Israel's 'Red Alert' Nominated for Critics Choice Award in Best Foreign Language Series Category

The Israeli drama Red Alert, which portrays the real-life experiences of people during the attacks on October 7, has been nominated for a Critics Choice Award in the Best Foreign Language Series category. The ceremony is scheduled for January 4 in Santa Monica, California.

The title of the series refers to the warning signal used in Israel to indicate an incoming missile attack. The show depicts ordinary individuals facing extraordinary challenges, many of whom rise as unexpected heroes during the crisis.

Originally released in Israel on Channel 12 under the Hebrew title Or Rishon (First Light), Red Alert premiered globally on Paramount+ in October. The series focuses on personal stories of courage and survival amid chaos.

Rotem Sela, acclaimed for winning Best Actress at the 2023 Series Mania festival for A Body That Works, stars as Bat Sheva Yahalomi. Her character, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, manages to save herself and her daughters from being abducted by Hamas, although her son is later freed in an early hostage exchange.

Hisham Suliman plays a Bedouin father who must quietly protect his infant son while hiding from attackers. Sarit Vino-Elad portrays a mother and kindergarten teacher in Ofakim, transporting injured soldiers to medical aid while her own son fights on the front lines. Israel Atias appears as a counter-terrorism officer defending his community, with his wife, played by Chen Amsalem Zaguri, evacuating crowds during a targeted attack at the Nova music festival alongside colleague Liat (Rotem Abuhav).

The series is created, written, and directed by Lior Chefetz, produced by Keshet Media Group and Academy-Award nominee Lawrence Bender, in collaboration with Green Productions and the Israel Entertainment Fund. Other nominees in the category include the Korean thriller series Squid Game, which previously won the award in 2022 and 2025.

Notable trends in this year's Critics Choice nominations include the movie Sinners leading the film categories and Adolescence leading the limited series field. The interfaith comedy Nobody Wants This on Netflix received five nominations. Chelsea Handler, the Jewish-American comedian, is set to host the awards. The Israeli series Tehran was also nominated in this category in 2023.

Author: Connor Blake