Red Alert (TV series)

Last updated

Red Alert
Logo of Red Alert TV series.jpg
Genre Drama
Created byLior Chefetz
Ruth Efroni
Directed byLior Chefetz
Starring
Country of originIsrael
Original languageHebrew
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes4
Production
Producer Lawrence Bender
Production company Keshet Media Group
Original release
Network Channel 12
Paramount+
ReleaseOctober 4, 2025 (2025-10-04) (Israel)
October 7, 2025 (2025-10-07) (International)

Red Alert (Israeli title: First Light, Hebrew : אור ראשון, romanized: Or Rishon) is an Israeli television miniseries based on the October 7 attacks. It was created and directed by Lior Chefetz, and produced by Keshet Media Group and Lawrence Bender. [1] The series premiered in Israel on October 5, 2025 on Channel 12. [2] It was released internationally by Paramount+ on October 7, 2025, marking the second anniversary of the attacks. [3] It received generally favourable reviews upon its release and has been championed by David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance Corporation. [4] [5]

Contents

Premise

The four-part miniseries centers on the harrowing events of October 7, portraying the intersecting lives of civilians caught in the chaos. Among them is Bat Sheva (Sela), a mother fleeing with her daughters as her son is abducted; Ohad (Leon), a devoted father who becomes a symbol of ultimate sacrifice; and Ayoub (Sulliman), who mourns the loss of his wife while hiding with his infant behind enemy lines. The story also follows Nofar (Amsalem), a border police officer wounded while protecting others, and her colleague Liat. Kobi (Atias), an anti-terror officer, charges into danger to rescue his wife, while Tali (Sara Vino), a determined mother, becomes an unexpected hero in the search for her injured son, Itamar (Katan). [1]

Cast

Production

In November 2024, it was confirmed that the project would be produced by American producer, Lawrence Bender. [6] Bender has spoken about his motivation to produce the series: “What better way to tell the world what really happened? The world needs to be reminded of the truth. This is going to exist, and this will be here for the world to see." [7]

A pre-production creative decision was to decide on which of the survivor accounts would be retold on screen. Bender explained: “There are so many stories … it wasn’t an easy process. We wanted to find stories that we could, in a relatively small amount of episodes, show the beginning, middle, and the end with a hero.” [7]

The actors met with survivors of the October 7 attack, whose stories they were recreating on the screen. [8]

Filming

The series was shot on diffrent locations in Israel, with principal photography beginning in spring 2025. [6] Some of the filming took place in the Gaza envelope. [7] The series was shot over 39 days. [9]

The series also includes some real footage taken on October 7 in Israel. [8]

Release

The series premiered in Israel on October 5, 2025 on Channel 12. [2] [10]

The series released in the United States and internationally on October 7, 2025 through Paramount+. [11]

Reception

Review aggregation website Metacritic gave the series a score of 74 out of 100, based on reviews from 5 critics. [4]

Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter praised the series: "I’m honestly not quite sure which audience is going to crave a series like Red Alert, but I can vouch that despite occasional irritatingly visible attempts to evoke response, it’s breathlessly effective." [12]

James Poniewozik reviewed the series for The New York Times , praising Vino: "(Sara Vino is a standout in this last role, giving her character a human-scale, stubborn bravery.)". Poniewozik felt that the series "cannot avoid existing in a political environment." while acknowledging that "Artists, of course, are not governed by an equal-time rule. They are not obligated to tell every story, even when basing their work on real events." He continued to add that the series does "seek above all to ensure that the dead are not forgotten, with an air of duty and occasionally a mournful beauty." He concluded that the series is one of the "first-draft attempts to fix a single, terrible day in the cultural record, even as history keeps rolling forward." [13]

On 1 October, 2025, the BBC grouped the series with One Day in October in its list of "11 of the best TV shows to watch this October." [14]

In Israel, the series was praised by Roy Dahan writing in Maariv : "Red Alert managed to convey everything - the anxiety, the loss, but also the hope and strength that grew out of the darkness." [15]

The series has been widely viewed in Israel, with the first episode watched by nearly 18% of the Israeli public. [16]

References

  1. 1 2 Hibberd, James (25 September 2025). Paramount’s ‘Red Alert’ Trailer Depicts Oct. 7 Massacre in Israel for First Time The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 27 September 2025
  2. 1 2 Steinberg, Jessica (25 September 2025)Paramount+ to screen Keshet 12’s Oct. 7 series ‘Red Alert’ worldwide The Times of Israel. Retrieved on 4 October 2025
  3. Zaltzman, Lior (September 25, 2025). "Two Scripted Series About October 7 Are Coming to HBO Max and Paramount+". Kveller. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Red Alert Metacritic. Retrieved on 8 October 2025
  5. Paramount Chief David Ellison champions Oct. 7 drama ‘Red Alert’ Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 8 October 2025
  6. 1 2 (26 November 2024). ‘Pulp Fiction’ Producer Lawrence Bender Boards Real Life-Inspired Israeli Action Drama Series ‘Red Alert’ (EXCLUSIVE) Variety. Retrieved on 27 September 2025
  7. 1 2 3 Davidson, Denton (1 October 2025). ‘This isn’t political, this is a humanitarian crisis’: How ‘Red Alert’ dramatizes Israel-Hamas conflict Gold Derby. Retrieved on 5 October 2025
  8. 1 2 Fox, Mira (3 October 2025). We lived through Oct. 7. Now we can do it again on TV — but why? The Forward. Retrieved on 4 October 2025
  9. Cutler, Jacqueline (7 October 2025). Making TV’s Most Harrowing Series—Where the Horrors Happened The Daily Beast. Retrieved on 8 October 2025
  10. (22 September 2025) Paramount+ to Stream ‘Red Alert’ Series About Hamas Attack on Israel; David Ellison Says Show Highlights ‘Commitment to Storytelling Through Artistic Excellence and Accuracy’ Variety. Retrieved on 27 September 2025
  11. Huston, Caitlin (22 September 2025). Paramount Acquires Rights to Series About Oct. 7 Israel Attacks The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 27 September 2025
  12. Fienberg, Daniel (7 October 2025). ‘Red Alert’ Review: Paramount+ Israeli Drama Offers a Taut, Effectively Manipulative Depiction of the October 7 Terror Attacks The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 8 October 2025
  13. Poniewozik, James (7 October 2025). Two Oct. 7 Series Show the Power, and Limits, of Memory The New York Times. Retrieved on 19 October 2025
  14. James, Caryn (1 October 2025). Nobody Wants This to Mr Scorsese: 11 of the best TV shows to watch this October BBC. Retrieved on 4 October 2025
  15. Dahan, Roy (5 October 2025). I'm open to criticism - but "Red Alert" is exactly what we need now Maariv. Retrieved on 5 October 2025
  16. Cohen, Ido David (15 October 2025). Too Early? Israeli Miniseries 'Red Alert' on October 7 Sparks Strong Emotions Haaretz. Retrieved on 19 October 2025