Hijack is a thrilling drama series from the UK. It keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats, as they try to keep pace with the scary aeroplane-jacking case in the post-9/11 world.
With its 7 episodes, it traces a 7-hour flight journey of a plane flying from Dubai to London. Thus it narrates an hourly update of the real-time event that takes place during its flight.
September 11 attacks, also called 9/11 attacks, series of airline hijackings and suicide attacks committed in 2001 by 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda against targets in the United States, the deadliest terrorist attacks on American soil in U.S. history.
September 11 attacks (9/11) | Britannica
Synopsis (official summary) of Hijack (2023) Mini-Series
When Flight KA29 is hijacked during its seven-hour journey from Dubai to London, Sam Nelson (Idris Alba)—an accomplished corporate negotiator—tries using his professional skills to save everyone on board.
Will this high-risk strategy be his undoing?
Spoilers Free review of the Hijack (2023) Mini-Series
What is the basic plotline of this show?
Like a 24 series, that traces an event over 24 hours told in real-time. This mini-series narrates the dramatic events of 7 hours journey of an aeroplane in a similar manner. After Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) boards flight KA29 in Dubai to rejoin his family in London, a group of armed people take control of the said KA29 flight.
With the authorities (airports, airlines, governments and others) completely in the dark about the fate and the status of the said plane, the hundreds of passengers and a bunch of flight personnel are left to fend for themselves in the air.
All this while, the said non-stop direct flight between Dubai and London continue to cross one international border after another, flying past different countries and putting everyone in their flight path in a dangerous situation. When the government and airport authorities learned about the status of the KA29 flight, by that time, it was too little and too late.
The unexpected twists and turns keep on appearing from nowhere to keep you engaged in this plane hijack tale. Its script is tight and pacy despite a few holes in it.
Its story has a few discrepancies
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the USA, many safety measures have taken place in the aviation industry around the world, to minimize such horrifying incidents. However, in this show, there are a couple of discrepancies that its scriptwriters have perhaps got it wrong. We have mentioned those in the spoilers shared below, so in case, you are interested then click on them to read about them.
A good ensemble cast led by Idris Elba and the conclusion
So, it boasts of the towering presence of Idris Alba in the lead role of a negotiator. Besides, the ensemble cast led by Idris Elba (Sam Nelson), and ably supported by Ben Miles (Captain Robin Allen), Neil Maskell (Stuart Atterton), Eve Myles (Alice Sinclair), Archie Panjabi (DCI Zahar Gahfoor), Maxton Beesley (DI Daniel O’Farrell), Christina Adams (Marsha Smith-Nelson), et al have done a good job to keep the anxiety and tension going. No doubt, this is a dramatic thriller which is a captivating watch.
Ratings of this 2023 plane hijacking series from the UK
| FM’s rating | 3.95/5 |
| Rotten Tomatoes ratings as of the date | 87% Tomatometer & 65% Audience Score |
| Critics Consensus / Rotten Tomatoes | Largely devoid of storytelling turbulence and benefitting greatly from its real-time pacing, it is a glossy but effective thriller that achieves genuine liftoff. |
Spoilers Alert about OCG & Airlines’ SOP in the post-9/11 scenarios
Focus on the OCG of the UK in the context of this mini-series
Well, the OCG means the organised crime group in the United Kingdom. We have heard the term OCB several times in movies as well as series from the UK. The leaders and the members of OCG are somewhat similar to the infamous Mafia.
Organised Crime Group in the United Kingdom
In this series, the two dreaded leaders of OCG are serving lengthy jail terms in prison in the UK. So, to arm-twist the UK government to release them unconditionally from prison and allow them to leave the country. Besides, one of the OCG leaders also plans to make millions in the stock market by using this high-risk incident,
So, they hatch a plan and instruct the members of their OCG to seize control of the KA29 flight mid-air. They even used threats and intimidation to force some of the other non-gang members to enable them to seize control of the said plane. That is the crux of the planned conspiracy of its story.
Focus on the real-life changes in the Airlines’ SOP after the 9/11 attacks in the context of this mini-series
After the 9/11 terrorist incident, the standard operating procedures (SOP) in the airlines have undergone quite a few changes.
Standard Operating Procedures in the Airline Industry
For instance, the pilot cockpit doors and locks have been strengthened and reinforced. However, it is a popular misconception that pilots do not (and/or can not) open the cockpit door during flight. In reality, both the pilot and the co-pilot can step outside the cockpit, to take meal breaks, and toilet breaks, look for any other flight-related issues etc.
In long-distance flight routes, sometimes the backup pilots take charge to allow the pilots on duty to rest.
Also, in case there is a hijacking incident, the Pilots have emergency codes (7500 – plane transponder) that can be transmitted immediately to the ATC – the air traffic ground control.
Poster of the Hijack (UK/2023) Mini-Series
Key details of this 2023 plane hijacking series from the UK
| Genre | Drama, Mystery, Thriller |
| Original Language | English |
| Age-restrictions | A (18+) |
| Released | June-August 2023 |
| Season | One (1) |
| Episodes | Seven (7) |
| Creators (Writers & Lead Directors too) | Jim Field Smith & George Kay |
| Cast | Idris Elba, Archie Panjabi, Maxton Beesley, Christina Adams, Neil Maskell, Eve Myles, Ben Miles, etc. |
| Taglines | Let them think they’re in control. |
| Network | Apple TV+ |
Trailer of the Hijack (UK/2023) Mini-Series
If you are a fan of the actor Idris Elba, then do check out his Luther series, Luther The Fallen Sun movie and highly acclaimed The Wire series.
Featured & Other Images: Hijack (2023/UK) Show | Apple TV+.