A new television series that tells the true stories of survivors from the October 7 attacks has released its first trailer. One Day in October is a seven-part anthology drama that will premiere on October 7, 2025, exclusively on HBO Max, marking the two-year anniversary of the attacks. The series is one of the first scripted dramas to portray the human stories from that day, focusing on themes of love, courage, and survival amid chaos.
The Series Format and Release Details
One Day in October is a unique seven-part event series where each episode tells an emotionally gripping, interwoven narrative based on true personal accounts. The series is filmed in a real-time scripted format, making the stories feel immediate and powerful for the viewer. It was shot on location in Israel, adding to its authenticity, and even includes some real footage from October 7.
The series is an international co-production between Israel’s yes TV and America’s Fox Entertainment Studios. The first four episodes premiered in Israel on the one-year anniversary in 2024. For viewers in the United States, all seven episodes will become available at once on HBO Max on October 7, 2025.
The People Behind the Camera
The series was created and directed by Oded Davidoff and Daniel Finkelman. Davidoff also served as a writer on the project. They were joined by a team of writers including Liron Ben-Shlush, Amir Hasfari, and Keren Weissman.
Fernando Szew, the President of Fox Entertainment Studios, explained the careful approach taken to tell these difficult stories. He stated, “The tragic events on October 7th had a profound impact on all of us. From the very beginning, we approached this series with the utmost care, sensitivity and urgency to ensure that the stories were told with authenticity and respect and paying homage to the victims and the heroic survivors.”
Daniel Finkelman, whose company Sparks Go helped produce the series, shared his hope for its impact. He said, “For me, film and television have always been more than entertainment, they are a way to bear witness. These are stories of ordinary people facing extraordinary moments. In a time when truth is fragile, the most powerful thing we can do is to appeal to humanity itself. My hope is that these stories will open hearts and spark meaningful conversation.”
A Look at the Cast and Character Stories
The series features a large ensemble cast portraying the real-life individuals who experienced the attacks. The cast includes Swell Ariel Or, Noa Kedar, Naomi Levov, Hisham Suliman, and Michael Aloni, among others.
To prepare for their roles, some cast members met with the actual survivors they would be portraying. Actress Naomi Levov spent time with Aya Midan and other survivors from Kibbutz Be’eri to better understand their experiences.
The series tells several interconnected stories from that day. One episode, titled “Trust,” follows a woman from Kibbutz Be’eri who, during the attack, flees and hides with a young Bedouin man. The two must build mutual trust to survive. Another episode, “Fog,” tells the story of three volunteer medics who drive an ambulance into the heart of the devastation on a dangerous mission to save lives. A third story, “Sunrise,” focuses on two young women at the Nova music festival who hide in a portable toilet to escape the attackers.
The Historical Context of October 7
On October 7, 2023, Hamas led a coordinated armed incursion into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip. The attack began with a massive barrage of thousands of rockets. Militants then breached the border fence using explosives, drones, and other methods, attacking both military bases and civilian communities.
The attacks targeted several kibbutzim, including Be’eri and Kfar Aza, and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians at a music festival known as the Nova festival. Overall, the attacks resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and saw 251 people taken hostage into Gaza. The events of that day initiated the ongoing Gaza war.
Initial Reception to the Series
When the first four episodes premiered in Israel in 2024, they were met with positive reviews. Hannah Brown of The Jerusalem Post wrote that the series allows the audience to connect with the people on screen as characters, which makes their stories even more engrossing than a standard news report. The series was also featured by the BBC in its list of recommended television shows to watch.
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