Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith.
Hijack first premiered on June 28, 2023.
Distributed by Apple TV+.
Hijack (TV Series) Review
Hijack is a fast, intense TV thriller that keeps you watching.
Season 1 follows a hijacked airplane in real time, with Idris Elba standing out as a calm negotiator trying to save everyone on board.
The tension feels real, and every episode ends with strong suspense.
Season 2 moves the danger to a hijacked train in Berlin, changing the setting but keeping the pressure high.
It focuses more on the minds of the characters and their choices.
While slower at times, it still feels serious and gripping.
Overall, Hijack is smart, exciting, and perfect for viewers who enjoy realistic thrillers.
CR – 7.5/10
Hijack Actors
Idris Elba as Sam Nelson
DOB: September 6, 1972.
Bio: Sir Idris Elba is an award-winning British actor, producer and musician who first gained international recognition for his breakout role as Stringer Bell in The Wire.
He cemented his status as a leading man with Luther, becoming known for performances that blend authority, emotional restraint and simmering intensity.
Role: Sam Nelson is the central figure of Hijack, a seasoned corporate negotiator who finds himself trapped aboard a commercial flight overtaken by terrorists.
Forced to apply psychological strategy rather than physical force, Sam must manipulate, persuade and outthink both hijackers and authorities in real time.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (15 eps).
Interesting facts: Elba is also an executive producer on Hijack and played a hands-on role in promoting the show; his action-and-negotiation scenes were widely noted in press for realism.
Notable works: Luther, The Wire, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Beasts of No Nation.
Archie Panjabi as DCI Zahra Gahfoor
DOB: May 31, 1972.
Bio: Archie Panjabi (born Archana Panjabi) is a British actor best known internationally for her Emmy-winning performance as Kalinda Sharma on The Good Wife.
Trained at Brunel University, she has built a career playing incisive, controlled and morally complex characters across British and American television.
Role: DCI Zahra Gahfoor is a senior counterterrorism officer with SO15 (the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command).
Working on the ground in London, Zahra becomes one of the primary law-enforcement figures responding to the hijacking.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (6 eps).
Interesting facts: Panjabi’s presence bridges British policing realism and international thriller stakes; reviewers singled out her cool, controlled delivery.
Notable works: The Good Wife, Blindspot, Departure, Snowpiercer.
Christine Adams as Marsha Smith-Nelson
DOB: August 15, 1974.
Bio: British actor who has built a steady career across British and American film and television.
Trained in drama in the UK before relocating to the United States, she is known for playing intelligent, emotionally grounded women in genre and character-driven projects.
Role: Marsha Smith-Nelson is Sam Nelson’s estranged wife and a respected physics professor.
While physically removed from the hijacking, Marsha’s relationship with Sam provides the series’ emotional backbone.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (6 eps).
Interesting facts: Adams became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2019 and has balanced UK and US projects; interviews note she’s drawn to smart, character-driven roles.
Notable works: Black Lightning, Batman Begins, Terra Nova.
Max Beesley as DI Daniel O’Farrel
DOB: April 16, 1971.
Bio: English actor and musician who began his career in theatre and music before moving into television and film.
Over the years, he has built a strong screen résumé spanning crime drama, thrillers and ensemble series.
Role: DI Daniel O’Farrell is a Metropolitan Police detective and the current partner of Marsha Smith-Nelson.
His proximity to both the official investigation and Sam Nelson’s personal life places him in a morally complex position.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (7 eps).
Interesting facts: In addition to acting, Beesley is an accomplished jazz and soul musician.
His musical training is often cited as influencing his pacing, timing and emotional control in dramatic scenes.
Notable works: Mad Dogs, Suits, The Gentleman (2024).
Neil Maskell as Stuart Atterton / Gerald Taylor
DOB: 1976.
Bio: English actor and writer best known for uncompromising performances in British crime, thriller and horror projects.
He gained major recognition through hard-edged indie cinema and later high-profile TV work, building a reputation for portraying volatile, psychologically unsettling characters.
Role: Stuart Atterton, operating under the alias Gerald Taylor, is the lead hijacker in Series 1 and the principal antagonist of the story.
Cold, calculating and quietly ferocious, Stuart is the architect of the hijacking plan and the figure who maintains control through intimidation and precision.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (7 eps).
Interesting facts: Maskell’s career frequently treats him as the go-to actor for unpredictable, dangerous characters, casting him signaled the producers’ intent to keep the hijackers’ threat tactile and unsettling.
Notable works: Kill List, Utopia, Wild Bill, Bull.
Ben Miles as Captain Robin Allen
DOB: September 29, 1966.
Bio: English actor with a long, respected career across television, film and theatre.
He became widely known to UK audiences through popular and prestige TV, while maintaining a strong presence on stage, including work with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Role: Captain Robin Allen is the pilot of Kingdom Airlines Flight 29 and a central supporting figure in Series 1.
Calm, methodical and deeply professional, Robin represents the last line of order inside the cockpit as the hijacking unfolds.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (7 eps).
Interesting facts: Miles has quietly built a career alternating big ensemble TV with stage work, his casting anchors the airplane crew scenes in believable, lived-in detail.
Notable works: Coupling, The Forsyte Saga, The Crown, Andor.
Kaisa Hammarlund as Anna Kovacs
DOB: N/A.
Bio: Swedish-born actor based in the UK, trained in London, with a background spanning theatre, television and musical performance.
She has built a career in British screen and stage productions, often appearing in tightly written dramas where precision and emotional control are essential.
Role: Anna Kovacs is the first officer of Kingdom Airlines Flight 29 and a crucial member of the cockpit crew during the hijacking in Series 1.
Competent, alert and composed under pressure, Anna works closely with Captain Robin Allen as the crisis escalates.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (7 eps).
Interesting facts: Kaisa has a background in musical theatre (Young Vic) and equestrian skills; her versatile stage training helped with the intense, confined flight sequences.
Notable works: The Nest, Young Vic theatre credits, The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family.
Zora Bishop as Deevia Khan
DOB: N/A.
Bio: UK-trained actor who studied at the Manchester School of Theatre.
She has built a steady career across British television drama, appearing in both long-running series and high-profile streaming productions.
Role: Deevia Khan is the lead flight attendant on Kingdom Airlines Flight 29 and one of the most important on-board figures during the hijacking in Series 1.
Calm, authoritative and emotionally perceptive, Deevia manages passenger fear, crew coordination and escalating threats from the hijackers.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (7 eps).
Interesting facts: Because much of Hijack unfolds in real time and confined spaces, Bishop’s role relies heavily on subtle reactions and controlled emotional shifts rather than dialogue-heavy exposition.
Notable works: Andor, Doctors, streaming credits.
Jasper Britton as Terry Reid / Marcus Sutton
DOB: December 11, 1962.
Bio: English stage and screen actor with decades of experience in West End theatre, classical productions, and British television.
He is particularly known for portraying authoritative, morally ambiguous or quietly menacing figures, often bringing intelligence and restraint to antagonistic roles.
Role: Britton portrays Terry Reid, operating under the alias Marcus Sutton, one of the hijackers aboard Kingdom Airlines Flight 29 in Series 1.
His character functions as a disciplined, calculating presence within the hijacking group, contributing to the sustained psychological tension onboard.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (7 eps).
Interesting facts: Britton’s classical background helps create compelling, scene-stealing guest turns even in confined set pieces.
Notable works: Blackbeard, Blood, Anonymous.
Jack McMullen as Lewis Atterton / Ryan Cunningham
DOB: February 22, 1991.
Bio: English actor who began his career as a child performer on British television before transitioning into adult dramatic roles.
He first gained attention on the long-running soap Brookside and later built a reputation for grounded, emotionally transparent performances in ensemble dramas.
Role: McMullen portrays Lewis Atterton, operating under the alias Ryan Cunningham, one of the younger members of the hijacking group aboard Kingdom Airlines Flight 29 in Series 1.
His character represents the less seasoned, more emotionally combustible side of the operation, a contrast to the older, more controlled hijackers.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (6 eps).
Interesting facts: McMullen received early industry recognition as a young actor and has steadily shifted toward darker, more adult material.
Notable works: Brookside, Waterloo Road, This City Is Ours.
Aimée Kelly as Jamie Constantinou / Bella Cunningham
DOB: July 8, 1999.
Bio: English actress who first gained recognition in the CBBC series Wolfblood and the feature film Sket.
She has since transitioned into adult dramatic roles and stage work, demonstrating versatility and emotional depth.
Role: Kelly plays Jamie Constantinou, also operating under the alias Bella Cunningham, one of the younger hijackers aboard Kingdom Airlines Flight 29 in Series 1.
Her character subverts audience expectations, contributing to the hijacking team’s unpredictable and morally ambiguous dynamic.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (7 eps).
Interesting facts: Kelly received a BAFTA Children’s Awards nomination early in her career and has discussed the challenge of portraying morally complex characters.
Notable works: Sket, Wolfblood, The Duke.
Eve Myles as Alice Sinclair
DOB: July 26, 1978.
Bio: Welsh actor who rose to prominence with Torchwood and later won acclaim for her lead role in Keeping Faith / Un Bore Mercher.
Known for strong, empathetic performances, she excels in emotionally grounded lead and supporting roles across TV and stage, bringing nuance, authority, and relatability to complex characters.
Role: Alice Sinclair is an air traffic controller in Series 1, responsible for managing flight communications during the hijacking crisis.
Her professional decisions and calm under pressure add tension and realism to the unfolding events.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (6 eps).
Interesting facts: Myles is a BAFTA Cymru winner and has been praised for grounding high-concept thrillers with human performances.
Notable works: Torchwood, Keeping Faith / Un Bore Mercher, stage roles.
More Actors
Season 1 (2023)
• Jeremy Ang Jones as Arthur.
• Kate Phillips as Colette.
• Holly Aird as Amanda.
• Justin Salinger as Alec.
Season 2 (2026)
• Gabrielle Scharnitzky as Petra.
• Sebastian Hulk as Dieter Wolf.
• Lodi Doumit as Karoline.
• Alexander Hermann as Christoph.
FAQ – Hijack TV Series
What is Hijack (TV series) about?
Hijack is a real-time thriller about Sam Nelson, a corporate negotiator caught in life-or-death situations, first aboard a hijacked flight and later in a Berlin subway crisis, where his skills and decisions determine the fate of hostages.
Is Hijack based on a true story?
No. It is a fictional thriller created for Apple TV+, though it uses realistic negotiation and hostage elements to heighten tension.
Is there a Season 2 of Hijack?
Yes. Season 2 premiered on January 14, 2026, with 8 episodes and continues the tense, real-time storytelling in a new setting.
How many episodes are in each season?
Season 1 had 7 episodes, and Season 2 has 8 episodes, both released weekly on Apple TV+.
Where can I watch Hijack?
The series streams exclusively on Apple TV+, accessible through the Apple TV app or compatible streaming devices.
Conclusion
Hijack is a tense and well-crafted thriller that delivers strong performances and nonstop suspense.
With its real-time storytelling and high-stakes situations, the series keeps viewers emotionally invested from start to finish.
Idris Elba’s commanding lead performance adds depth and realism, making the danger feel personal and urgent.
Each season raises new questions about survival, trust, and human behavior under pressure.
Whether set in the sky or on the ground, Hijack proves to be a gripping watch for fans of smart, realistic thrillers.