How we can measure the success of Turkish Netflix serials?
Netflix
With regard to the information about new Turkish Netflix TV shows, there were a lot of questions about how the Internet platform works, what TV shows can be considered as the internal production of Netflix. The entire Netflix system is based on two “pillars”: the acquisition of rights to show TV series and films from third-party producers and the production of their own TV shows. The first one is more or less clear: the platform buys the rights to broadcast in a certain region and shows the audience what the filmmakers of the whole world have done.
With the second, everything is somewhat more complicated. Netflix’s own production, which goes under the Netflix Original label, also includes a contract with third-party producers who create projects for the platform. There are various nuances associated with such cooperation. In one case, Netflix controls everything, up to and including the choice of actors for minor roles, in the other, it gives greater freedom of action to the producer. As a rule, increased control from Netflix is associated with the prospects of a series or film. The more hopes the platform managers put into the project, the harder they control it. This happened to the Turkish TV series “The Protector”, that Netflix controlled very carefully, given that this was a debut project made in collaboration with Turkish cinematographers.
The Protector
Netflix also actively purchases rights to serials around the world, releasing these series also under the Netflix Original label, that creates some confusion, given that the projects were not made by Netflix and the platform did not control their creation. In this case, this means only one thing – these series can only be seen on Netflix, and if they become successful, it may be decided to extend them for the second or third season. This happened with the series Money Heist, that was extended for the following seasons due to the stunning success on the platform. Currently, Netflix has two similar shows from Turkey – “The Wolf” and “The Immortals”. “The Wolf” is on average, but it has chances for a second season, Netflix viewers will decide the fate of “The Immortals”: the project will be put on the platform on March 8.
Currently, we know for sure about the three Netflix projects in Turkey that are under development. It is the third and fourth seasons of the popular TV series “The Protector”, after the success of which it was decided to develop cooperation with Turkish producers, as well as a new fantasy series starring Beren Saat and docudrama “Ottoman Rising”.
Beren Saat in the new Netflix series
In connection with the latter, there were questions whether this project is international or Turkish because it will be produced in English. Some bloggers even wrote that the project was being done for Netflix International, while other projects were being prepared for Netflix Turkey. However, this is not true: all Netflix products sold outside the United States are commonly referred to as Netflix International, although the company’s management itself prefers not to use this term when referring to International Production for all its serials released under the Netflix Original label. Officially, no Netflix International exists as a brand.
In particular, the production of all serials, that are created in collaboration with Turkish filmmakers, is supervised by the office Netflix EMEA (Europe, Africa, and the Middle East), which is located in Amsterdam. As for the release of the series “Ottoman Rising” in English, it is due to production needs: the docudrama assumes that most of the time will be devoted to the historians explaining some moments of the past and not all of them will be able to say anything in Turkish.
The Protector Netflix trends
All the shows under the label Netflix Original are released simultaneously all over the world. That is, in 190 countries where Netflix works. Among Turkish series, “The Protector” first received such an opportunity, and its start was extremely successful.
The question that worries fans of actors involved in Netflix projects is how we find out if the series is popular on the platform because only last year Netflix released 700 TV series.
The first sign is the attention to the project of the platform itself. Will there be a gala premiere of the series? Will subtitles be available in most languages spoken by users? Will professional dubbing be done? For example, for “The Protector”, Netflix dubbed not only in familiar English, Spanish, French, Italian, Arabic but even for languages that are “exotic” for a platform such as Russian and even Hindi.
Ottoman Rising
The second sign is whether the series got into the popular section (it is compiled taking into account the tastes of a certain viewer) and in the Netflix trend. The trends are extremely important, as they are compiled regardless of the preferences of a particular user and show interest in the project as a whole.
The third sign is the attention to the project in the international press, social networks, the IMDB database.
The fourth sign is the information that gives Netflix itself. In rare cases, it reports about the success of the project, this happens to the TV series “The Protector” when the platform officially announced that the project was among the most successful TV series that were released in 2018 with 10 million accounts that watched the series only for the first month.
The Protector’s stars
We remind that filming of “Ottoman Rising” will begin already this month, and on the platform, it will be released according to preliminary information in September. The shooting of the series starring Beren Saat is scheduled for March, however, since Netflix places particular hopes on this project, the management is in no hurry to be quick with its release, preferring to bring the product to an ideal state. The second season of the series “The Protector” will be released presumably in the summer. The third and fourth season of the series will be released in 2020.
