Slow and steady does not win the race in the new MGM+ miniseries American Hostage, starring Jon Hamm (Mad Men) as Fred Heckman, radio host and local celebrity whose career takes a turn when he becomes embroiled in an active hostage negotiation – live on air. Based on the podcast of the same name, the show follows the true story of Tony Kiritsis (Giovanni Ribisi), who in 1977 took his mortgage broker, Dick Hall, hostage for 63 hours. Kiritsis tied a wire around his neck and attached it to a shotgun, known as a “dead man’s wire”. During this time, Kiritsis appeared for lengthy radio interviews in one of the nation’s first live media spectacles, forcing broadcasters into completely uncharted territory.

The series blends drama and comedy effectively, features fantastic 1970s production design, and asks genuinely interesting questions about the ethics of journalism and corporate greed. Kiritsis believes Meridian gave him a mortgage they knew he could never repay so they could profit from the land. The only person he trusts in the city is Fred Heckman, a broadcaster at WIBC, whom he asks to speak with live on the radio. After brief deliberation, the station agrees to the live interview, and what follows blurs the line between participant and observer as Heckman grapples with his role in Hall’s chances of survival.

Jon Hamm gives a stellar performance as Heckman, proving the Don Draper in him remains strong, and Ribisi is excellent as Kiritsis, managing to gain our sympathy whilst holding a shotgun to a man’s head. The supporting cast includes Kristoffer Polaha as Dick Hall, a hostage/mortgage executive who is refreshing in a role that might typically lend itself to cliché, William Jackson Harper as Ben Hairston, fellow reporter at Heckman’s radio station whose passion for ethics is enjoyably reminiscent of his role in The Good Place, and Jonathan Tucker as Cormac McNally, an FBI agent specialising in criminal psychology. Kat Cunning is superb as Ibby Hall, Dick’s wife, whose controlled emotions and sombre intensity provide a perfect contrast to the boys’ club we mostly focus on.

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This is where American Hostage is most successful with its characters. Slick dialogue and a thoughtful aversion to stereotypes allow the series to flourish, crafting a morally complex ensemble that feels like real people. This adds depth to the personal conflicts and makes the showdown more compelling. Kiritsis is clearly unhinged yet astutely aware of how the world works – he’s observant, charming, and oddly caring. Unfortunately, stretched into eight hour-long episodes, the premise quickly loses momentum, let down by a drawn-out, overly patient narrative that lacks tension. Rather than exploring the questions it raises, the series crams in repetitive bureaucratic plot points, turning a slow burn into a slog far too quickly.

Intended as an anthology that focuses on a different hostage situation in each season, the show is based on the 2022 podcast of the same name, co-created by Shawn Ryan and Eileen Myers. There’s great commentary on the American Dream in here somewhere, but unfortunately this series doesn’t quite deliver, and the result is underwhelming. I guess some dreams don’t come true.

★★★

On MGM+ from September 20th / Jon Hamm, Giovanni Ribisi, Mireille Enos, Kristoffer Polaha, William Jackson Harper / Created by Shawn Ryan and Eileen Myers / MGM