The most famous Turkish TV shows on this list are Persona, Midnight at the Pera Palace, The Magnificent Century, The Valley of the Wolves, The Gift and Kuruluş: Osman. Some are modern dramas set in Istanbul, while others retell Seljuk and Ottoman history.
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Turkey is the second biggest TV show exporter in the world, producing a lot of productions every year. Some of these TV shows reach worldwide fame and have fans all around the world. Let’s have a look at the most 12 famous Turkish TV shows coming out of Turkey!
Persona (Original title: Sahsiyet)
Agah Beyoğlu, a retired courthouse officer, leads a lonely and modest life in Beyoğlu, the most vibrant and crowded district of Istanbul. Agah’s daughter is living abroad. This single-level and calm life of Agah’s brain is turned upside down one day when he is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Onset. Persona is the first Turkish TV show which won an Emmy Award.
Midnight at the Pera Palace (Original title: Pera Palas’ta Gece Yarisi)
In the story of the series, adapted from the book “Midnight at Pera Palas – The Birth of Modern Istanbul”, in which we watched 1919 Istanbul under occupation, the liberation of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of a free and democratic Turkish Republic depend on Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s initiation of the War of Independence.
Alparslan: Büyük Selçuklu
It deals with the state structure, political events, wars of the Great Seljuk Empire, and the life of Sultan Alparslan.
You Knock on My Door (Original title: Sen Çal Kapimi)
Eda Yıldız (Hande Erçel), who unites all her hopes in life to her education, comes face to face with Serkan Bolat (Kerem Bürsin), who cuts her scholarship to study abroad and causes her to stay as a high school graduate. If Serkan Bolat pretends to be engaged to Eda for two months, he offers to return his scholarship. Although Eda first rejects the offer of this man she hates, she is forced to accept it when the conditions change. While pretending to be engaged, Serkan and Eda begin to have a passionate, challenging relationship that will make them forget all they know is true.
Ethos (Original title: Bir Başkadır)
Bir Başkadır is about the changing lives of a group of people who have very different characters and live completely different lives when their paths cross. This series has managed to master all Turkish motifs. It shows us our own truths. It gives us the chance to look back at the lives we have marginalized. The characters, who try to prove themselves in this society, and most importantly, to exist, tell about their life struggles. The subtexts are very successful, if the audience is ready to accept and confront, the truth is there, in the lives we marginalize.
The Magnificent Century (Original title: Muhtesem Yüzyil)
The series is basically based on the life of the sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman the Magnificent, and his married wife Hürrem Sultan, the struggle for the throne of Hürrem Sultan for her children, and the palace life. The series is the most expensive project in Turkish television history.
The Valley of the Wolves (Original title: Kurtlar Vadisi)
Ali Candan, who has carried out many successful operations abroad on behalf of KGT (a fictional Turkish intelligence bureau), was last called home by Aslan Akbey, whom he was under his command while he was in Kosovo, and he was given the most critical task of Operation called ”Valley of the Wolves”. The purpose of this task is the collapse of the Wolves Council, which is the top power of the mafia, and Mehmet Karahanlı is the baron of it. This task is not easy and the Wolves Council is very powerful. So much so that the council rules over half of Turkey’s annual national income.
Love 101 (Original title: Ask 101)
Love 101 has a story set in 90’s Turkey. A group of ostracized teenagers join hands to fall in love with their teacher, whom they don’t want to give up so that he can stay with them and continue working at school.
The Gift (Original title: Atiye)
Atiye leads a simple and happy life in Istanbul with her family and her lover Ozan until her life changes with a discovery made in Gobeklitepe which is the oldest temple in the world. Archaeologist Erhan, who is conducting excavations in the region, discovers a symbol that reveals the mystical relationship between Atiye and Göbeklitepe.
The Club (Original title: Kulüp)
The club focuses on the events surrounding the life of Sephardic Jew Matilda and her daughter Rasel around Beyoğlu in Istanbul in the 1950s. Matilda’s daughter, Rachel, is unaware of its existence until she is released from prison. Matilda also tries to fight the egos of her boss Orhan, nightclub manager Çelebi and artist Selim.
Kurulus: Osman
The TV series “Kurulus Osman” tells us a plot set in the 13th century. The struggles of Osman Bey, son of Kayı Tribe’s leader Ertuğrul Gazi, to establish a state and the troublesome processes he went through constitute the main theme of the series. In Establishment Osman, where the continuation of Ertuğrul Bey’s journey as a friar is told, the struggle of the lands to make a homeland is revealed.
The Protector (Original title: Hakan Muhafız)
The Protector, Netflix’s first Turkish original series. Hakan, a young man, has an ordinary life in Istanbul. But the task given to him puts Hakan in a different position from everyone living in the city of 15 million. The city is threatened by mysterious undead from history. Although Hakan is not ready at all, he has to stop the undead and save the city. The guard and the faithful must overcome a new evil plan to protect the city of Istanbul and all humanity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these Turkish TV shows are on Netflix?
Six are Netflix originals: The Protector (2018), The Gift (2019), Love 101 and Ethos (2020), The Club (2021) and Midnight at the Pera Palace (2022). The hero of The Protector runs an antique shop in the Grand Bazaar.
Where was The Gift (Atiye) filmed?
It was filmed mostly in Istanbul, and some scenes were shot at Göbeklitepe in Şanlıurfa, where its story begins. For more film places, see my post on famous movies shot in Turkey.
Is the Pera Palace Hotel a real place?
Yes. It is historic hotel in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, built in the 1890s for passengers of the Orient Express. The series Midnight at the Pera Palace takes its name from it.
Hire Turkish Tour Guide to Visit Famous Turkish TV Shows Locations
I love to watch most of these amazing Turkish TV shows and I try to visit their shooting locations whenever I have free time. Sometimes you can even have a chance to meet famous Turkish actors and actresses. Contact me to arrange a visit to famous Turkish TV shows locations and a memorable tour in Turkey. See you soon, Hasan Gülday.
