‘Another Love’: Dark romantic thriller with echoes of ‘Dexter’ is the latest in Turkey’s unscrupulous export lineup

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s bi-weekly feature where we highlight the TV shows and movies in their respective regions. The industry is more globalized than ever before, but breakthroughs are constantly emerging in parts of the world and it can be hard to keep up… That’s why we’ll do the hard work for you.

We are flying to Turkey sometime this week a bit different from the usual telenovela fare. Another love is a love story, crime story and psychological drama all rolled into one and has boosted Fox Turkey’s ratings since its release last month. The series follows a host and a prosecutor whose romantic relationship blossoms as they both search for the truth about a mysterious serial killer.

Of: Another love
Country: Turkey
Manufacturer: Tims & B
Distributor: Global agency
For fans of: Right, Divideromantic thrillers

For Izzet Pinto, CEO of the Turkish distribution company Global Agency, Fox Turkey is a drama Another love is as close to a sure bet as possible. “It is a project that has all the components it needs to be a strong project: a unique and compelling story, a strong cast, the leading production company in Turkey, a strong channel with strong content, ‘ an award-winning and well-known director.” Screenwriter,” he tells Deadline.

And Pinto certainly heeded his words: Flying stars Hande Erçel and Burak Deniz, Timur Savcı and Burak Sağyaşar from producer TIMS & B, director Neslihan Yeşilyurt and screenwriter Ethem Özışık traveled to Cannes earlier this month for a star-studded Mipcom- press conference at the Majestic Hotel on the Croisette. Although the popularity of Turkish television is nothing new, its size and the story it tells is a fact Another love (known locally as Bambashka Biri) is going in a new direction, something that Pinto and Selin Arat, Director of International Operations at TIMS&B, want to emphasize.

“It’s anything but a telenovela,” says Arat. “Given the plot and creative style, it is a drama in the truest sense of the word. In addition to the thriller content, there is also a strong romantic aspect and a lingering psychological element. We can call it a ‘drama with Turkish DNA’.”

The field worked. “We did the first sale before the series even aired,” reveals Pinto.

Another love The main roles are Ercel and Deniz – two of Turkey’s biggest stars who appeared together in the comedy series in 2016. Hayat – as a news anchor and prosecutor who become romantically involved while both try to identify a serial killer. Hayatalso produced by Sağyaşar, the couple’s career began and Another love see how they deal with a darker subject as it becomes clear that reality is not what it first seems and that one of them is not quite who they think they are.

“Another love is the story of a woman who falls in love with two different men in the same body,” says Arat. “It’s practically a love triangle between two people and is therefore very different from other Turkish dramas where relationships are usually between three real characters, whether it’s two men in love with the same woman or vice versa. And this is the first time that a main character in a Turkish series deals with dissociative identity disorder, unlike other series that also dealt with mental disorders.”

Arat compares thematically Another love according to the will of Right or James McAvoy feature split, but describes it as “an original story, and we’re approaching this subject with a completely different format and style.”

Dealing with the concept of a split personality presented an “exciting” challenge for the writer-director, says Arat, who adds that the financial clout of free-to-air channel Fox Turkey helped the story tell. “We can say that this is the highest budget production of this season,” she adds.

Pinto, who is known in international TV circles for his ability to create hype and attract attention through splashy marketing, added: “The series has caused a stir not only in Turkey, but around the world.” Hande Ercel and Burak Deniz has a large fan base worldwide and interest in famous actors is very high.”

Unstoppable rise

Global Agency and TIMS&B were at the forefront of Turkish television’s ascent to the international stage, which continued during the rule of divisive leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Regions such as Central and Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America have long been buyers of his telenovelas, and this year more Spanish buyers are also joining the pool as the length of Turkish series decreases and better suits local audiences’ tastes.

Last year, the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce claimed that Turkish television exports second only to those of the United States and were worth more than $600 million. The organization has tracked more than 100 shows in 152 countries, with individual episodes now worth more than $650,000 per sale.

“The stories in our dramas are original and believable, and this is due to the strength of the scripts,” says Pinto about Turkey’s success. “Dealing with ethical issues is another important factor. It also includes places where history and nature are intertwined or where the beauty of the city and impressive costumes are revealed.”

Another love was a ratings hit for Fox Turkey, the Disney network that has built a reputation for excellent, edgy Turkish TV dramas. The series, which began on September 11 of this year, is above the network average. The first episode topped the commercial audience, while the second episode on September 18 was the most watched episode of all genres in Turkey on Mondays at 20:00 prime time. Both were popular on X (formerly Twitter) with over 300,000 tweets. The final episode (seven out of eight) was up 8% in the commercial demo. Turkey’s ratings system is complicated, but Fox reports that it performs well in the pricier ABC1 and overall audience categories.

The series, whose episodes last about two hours each (a normal format in Turkey), was nominated in six categories, including Best Series, at the Golden Butterfly Awards, Turkey’s equivalent of the Emmys. Denis and Erçel are nominated for individual actor awards and in the couple category, while Yeşilyurt and Özışık also receive an award.

Turkey recently celebrated its 100th anniversary as a republic. It is a constantly developing nation whose ruthless and efficient television industry is reflected in its success Another love.