New TV series trend may foster dialogue, researchers say

Alperen Karaköse – ANKARA

A new trend is sweeping through Turkish television, as shows increasingly depict the intersection of secular and religious groups, serving as a potential bridge for dialogue between different segments of society, according to researchers.

Recent series have been exploring the coexistence of diverse societal groups and their interactions, with some narratives aiming to break down prejudices while others reflecting a harsher polarization.

At an event in Istanbul, Petra de Bruijn, a professor from Leiden University specializing in Turkish literature and television drama, dissected the portrayal of secularism and religion across three series aired on Netflix, the state channel TRT and a private broadcaster.

She highlighted the recent proliferation of piety-oriented TV series, attributing it to evolving trends within the television industry. "There are certain fashions in the series," she told the Hürriyet Daily News.

While previous periods were dominated by series featuring neighborhood culture, special police forces or historical figures, the current trend leans towards narratives of secularism and religion, de Brujin said.

"They are popular, which means they get high ratings, which makes the topic interesting to production companies to invest in, and by doing so, they raise a discussion in society," she said.

The recent shift towards narratives on piety contrasts with previous series that depicted contrasts such as traditional versus modern, where audiences typically supported one side guided by the narrative, according to Aylin Dağsalgüler, an academic from Istanbul Bilgi University who contributed to the research.

In recent series, however, viewers are allowed to adopt varying viewpoints, she said.

De Bruijn also emphasized that these series don't categorize any particular group as inherently good or bad. "[The series] rather emphasize the dialogue between the groups that should take place," she said.

Dağsalgüler echoed the significance of these portrayals, arguing that it was not realistic that these issues had not been on screen to such an extent until now.

"Because we want the stories to belong to us and be influenced by what is happening in society," she said.

"Instead of watching the intrigues of men and women living in waterside mansions and going to and from conglomerates without knowing what they do for a living, I find it important other stories that belong to society find a place on the TV screen."

The academic also believes these series are valuable for viewers to "confront their own class and empathize with others."