Latin America is famous for its soap operas, but there is a new country that is expanding worldwide in the area of television productions: Turkey. Its content stands out for the presence of dramatic plots, engaging soundtracks, and also social messages.
It has been so successful that in 2017, the Turkish soap opera Kara Sevda (Eternal Love) won the Emmy for Best Soap Opera.
HOW SOAP OPERAS WORK IN TURKEY
In Brazil, we are used to follow the sequence of chapters daily. However, in the Turkish industry, productions are made weekly and episodes are up to three hours long. In addition, the division is made by seasons, which means that a soap opera can stay on the air for a long time.
A season usually has 35 to 40 episodes, with 120 to 150 minutes, quite different from American or European productions. It is worth mentioning that Turkey surpassed Brazil and Mexico in series exports, second only to the United States.
Deli Yürek was a pioneer in international exports of Turkish television series, shown in 1999. On Brazilian television, the first show was Binbir Gece, on the Band channel, which later began to broadcast other Turkish productions, such as Fatmagül’ ün Suçu Ne?. Most of these series are produced in Istanbul, after the wave of globalization of private television in the 90’s.
SUMMER AND WINTER SEASONS
During the winter season, with people staying most of the time at home, there is a greater audience for soap operas. When the season changes to summer, the number of televisions turned on decreases, due to higher temperatures, which allow outdoor activities and mark the period of school holidays. Keeping that in mind, the country is investing in soap operas with children and youth themes in the hottest season of the year, with the aim of attracting the public that is away from the school period. One of the ideas was the production of the remake of Gossip Girl (Küçük Sırlar).
Another invested alternative is romantic comedies with even more youthful plots, with a “family friendly” style, to attract even more audiences at that time.
THE INDICATIONS
- Bir Baskadir (Ethos)
Great for those who want to know more about Turkish culture. Launched in 2020, the series deals with the meeting of eight people who soon connect. The series has a background of suspense and drama, recounting the cultural challenges, fears and misgivings faced by a cosmopolitan group in Istanbul. It is an excellent indication for those who like to see themes that approach and explore the psychological side of the characters.
- Erkenci Kus (Day Dreamer)
You’ve probably already heard about this series, one of the best-known telenovelas in the country. Its episodes were made available on YouTube and were a great success.
Between lies, greed and mystery, the young Sanem starts working in an advertising agency to get rid of an arranged marriage to his father’s estrangement. In this scenario, she meets one of the sons of the agency’s owner, Can, who must assume the company’s leadership position due to his father’s estrangement. From that point on, each episode becomes an expectation for the couple to come true.
- Ask 101 (Love 101)
It is a teenage series set in 1998, in which four young people try to reunite their teacher and basketball coach, since, if the latter does not get married, she will have to be transferred. Focusing on the group’s dilemmas and relationships, the series also shows a little bit of their future and allows us to see how the characters have advanced in life. Love 101 is a Netflix original.
- Hakan Muhafiz (The Protector)
In this Turkish fantasy drama series, Hankan discovers that he has special powers, linked to an ancient secret order. From this revelation, he has the mission to save Istanbul from the evil that intends to destroy the city.
- Avlu (The Yard)
Avlu is a drama that addresses the female reality. The plot highlights the protagonist Deniz, who was convicted of murdering her own husband, but there is much more behind this crime. Accompanying her adaptation in jail, the chapters expose a story full of twists, addressing questions about crimes, injustice, solidarity and resistance of women.
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The article above was edited by Mariana do Patrocínio.
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