Turkish Dramas Are Breaking Sacred Boundaries This Season

In September 2024, as new Turkish dramas hit the screens, they set the tone for the season. This year, the theme of revenge is paired with impossible love. Together, these two themes take aim at and challenge the traditionally sacred ideas of motherhood, fatherhood, family, and justice.

In the past, Turkish dramas were reserved for specific seasons, with the most high-profile projects airing during key times of the year. For example, in Türkiye, the new TV season traditionally kicked off in September. However, in recent years, that trend has faded. Nowadays, if a show is set on reaching its audience, it can create its own wave, regardless of timing or season. But old habits die hard. With September here, ambitious projects have once again started making their mark on screens. Starring Türkiye’s most famous actors, written by top writers, and directed by the best in the industry, these new Turkish dramas have already given us a glimpse of this year’s main themes.

Revenge Stories Take The Spotlight

The September 2024 lineup of Turkish dramas has shown that this season, Turkish dramas are ready to challenge the idea of “sacredness.” These shows dig into what we consider sacred, weaving it into their stories and pushing viewers to question long-held beliefs. Last year’s shows like The Family, Red Roses, and One Love helped set the stage for this trend. By addressing taboo topics and touching on issues that are usually avoided, these series paved the way for this season’s new ones. As a result, almost every new drama this year questions ideas like the sanctity of motherhood, family, justice, and even wealth. Another big theme this year? Revenge stories. With justice becoming harder to find in society and the country, TV heroes are stepping up to deliver it themselves, often with a touch of impossible love.

New Series Echo Familiar Successes: What are these new Turkish dramas offering us this season?

So, what are these new Turkish dramas offering us this season? One thing that stands out is how many of them resemble successful shows from the past. It’s as if there’s a longing for what worked before, because the past is seen as a safe bet. After all, what worked once will likely work again. Many of this season’s Turkish dramas feel like slight replicas of series that achieved high ratings and were sold internationally in the past. So, we’re watching guaranteed successes, just with different actors and minor variations.

A Nod to ‘Ezel’

One of the standout Turkish dramas this season is The Nightfall, with its ratings rising steadily with each episode. Starring Burak Deniz and Su Burcu Yazgı Coşkun, the story follows Mahir, who becomes a police officer like his late father and returns to his hometown to seek revenge. However, things get complicated when he falls in love with the daughter of his father’s killer. The show explores themes of impossible love, revenge, and justice, while also highlighting family traditions and how parents can sometimes oppress their children in the name of family honor.

Another show that delves deep into the concept of fatherhood and challenges the idea of the “sacred father” is The Good and the Bad. Starring Aras Bulut İynemli, Onur Saylak, Uğur Polat, and Melis Sezen, the series pits good against evil in a battle between a brilliant father and his son. While it occasionally veers off course, The Good and the Bad remains one of the most promising revenge stories of the season, even giving a subtle nod to the iconic show Ezel.

Another notable revenge story this year is Leyla. Starring Cemre Baysel, Alperen Duymaz, Halil İbrahim Ceylan, Yiğit Kirazcı, and Gonca Vuslateri, the series begins with a little girl, Leyla, being abandoned in a garbage dump by her stepmother after her father’s murder. Rising from the ashes, Leyla seeks revenge on her stepmother while unexpectedly falling in love with her son. The show, where impossible love collides with the thirst for revenge, continues to see its ratings climb each week.

Then there’s Valley of Hearts, another revenge-themed series set in Cappadocia. Starring Ece Uslu, Aras Aydın, and Hafsanur Sancaktutan, the show tells the story of Sumru, who abandoned her twin children with their grandmother, married a wealthy man, and became one of Cappadocia’s elite. The twins, Nuh and Melek, now seek revenge on their mother. The series not only questions the concept of sacred motherhood but also highlights the struggle of children who were unwanted and unable to find their place in life.

Didn’t Make It

Kör Nokta, starring İsmail Ege Şaşmaz and Rabia Soytürk, told a revenge story set in a world where, after a major traffic accident, the powerful buy justice while the weak are left to be destroyed. I’m using the past tense because the show was canceled shortly after it began, as it quickly failed to hold up in the ratings. In the story, the son of a powerful family falls in love with the daughter of a family working for them. The lovers stood together in the battle for justice between the powerful and the powerless, but once the “impossible love” element was resolved, the show couldn’t maintain its ratings.

Another victim of low ratings was Kötü Kan. Starring Ertan Saban and Damla Sönmez, the series depicted a former police officer’s fight against the mafia on one side, and his struggles with fatherhood on the other, while also weaving in a forbidden love with the daughter of the family he was fighting against. Unfortunately, it also failed to catch on.

Still Battling the Ratings

Land of Love tells the story of Deniz and Arhan, who come from two different cultures and navigate themes of mystery, revenge, intrigue, family honor, and impossible love. Starring Burak Berkay Akgül, Özgü Kaya, Halil Ergün, and Meltem Cumbul, the show continues to fight its battle in the ratings.

Similarly, Loveberry, starring İrem Helvacıoğlu and Şükrü Özyıldız, highlights the personal struggles of a well-known motivational speaker who is faced with failures in her own life. The series also challenges traditional concepts of family and fatherhood. Like others, it too is continuing its fight for ratings.

A Mirror of Society

With the returning Turkish dramas from last season, the screens are now filled with a “revenge fest.” I call it a fest because, in Turkish dramas, revenge is often glorified more than love, corruption more than justice, wealth more than poverty, and power more than weakness. In this way, these shows serve as a reflection of society.

Written by Oya Doğan, this article was featured in Episode Magazine’s MIPCOM 2024 issue.