Hijack series creator breaks down creating a season 2 that makes sense – and why the story had to go underground

While Hijack was a standout series for Apple TV, its central premise of a high-stakes aeroplane hijack surely couldn't be recreated for another instalment – or so people may have initially thought.

The series now returns for its second season, with the drama now unfolding on the Berlin underground train system, once again plummeting Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) into another tricky situation.

But how does one go about crafting another instalment that not only matches the dramatic highs of season 1, but also – most importantly – makes sense for the fans.

We posed the question to series co-creator Jim Field Smith, who told RadioTimes.com exclusively: “Well, whether we’ve pulled it off or not is for everyone to judge but I think for both of us actually, to come back and do more of it, it had to share that DNA of season 1 but we can’t just pick up with Sam Nelson going through the same thing again – ‘Sam Nelson’s having another bad day.’ It’s not going to work."

He continued: "So, I knew it had to be connected to season 1, it couldn’t be that season 1 had happened and all of those events had happened and then here we are with another bad day. But also, I think for Idris – not to put words into your mouth – but for you to come back and do it again, Sam had to be in a completely different position emotionally.

"We wanted to see how far we could push him. What would push Sam to the extreme? Because that’s what we’re kind of exploring – how far would you go? How far would anybody go?”

Series star Idris Elba added: “Also, continuation. It’s called Hijack, it’s not called Another Hijack. There are questions unanswered in the first season if you really think about it.

"Like, who, what, why, when. Then in the second season, it gives us an opportunity to pull that thread across which I don’t take credit for it, but the story construction from you and George and the writers was really smart.”

The main difference with this season compared to the first is the setting and the type of transport that forms the backdrop. But how did Smith and co-creator George Kay (Lupin) initially think of the underground setting for this season?

He told RadioTimes.com exclusively: “I think it was like, season 1 is up in the sky and it’s this world of blue skies, it’s aspirational, it’s jet travel. My brain immediately goes to ‘I don’t want to do that again’ because I feel like I’ve done that now. So my brain goes to opposites so what’s the opposite of that? It’s an underground train, that’s literally the opposite of that.

"That immediately offered up so much rich narrative for this season because it kind of reflects the labyrinth of his own mind, he’s literally in a labyrinth in his own mind, this tube network underneath the city trying to get to the answers and trying to get to the end. Once we landed on it, it really offered up a lot.”

The synopsis teases that its "commuters are taken hostage, while authorities scramble to save hundreds of lives. Sam Nelson (Elba) is at the heart of the crisis on board, where one wrong decision could spell disaster".

Alongside Elba returning for season 2, familiar faces include Christine Adams as Marsha Nelson-Smith, Max Beesley as DI Daniel O'Farrell and Archie Panjabi as DCI Zahra Gahfoor. New additions include Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs The Post Office), Christian Näthe (Ballon), Clare-Hope Ashitey (Top Boy), Lisa Vicari (Dark), Karima McAdams (Dune: Prophecy) and Christiane Paul (FBI: International).

Hijack season 2 will premiere on Apple TV on Wednesday 14th January 2026. Hijack season 1 is available to stream on Apple TV, sign up now with a 7-day free trial.

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