Happy October! Halloween season is upon us, and it’s truly scary how much Jewish TV is coming this month.
There are shows and movies about weighty topics, including two different star-studded shows about October 7 and a three-hour documentary show about Henry Kissinger. But there is also so much Jewish joy: a cop show featuring interfaith Shabbat dinners, two TV chances to laugh at and with Jewish comedian Adam Pally and affirming, and a couple of heartwarming documentaries about some Hollywood icons.
And of course, there is the much anticipated return of that Netflix Hot Rabbi Show we spent all of last fall kvetching and kvelling about.
So without further ado, here are all the big Jewish shows and movies premiering this month.
October 1: “The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Halloween” (Roku special)
Jewish comedians Rachel Dratch and Adam Pally star in this baking challenge show with a frightening twist. Leslie Jones and Patton Oswalt will also bring their best baking chops. Casey Wilson is hosting and Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood are judging. In my opinion, one of the scariest things in the world is Paul Hollywood’s opinion about pickles. I truly don’t know how the show can feature anything more frightening than that.
October 7: “One Day in October” (HBO Max) and “Red Alert” (Paramount+)
These two series feature harrowing stories from October 7, starring some of Israel’s biggest stars. On HBO Max’s “One Day in October,” you’ll be able to see Michael Aloni, Moran Rosenblatt and Lior Ashkenazi from “We Were the Lucky Ones” and Swell Ariel Or from “The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem,” while “Red Alert” features “Beauty and the Baker”‘s Rotem Sela. You can read more about the stories featured in the series here.
October 14: “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” (PBS)
The Jewish Oscar winner and history-making deaf actress is the subject of this powerful documentary, which shows how Matlin helped change the industry for deaf actors, and yet how far the industry still has to go. Filmmaker Shoshannah Stern created a really moving, intimate movie that leaves no stone unturned when it comes to the big controversial issues of Matlin’s career. And though the documentary doesn’t mention Matlin’s Judaism, the audience does see shots form her Jewish wedding under the chuppah at Henry Winkler’s home, and the whole production does have really powerful tikkun olam energy.
October 16: “Ghosts,” Season 5 (NBC)
This surprisingly heartwarming and very funny show about a haunted manor features the most darling pantsless Jewish ghost, former finance bro Trevor Lefkowitz, played by the hilarious Asher Grodman. A perfect Jew-ish binge for spooky season.
October 17: “Boston Blue” (CBS)
This spin-off of “Blue Bloods” sees Donnie Wahlberg’s Detective Danny Reagan leave New York for Boston and partner up with Lena Silver, played by Sonequa Martin-Green. Silver is the daughter of a prominent Boston family — her grandfather is a Reverend and her mother, Mae Silver, Boston’s DA, is Jewish (and played by Jewish actress Gloria Reuben). The trailer for the show even features an interfaith Shabbat dinner.
October 17: “An Intimate Evening with Adam Pally” (HBO Max)
Speaking of Shabbat, Adam Pally — who recently brought the Jewish day of rest to the “Sonic & Knuckles” universe — has his own comedy (??) special coming to HBO Max. The trailer looks pretty chaotic, with Pally drunk and starting the show with some bummers, and the director telling him that there are no shots of the audience laughing from the recording of the show. “I am the John Mayer of comedy,” Pally tells the crowd to audible laughter (guess our director was wrong). One Jewish guest appears to be movie star and “The Studio”‘s resident Jew, David Krumholtz. Honestly, I can’t see a reason not to stream this.
October 23: “Nobody Wants This,” Season 2 (Netflix)
The long awaited return of Adam Brody’s Hot Rabbi Noah Roklov is here. We’ll get to see how his interfaith romance with podcaster Joanne progresses, learn about whether or not she will convert to Judaism, and get more of badass TV Jewish mom Esther, played by Jackie Tohn. The trailer suggests that the answer to the conversion question is a no (Joanne says they’re doing the whole interfaith thing), but that they will be celebrating Shabbat with the Roklov clan with some very shiny challah. Here at Kveller, we’re scared, we’re excited, we’ve got so much coverage in store for you (that we hope you want).
October 24: “Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost” (Apple TV+ documentary)
Ben Stiller directed this beautiful, intimate ode to his Jewish parents, which touches on their illustrious careers and the way their relationship — professional and personal — impacted their two children. The documentary features interviews with much of the Stiller clan, as well as with Christopher Walken and Stephen Colbert.
October 27: “Kissinger” (PBS)
This is a two-part documentary about one of the most controversial and high profile Jewish politicians in America, the late Henry Kissinger. According to PBS, here’s what you can expect from the three-hour, two-part documentary: “An incisive portrait of Henry Kissinger, the enigmatic powerbroker who served in the topmost echelons of American diplomacy. Whether celebrated or reviled, Kissinger’s contradictions reflect those at the heart of America’s foreign policy during the second half of the 20th century, a period in which America became the unchallenged superpower in the world yet often pursued policy at odds with its own highest ideals.”
October 30: “Sorry, Baby” (HBO Max)
I’m really excited to end the month by watching this tearjerker of a movie. Jewish comedian Eva Victor wrote it, directed it and stars in it as Agnes, an English professor dealing with the aftermath of sexual assault. The story is loosely based on Victor’s own life experiences, and has gotten rave reviews.
