiritsis, who shows enough pathos to elicit pity, is noted for its complexity.

Hamm's portrayal of Heckman, cautious yet confident, highlights the excitement and responsibility of the situation. Heckman acts as the intermediary between the kidnapper and the police, navigating the chaos with a mix of professionalism and personal involvement.

While the series has received praise for its strong cast, including William Jackson Harper, it has also faced criticism for falling short of expectations. Critics note that despite its potential, the adaptation from podcast to television has not fully captured the complexity of the real-life hostage situation.

Despite its shortcomings, American Hostage offers a compelling look into a unique moment in American history and the power of media in shaping public opinion. The series is a testament to the enduring impact of the original hostage crisis and the enduring appeal of its story.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• American Hostage begins with two episodes on September 20 and will stream on MGM+ through November 1st.
• In 2022, Shawn Christensen developed a podcast series about Tony Kiritsis, who took his mortgage broker hostage in 1977.
• Fred Heckman (Jon Hamm) is a radio reporter in Indianapolis who gets thrust into the middle of a life-or-death situation when Tony Kiritsis ( Giovanni Ribisi ) demands to be interviewed on his popular radio news program after kidnapping his mortgage broker.
• MGM+’s American Hostage is based on one of the strangest hostage crises in American history.
• The eight episode thriller stars Jon Hamm as Fred Heckman, an Indianapolis radio newsman who becomes directly involved in a 1977 hostage standoff after Tony Kiritsis, played by Giovanni Ribisi, takes mortgage broker Richard “Dick” Hall hostage.
• Here is what really happened and what American Hostage changed for the screen.
• American Hostage is based on the real 1977 hostage crisis involving Tony Kiritsis and Richard Hall in Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Kiritsis took Hall hostage and placed a sawed off 12 gauge shotgun against his head.

What's still developing

• Shortly after taking him hostage, Kiritsis gets on the phone to call into the radio station to talk to Heckman.
• I truly believe that Jon Hamm is one of our greatest TV actors.
• MGM+ ‘s American Hostage is a TV show based on a podcast about the power of radio, a chaotic media-hopping smorgasbord that feels oddly appropriate when you watch the eight-part series that flirts with a number of contemporary topics but ends up being mostly well-acted, over-extended nostalgia for landline telephones and manageable institutional corruption.
• The series is set in 1977, and if you’ve seen Gus Van Sant’s 2025 Dead Man’s Wire, you already know a somewhat fictionalized version of the story, which was the subject of the first season of the American Hostage podcast from Criminal Content.
• Tony Kiritsis (Ribisi), a former used car salesman, has walked into a mortgage office and taken Dick Hall ( Kristoffer Polaha ) hostage, accusing Dick and his family of complicity in granting him a mortgage they knew he could never repay, in order to seize control of the 17-acre plot of land that Tony hoped to turn into a shopping destination anchored by a steakhouse.
• All Tony wants is an apology, immunity and the chance to resume his quest for the American dream.
• In a country pushed by the counterculture and Watergate into a pervasive distrust of authority, Tony briefly becomes as famous as his chosen mouthpiece, which won’t come as a surprise to anybody who has seen Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon, one of several stories that America Hostage calls to mind.
• The first two episodes of American Hostage, the new MGM+ original are a promising start with an intriguing enough premise, but don’t quite rise to the level of must-see TV.
• He rigs a dead-man’s line to his hostage, ensuring that the death of the captor will mean the death of the captured.
• Despite a “solid script and strong performances” SHIFTER’s Chris Harrison calls the new MGM+ series not yet must-see TV in his American Hostage series review.
• What’s most striking about the hubbub around the interviews and the hostage situation is how many ways in which it’s business as usual for the crew.
• At the centre is Fred Heckman (Jon Hamm, reprising his role from the audio drama), a host and news director who runs a tight ship over at WIBC AM radio, until an event inflicts a tsunami on his solid ground.

Sources

• Geek Vibes Nationlink
• Highonfilmslink
• SHIFTER Magazinelink
• The Hollywood Reporterlink
• Warpbeatlink
• winnipegfreepress.comlink
• WarpBeat — background on Jon Hamm and Giovanni Ribisi Star in 'American Hostage' Based on 1977 Crisis link
• WarpBeat — background on American Hostage: Jon Hamm and Giovanni Ribisi in a TV Series Based on a Real 1977 Hostage Crisis link