Apple TV Plus fans can’t get enough of Idris Elba’s thrilling Hijack series

Plane sailing

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AppleTV Plus is enjoying a remarkable year from a TV show perspective – and now, the streaming platform has another big hitter on its hands.

Hijack, a new thriller starring Idris Elba (Thor,Luther) only launched onApple TV Pluson June 28. However, it’s quickly become the talk of TV land, with viewers finding themselves hooked on the series and desperate for new episodes to arrive as soon as possible.

For the uninitiated, inHijack, Elba plays Sam Nelson, a business negotiator who finds himself caught up in a plane hijacking on a seven-hour trip from Dubai to London. An ordinary man in an extraordinary situation, Nelson tries to use his skills to attempt to broker a peaceful end to the perilous and tense stand-off.

So far, so generic, right? Not quite.Hijackplays out like a high-altitude version of classic action-drama series24. Like the hit Kiefer Sutherland-starring TV show,Hijack’s seven, 60-minute-long episodes occur in real time, meaning audiences will get to see every suspense-filled moment play out on the screen.

So far, only two episodes ofHijackhave aired on one of the world’sbest streaming services. Even so, fans and critics alike have hailedHijackas a superb addition to Apple TV Plus' back catalog.

Currently, the series holds a 92% certified ‘fresh’ rating on review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes. That score drops to 80% from a general audience member standpoint. But, given the level of streaming competition Hijack is up against this week –The Witcherseason 3 volume 1onNetflix,Warriorseason 3 onMax, andJack Ryanseason 4 onPrime Video– its early success shouldn’t be sniffed at.

Viewers have taken to the internet to give their largely positive verdicts on the show, too. On ResetEra,user 2pac_71said they were “hooked” onHijack, whilersfoursaid they would have streamed the whole series if it had dropped in full.

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Meanwhile, over on Reddit,nightfansaid it was “fantastic”,producermaddyproclaimed it “gave me so much anxiety but it was so good”, andchargingbluehailed Elba’s charisma as “next level”.

#Hijack First 2 episodes released in @AppleTV It doesn’t feel like another flight hijack.. this show feels unique. Engaging each & every minute of episode.. many characters played a little cameo 👏🏻👌🏻@idriselba the show stealer 🔥💥 pic.twitter.com/gPapWfFp72June 28, 2023

For all the positive reactions toHijack, there are some who don’t see what all the fuss is about. On ResetEra,Katana_Strikesrevealed they couldn’t make it past the 34-minute mark due to story issues. As for Reddit,LolaT99called the first two episodes a “disappointing start”,South-Caramelclaimed it was “terrible and cheesy”, andflamingtonguecalled it “pretty eh”.

Still, if you’re willing to suspend your disbelief as RedditorNikolai197suggests, you might have a good time withHijack. And who knows? If the series ahem sticks the landing, it’ll double ahem fly its way on ourbest Apple TV Plus showslist.

If it does, it’ll join a raft of other top-tier series on Apple’s streaming platform. Those include deep breathTed Lasso,Shrinking,Silo,Black Bird,Severance,Foundation,For All Mankind,Servant,The Afterparty,Platonic, andPachinko.

For more Apple TV Plus-based coverage, read up on everything we know aboutFoundationseason 2andSeveranceseason 2. Alternatively, find out what thebest Apple TV Plus moviesare and if there’s afree Apple TV Plus trial.

As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

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