The series was written by Matt Charman and originally filmed under the working title 'The Choice' before being renamed 'Hostage' in January 2025.

Julie Delpy and Suranne Jones were confirmed in the lead roles of the French president and British prime minister in March 2024.

Filming began in March 2024 and took place in locations including the UK and La Palma in the Canary Islands.

The series holds an 82% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 33 critic reviews, with critics praising the 'authoritative performances' of Suranne Jones and Julie Delpy.

Metacritic gave the series a score of 62 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating 'generally favorable' reviews.

The Guardian's Lucy Mangan praised the show, giving it 4/5 stars and highlighting that it gives two strong female leads roles to play as characters rather than symbols.

James Delingpole of The Spectator was highly critical of the series, calling it 'an act of cultural aggression, almost a humiliation ritual.'