Hostages

444 days. Decades in the making.

TV-MA2022•1h 0m•6.3/10

Documentary

Ratings

🎬TMDb

6.3/10(8)

On November 4, 1979, Iranian student activists stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking over 60 Americans hostage. What was planned as a 48-hour sit-in to protest American imperialism, ballooned into an international crisis and 24/7 media event that would last 444 days. With never-before-seen archival footage and revelatory new interviews with the American hostages and Iranian hostage-takers alike, the series is a gripping chronicle of one of the most dramatic international deadlocks in American history, a deep dive into the geo-political history that led to the crisis, and an exploration of the political fallout that reverberates today.

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Production

Show of Force, HBO Documentary Films

Language

Status

Ended

First Aired

September 28, 2022

Last Aired

September 29, 2022

Networks

HBO

Trailers & Videos

Where to Watch

Region US · Lang EN

No providers available for this region.

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Seasons & Episodes

Select a season to view episodes. Reddit links may contain spoilers.

Season

Part One: The Peacock Throne

Air date: 2022-09-28

Under the rule of Mohammad Reza Shah, Iran experiences an oil-driven economic boom, but the government’s excesses and repressive tactics lead to increasing hostility towards the monarch and his closest ally: the United States. As religious cleric Ayatollah Khomeini grows in popularity, the Shah flees and the country becomes engulfed in revolution, endangering the U.S. embassy.

Part Two: Den of Spies

Air date: 2022-09-28

November 1979. In protest of the United States’ long-standing relationship with the now-deposed Shah, an Iranian student group plans a 48-hour sit-in at the American embassy in Tehran. But what starts as a political statement quickly turns into chaos as Khomeini’s regime sanctions the embassy takeover and uses it to shore up power.

Part Three: The Sand Storm

Air date: 2022-09-29

With 1980 fast approaching, and the crisis nowhere near ending, the situation takes on a life of its own in American and Iranian media. After diplomatic efforts to secure the hostages’ release fail, and their fates become more dire, President Carter launches a rescue operation – with disastrous results.

Part Four: The Transaction

Air date: 2022-09-29

A year into the siege, Carter works furiously to secure a deal as the 1980 U.S. presidential election approaches. As Ronald Reagan prepares to take office, the outgoing administration enters a final, desperate diplomatic push. Today, those on both sides of the conflict weigh in on the crisis’ complex and enduring legacy.