The most popular actors, films and TV shows in Turkey in 2019
The beginning of the year is the time to take stock. By tradition, the Turkish show business finds out which films and series were most successful last year and Which actors are on the prestigious lists of the most discussed on social media in Turkey and abroad. We will summarize the results of the year.
The most popular Turkish films
Turkish cinema is not particularly loved by the local audience. By world standards, 5-6 million viewers, who are super success for Turkish distributors, are a drop in the bucket. Films are made quickly and released even faster. Nevertheless, among the mass of low-quality movies, there are quite decent films. What films in 2019 topped the Turkish box office?
- Miracle in the 7th chamber / 7. Koğuştaki Mucize starring Aras Bulut İynemli, has already watched 5 million 296 thousand viewers. The film is still shown in cinemas
- Recep İvedik 6. The sixth part of the most popular comedy attracted 3 million 950 spectators to cinemas. Traditional Turkish humor may not be completely understood by a foreign audience, but Turks simply adore this story.
- Money Trap 2 / Organize İşler 2 starring Yılmaz Erdoğan and Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ. The film was seen by 3 million 537 thousand viewers. And you can add 1 million 500 thousand subscribers of Netflix in Turkey, where it turned out to be the most popular movie of 2019.
The most popular Turkish TV series
Unlike films, TV series in Turkey are very popular, they are watched by millions in the homeland and far beyond its borders. It is not surprising that the results of the TV industry arouse keen interest among fans. What projects this year was at the top of television ratings?
- Miraculous Doctor / Mucize Doktor. The average number of viewers is 12 million 505 thousand. This series became a real sensation of Turkish broadcast. The 16 episodes that were released showed that the audience was ready for experiments and non-standard characters. The main thing for them is not big star names, but a good script and good acting. Taner Olmez and his touching hero Ali Vefa became the discovery of the year.
- The Ottoman / Kuruluş: Osman. The average number of viewers is 11 million 785 thousand. A worthy successor to the Sultan of the Turkish series ratings The Resurrection Ertugrul made the best start in the history of Turkish television. The released 6 episodes proved that the work on the script, which the producer Mehmet Bozdağ conducted over the course of three years, the careful elaboration by actors of their heroes and a huge budget, is the key to the success of any project.
- Resurrection Ertuğrul / Diriliş Ertuğrul. The average number of viewers is 9 million 150 thousand. 150 episodes, five years on the air, huge success abroad, the leading non-original Netflix project – this is all about the sultan of the Turkish ratings Ertugrul. The series became a real legend and made the final at the top of the ratings.
It is always difficult to determine the most popular actor in Turkey, given the huge number of various awards, lists, and votes in which fans actively participate, trying to push their favorite to the top. Therefore, objective indicators are taken as the basis for the rating, which is difficult (and sometimes impossible) for fans to influence. And there are only two of them: this is popularity in Turkish social media and popularity with an international audience.
Turkey’s most popular actors on social media
Social media are online publications that have replaced print media (sometimes one complements the other), influential bloggers, journalists, and video bloggers working on YouTube. The main criterion is the number of readers and subscribers who determine the impact of the publication. Social media, unlike fan pages, post information about those who are interested in their readers, sensitively tracking the mood of the Turkish audience. Who was interested in social media in 2019?
- Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ. Despite the unsuccessful series Crash / Çarpışma, the actor remains the most beloved among Turkish viewers. Moreover, this year, Kıvanç stared in the film “Money Trap 2 / Organize İşler 2”, that showed a new facet of his talent: the comedy genre. Kıvanç is one of those actors who can rightfully be called a superstar and his failures no longer matter. The Turkish audience, with bated breath, is waiting for his new project, wondering why he refused to play Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and what could be more important than the role of the founder of the modern Turkish state.
- Çağatay Ulusoy. One of the most private actors in Turkey, who does not appear at parties, does not post new photos on Instagram every week and in general, as he himself admits, is burdened by excessive attention to his person. For two years now he hasn’t been appeared on free television, preferring to work with the digital platform Netflix. There are myths and legends on his future plans, on his weight, on his relationship with his girlfriend that often have nothing to do with reality. The only thing that is known for sure, he is the best friend of Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, with whom he shares the honorary pedestal. A question that worries the fans of the star: whether he will return to free Turkish television? However, judging by his contract with the largest American acting agency United Talent Agency, this, alas, is not included in his plans.
- Cem Yılmaz. The Turkish comedian, director, producer is not very familiar to foreign viewers. But this is one of the biggest stars in Turkey. Even when his new movie the Black Comedy flopped in the box office, it did not affect the love of Turkish audience for Cem. He is a real superstar.
Turkey’s most popular actors in the IMDB database
Following the Turkish viewers, the international audience also has its favorites among Turkish celebrities. However, who is the most popular? How we can find the international superstars? According to the ratings of Turkish TV shows in each individual country? Or according to discussions on social networks? Often one thing has nothing to do with the other: viewers can vigorously discuss less popular series and their actors. The only objective criterion is the international movie database IMDB. Every week, it publishes the results of interest in actors of an international audience. This interest is not calculated by voting (actors cannot be voted for at all). This is site statistics compiled on the basis of requests from millions of people. We give you the average data for the year 2019. So, who is on the top?
- Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ. The fact that TV shows starring Kıvanç are watched not only in Turkey, but also far beyond its borders, is no longer news. Sometimes the tastes of Turkish and world viewers coincide (Forbidden Love is popular almost everywhere). Sometimes foreign viewers enjoy watching Kurt Seyit and Sura on, despite the fact that show failed in Turkey. Success or failure in Turkey does not really matter. Kıvanç remains the leading star and he is a face of his native country for foreigners.
- Ayça Ayşin Turan. Foreign viewers literally fell in love with the first Turkish Netflix series The Protector, in which Ayça starred. The exotic beauty of the girl, her sensuality and good acting captivated an international audience. For a whole year she remained among the most sought-after Turkish stars of the base, which allowed her to take second place. The young actress is experiencing the most difficult moment in her career, preparing to play a leading role in the TV series The White Cold / Zemheri. The success of the project will make her a real superstar, but failure can seriously undermine her chances in Turkish show business.
- Çağatay Ulusoy. It is not surprising that the hero of the first Turkish Netflix series “The Protector” is in third position. Moreover, Çağatay is loved by the audience for his previous works. From “The girl named Feriha” to “Insider” – the actor goes from success to success outside his native country. It seems that in this case, the tastes of foreign and Turkish viewers are not very different.
It seems that in order to firmly take a place among the real superstars of the Turkish screen, it is not enough to have one or two successful projects. The path to the top is long and difficult. But for real superstars it is no longer important a successful or unsuccessful project, they remain loved by the audience. Just because they are.
2020 has entered into the rights and prepares us new works of favorite actors. Which of them will remain in the prestigious lists this year? Who will give way to newcomers? What series and films will win the hearts of Turkish and foreign viewers? We will find out very soon.
