3 Must-Watch Shows for Turkish Dizi First-Timers

    So, after seeing a couples edit on TikTok, a quick scene on YouTube, or listening to your friend`s enthusiastic rambles, you decided to give Turkish dizis a go. But with multiple new shows premiering every season and countless true-and-tried classics that viewers regularly tune into because they`re just that good, where do you start and what do you watch? 

    Here are 3 shows that would be perfect for a Turkish dizi newbie.             

Erkenci Kuş

 

    If you`re a fan of meet-cutes, grand romantic gestures, and happy endings, then you`d enjoy the heck out of a Turkish romantic comedy. Erkenci Kuş  (Day Dreamer or Early Bird, as it`s typically called in English) is a wonderful romantic comedy to watch if you`ve never watched a Turkish show before and would like your first time to be an enjoyable, hilarious, and heartwarming experience.

 

    Erkenci Kuş follows Sanem, a twenty-something girl who dreams of being a writer. Unfortunately, she`s stuck working in her family`s shop and her dreams of adventures and grand love are just that, dreams. Her parents, however, have bigger aspirations for Sanem than to see her working at the bakkal and wasting away her potential. In the first episode Sanem is presented with an ultimatum—she either quits daydreaming, finds a decent job and starts to build a career just like her sister has done, or she`ll have to wed. Don`t worry—Sanem`s parents are wonderful (unlike a lot of other Turkish dizi parents that based on their actions, probably shouldn’t have been trusted to raise kids in the first place), which is why they`d never force Sanem into an arranged marriage. They simply want the sheer idea of marriage to light a fire under Sanem`s behind. Do they succeed? They sure do! Sanem`s sister ends up securing her an interview at an advertising agency she works for, and despite Sanem`s disastrous initial interview and the fact that she is a carefree spirit who isn’t particularly interested in becoming a part of the corporate machine, she ends up getting the job. But what she also gets, is an introduction to Can Divit, an adventurer, photographer, and the son of the agency`s owner. Can, the ruggedly handsome bachelor, has recently come back from his travels and is now working for the agency as well, alongside his father and his power-hungry brother.

 

    An unexpected kiss, Sanem`s naïveté, evil forces that be, and the palpable chemistry between the leads all pull you into this story the first scene of episode one and don’t let go until the very end.

 

    What I like about this show is that in the beginning, the show is colorful and light, with enough substance via the acting, the dialogue, and the literary references. Despite meaning well and wanting to stay out of trouble, Sanem constantly gets herself into sticky situation. Can Divit can`t help but be intrigued and charmed by her. Sparks fly. I can`t count the number of swoon-worthy romantic moments the writers gift us in season 1 but prepare yourself—there are many. Season 2 has a much different atmosphere, one that`s much heavier. It`s even reflected in the soundtrack, the color grading of the scenes, as well as in the characters` outfits and even their new hairstyles. They`re going through it! Nonetheless, collectively, both seasons take you through a beautiful journey. No spoilers, but I still re-watch the very last scene of the show and smile like an idiot every time because it`s just that wholesome. 10/10 would recommend!

Siyah Beyaz Aşk

 

    Are you into romance, but need your shows to have more grit, danger, and suspense? If that`s the case, Siyah Beyaz Aşk is the great first dizi for you! Siyah Beyaz Aşk (Price of Passion or Black and White Love in English) tells a story of Aslı Çınar, a gifted surgeon who is confident, headstrong, and dedicated to saving lives. Her own life completely changes when she meets Ferhat Aslan—a hitman and a member of a dangerous and influential family. Ferhat is a wounded man with many skeletons in his closet and, perhaps, some in the trunk of his car too… Aslı and Ferhat`s run-in is completely coincidental. Aslı, trying to save a man who Ferhat wounds, ends up getting pulled into Ferhat`s dark world ala an arranged marriage which leaves her isolated and trying to make sense of everything and everyone around her. Ferhat, a man who aside from all the dark deeds he has done, never wanted to entrap anyone in his dark world, also knows that that`s the only way his uncle would allow Aslı, a witness to a crime he ordered, to stay alive. Of course, Ferhat`s instant attraction to Aslı can`t possibly have something to do with him proposing to marry her…or can it?

 

    I enjoyed this series not only because of the raw emotion the leads, who aside from being friends in real life, exhibit, their undeniable on-screen chemistry, but also because of how strong the heroine is, as well as the massive transformation Ferhat undergoes throughout the course of the show. It`s truly a journey. Yes, it`s not the easiest story to watch unfold. The themes are heavy. The characters not only battle outside forces, but also fight their own inner demons and in many cases, things get ugly. But as with most dizis (with the exception of a few that I won`t name because I`m still slightly traumatized), light and goodness prevail.

 

 

Duy Beni

 

    There is a handful of particular types of shows that the Turkish audience seems to enjoy: the romcom, the drama, the medical show, and a show that centers around the goings on of a school. Since I tackled the first three with Erkenci Kuş and Siyah Beyaz Aşk (the latter might not be a standard medical show, but we do get enough hospital scenes for it to be considered medical-drama-adjacent), let me introduce you to Duy Beni.

 

    Duy Beni (Hear Me in English) tells a story of a prestigious high school that`s well, plagued by bullies. If you`re not as rich as the popular kids, you`ll get bullied. If you`re not as physically attractive as the popular kids expect you to be, you`ll get bullied. If you`re on the opposite side of the spectrum and are too pretty, or if you step on anyone`s toes, you`ll get bullied even harder. The interesting thing about this school, is that the bullying isn’t reserved for students only. The teachers aren’t spared either.

 

    When a few of the students decide to teach their professor a lesson and stop him from bringing the dark secrets of the school to the surface, two things happen: the professor ends up dead and Leyla, a girl from a middle-class neighborhood, becomes a victim of a hit-and-run and looses her ability to walk. There`s no justice when the prestige of the school and its rich students are involved, but that ends when Ekim, Leyla`s fiery, headstrong, and loyal-beyond-reason best friend, decides to enter the school and find out who`s responsible for destroying Leyla`s dreams.

 

    Unlike the first two shows that have already wrapped up, Duy Beni is currently airing and it has got its gigantic, enthusiastic fanbase in a chokehold. The show seems to be even more popular internationally than it is domestically, but regardless, there are many reasons why it`s one of the top shows in terms of views and social media ratings across the board. For one, there`s #EkKan, the show`s main couple. If you`re into enemies-to-lovers trope, you`re in for a great time! You also have wonderful friendships and very unhealthy ones that lead to angst and drama. You have Melisa and her cool makeup. You have Bekir who is basically all five happiness hormones combined and personified. 

    Although this show is set in a high school, the stakes are extremely high. While the bullying scenes can be pretty hard to stomach, in the end, Duy Beni doesn’t glorify it, but rather denounces it and shows what kind of extreme circumstances you might find yourself in if you have a habit of mistreating others. Again, the show is currently airing and it`s unclear where the story will go and whether it`ll end after one season or if it`ll be renewed for a second season, but even with the current number of fifteen episodes under its belt, Duy Beni is sure worth watching.

    If you end up checking out any of the shows I recommend in this blog post, drop a comment down below and let me know your thoughts!

Best,

ieva | the dizi spell