Private Practice’ to be reborn in Turkey

LONDON

The cast of ‘Merhaba Hayat’ is led by actress Vahide Gördüm (center) as a neonatal surgeon. The series closely follows the storylines of the original U.S. version.

Disney is set to launch a local version of “Private Practice” in Turkey, the first localized take on the ABC Studios’ medical series, U.S. weekly magazine Variety has reported. The series will be aired on Fox TV on Oct. 2.

Featuring an all-star Turkish cast and filmed in Istanbul, the show closely follows the storylines of the original U.S. version, with 23 episodes in production for its first season. The cast is led by Vahide Gördüm as a neonatal surgeon, and the cast list also includes Yasemin Sannino and Yetkin Dikinciler.
The move follows the success of “Umutsuz Ev Kadınları,” the Turkish version of “Desperate Housewives,” which is currently in its second season, and “Doktorlar,” a local version of “Grey’s Anatomy.”

“Creating local versions of hit ABC Studios’ series allows our great shows and characters to connect even more closely with Turkish audiences by telling locally relevant and entertaining stories,” said Sinan Ceylan, country manager of Turkey, Greece and Cyprus at the Walt Disney Company.

Other ABC series

Other ABC Studios’ series to be remade in Turkey include “The Golden Girls,” “According to Jim,” and “Hope and Faith.”

A Latin American version of “Desperate Housewives” has also been produced, while “The Golden Girls” was remade in Russia, Greece, Israel and Spain. Local versions of “Brothers and Sisters” and “Grey’s Anatomy” have been produced in Colombia.

The original “Private Practice” is broadcast in more than 200 territories, and is currently in its sixth season in the U.S. Created by Shonda Rhimes, it is a spin-off of Rhimes’ hit show “Grey’s Anatomy.”