High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam premieres on TNT on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The eight-episode limited series begins with two episodes and continues the following night with episode three.

Joel Kinnaman plays CIA analyst John Nixon, while Waleed Zuaiter portrays Saddam Hussein. The political thriller is inspired by Nixon’s memoir about becoming the first CIA officer to interrogate Hussein after his capture in December 2003.

High Value Target: quick facts

  • Premiere: Sunday, September 13, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
  • Where to watch: TNT in the United States.
  • Format: eight-episode limited series.
  • Lead actors: Joel Kinnaman and Waleed Zuaiter.
  • Source material: John Nixon’s memoir Debriefing the President.
  • Creators: Daniel Stiepleman and Jonathan Wakeham.
  • Genre: political thriller and drama.

What is the High Value Target release schedule?

The first two episodes debut Sunday, September 13, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/PT on TNT. Episode three follows Monday, September 14, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. TNT says later installments continue on Sunday and Monday evenings at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

The finale is scheduled for Sunday, October 4. The official August announcement does not provide a streaming release date, so the confirmed plan here is the TNT television run.

The unusual opening puts two episodes on the first night and a third on the next. Viewers should still check the live TNT schedule in their market, because channel listings and time-zone presentation can vary.

What is High Value Target about?

The series follows John Nixon as the search for Saddam Hussein turns into an interrogation assignment after the December 2003 capture. Nixon’s knowledge of the Iraqi leader places him inside a consequential intelligence encounter while Washington is seeking answers about weapons of mass destruction.

TNT frames the story around the exchanges between Nixon and Hussein and the consequences of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. That makes the interrogation the dramatic center, but the official description also points outward to the political decisions and instability surrounding it.

Armed soldiers search a dark doorway in a dramatized scene from High Value Target.
The TNT trailer opens the story inside the search for Saddam Hussein, presented here as dramatized footage rather than a historical photograph.

Is High Value Target based on a true story?

High Value Target is inspired by John Nixon’s memoir Debriefing the President. The real Nixon was the first CIA officer to interrogate Saddam Hussein after the former Iraqi president was captured in December 2003.

It is a dramatized political thriller, not a documentary or an archival reconstruction. The historical people and events provide the foundation, but the network’s announcement does not claim that every scene, line of dialogue or compressed sequence reproduces the record exactly.

Joel Kinnaman as John Nixon walks across a dusty military base in High Value Target.
High Value Target follows John Nixon into Iraq before placing him face-to-face with Saddam Hussein after the December 2003 capture.

Who is in the High Value Target cast?

Joel Kinnaman leads as John Nixon, and Waleed Zuaiter plays Saddam Hussein. Their interrogation scenes anchor the series after the search and capture move the story into its central confrontation.

The announced ensemble also includes Lena Góra, Rebecca Night, Tom Berenger, Paul Ryan, Christopher McDonald, Dar Salim, Matt Barr, Ewan Miller and Talia Balsam. TNT’s August release names that group without attaching a character to every actor, so unconfirmed role assignments are not included here.

A man looks down into a narrow hiding place in a dramatized High Value Target scene.
The series recreates the operation surrounding Hussein’s capture; this image is a frame from the drama, not archival material.

What does the High Value Target trailer show?

The official TNT trailer moves from the hunt for Hussein into Nixon’s face-to-face questioning of him. It shows military searches, the capture operation, tense intelligence briefings and the shift from looking for a fugitive to trying to understand what he knows.

The footage emphasizes uncertainty around the weapons search and the pressure placed on Nixon’s conclusions. It previews conflict and political consequence without establishing the accuracy of every dramatized exchange or revealing how the limited series resolves its interpretation.

Waleed Zuaiter portrays Saddam Hussein during an interrogation in High Value Target.
Waleed Zuaiter portrays Saddam Hussein opposite Joel Kinnaman’s John Nixon in the dramatized interrogation scenes.

Who created and directed High Value Target?

Daniel Stiepleman and Jonathan Wakeham created the series. TNT credits Leslie Greif, Graham Sack, Stiepleman and Wakeham as writers, with Greif also serving as director and executive producer.

AR Content and Big Dreams Entertainment produced the limited series. The announced executive producers are Alexander Rodnyansky, Jason Sarlanis, Sam Linsky, Stuart Manashil, Michael Kupisk, Tamer Mortada and Greif.

How should the history and dramatization be separated?

The capture date, Nixon’s CIA role and his position as Hussein’s first CIA interrogator are the historical anchors stated by TNT. The television production then adapts that material into an eight-part narrative inspired by Nixon’s own published account.

The show should not be treated as the only account of the Iraq War, the weapons search or Hussein’s interrogation. Its source perspective is Nixon’s memoir, and the official materials do not provide a scene-by-scene fact check. That distinction matters when real events are shaped into suspense television.

Where can you watch High Value Target?

The confirmed U.S. destination is TNT, beginning September 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The current High Value Target series page keeps the format, dates, cast, trailer and official-source limits together.

TNT has not announced a streaming premiere in the checked official material. Pixel Twelve’s TV hub covers other series while this page stays limited to the distribution information the network has confirmed.

What remains unconfirmed before the premiere?

A streaming date, streaming platform and international rollout are not confirmed by TNT’s checked announcement. The release also does not provide individual episode runtimes, every character assignment or a claim of complete historical accuracy.

The reliable pre-premiere facts are the eight-episode order, TNT launch, announced schedule pattern, main cast, creative team and memoir basis. Anything beyond those boundaries should wait for a direct network update.

When does High Value Target premiere?

It premieres Sunday, September 13, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on TNT with the first two episodes. Episode three follows Monday, September 14, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

How many episodes are in High Value Target?

TNT describes High Value Target as an eight-episode limited series. The finale is scheduled for Sunday, October 4.

Is High Value Target a documentary?

No. It is a dramatized political thriller inspired by John Nixon’s memoir and real events. The official announcement does not claim that every scene is a literal historical record.