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In 1977, WIBC News Director Fred Heckman, was thrust into the spotlight in Indianapolis. A kidnapper demanded to be interviewed by Heckman on his radio program.
The Amazon Original Podcast American Hostage is a true-crime series starring Emmy-winning actor and producer Jon Hamm, as Heckman. Through Heckman’s radio show, kidnapper Tony Kiritsis gradually becomes a media sensation and unexpected anti-hero during a 63-hour standoff.
“Part of what attracted me to this story was the absolute brazenness of the crime itself compounded by the slow burn realization that something was terribly wrong," said Hamm. “The parallels to today’s dissatisfaction on all sides with not being heard, not being understood and somehow being taken advantage of by something bigger than us are glaring. We apparently still haven’t learned our lessons about the consequences of dismissing people’s outrage.”
The weekly series will drop on all podcast services every Tuesday, starting March 8.