Jon Hamm American Hostage Series
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The gist
Jon Hamm stars in MGM+'s eight-part "American Hostage," premiering September 20.
The series revisits a 1977 Indianapolis kidnapping already covered by a podcast and a.
Background
The series dramatizes the 1977 case of Tony Kiritsis, who took his mortgage broker Richard O. Hall hostage in Indianapolis, rigging a shotgun to fire if Hall moved, in a standoff that lasted 63 hours. The story has been told before: a 2018 documentary, a 2022 scripted podcast (in which Hamm voiced reporter Fred Heckman), and Gus Van Sant's 2025 film "Dead Man's Wire." This MGM+ adaptation, created by Shawn Ryan and Eileen Myers, expands on the podcast and centers on Heckman as the radio reporter caught between Kiritsis and authorities.
How it unfolded
- Feb 8, 1977Tony Kiritsis walked into Meridian Mortgage in Indianapolis and took his mortgage broker, Richard O. Hall, hostage, tying a wire to the back of Hall's neck attached to a shotgun.
- 2022A scripted podcast titled "American Hostage" adapted the story, with Jon Hamm voicing reporter Fred Heckman.
- 2025Gus Van Sant's film "Dead Man's Wire" told the same story, starring Bill Skarsgård and Dacre Montgomery.
- Sep 9, 2026The first trailer for MGM+'s "American Hostage" was released.
- Sep 20, 2026The first two episodes of the eight-part series premiere on MGM+, with weekly releases through November 1.
Who’s saying what
- Positive
- RogerEbert.com calls the series effective, citing strong period detail, thematic development, and engaging performances.
- Mixed
- TV Guide calls it overstuffed but ambitious, saying some subplots and fantasy sequences feel like padding and the tone wavers.
- Negative
- IndieWire describes it as timely but tepid, calling the actual hostage crisis dull.