Transnational Audiences of Turkish Dramas: The Case of Sweden

Abstract

The Swedish public service television company, SVT (Sveriges Television), has been airing Turkish dramas regularly for the past decade. By examining the reception of Turkish TV series in Sweden, this ongoing research aims to shed light on the cultural exchange between the two countries and to contribute to ongoing debates surrounding the role of television series in facilitating transcultural encounters. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the audience’s reception of Turkish television series in Sweden, this study employs in-depth interviews with loyal viewers, bloggers who wrote about Turkish dramas and executives at SVT and the Eccho Rights distribution company, which played a role in bringing these series to Sweden. This approach allows for a nuanced examination of the motivations, perceptions, and experiences surrounding the broadcast and reception of Turkish TV series in Sweden. The paper concludes that Turkish TV series that appeal to Swedish audiences with a range of unique and compelling elements tend to create loyal audiences with strong ties to these shows.

Keywords

• turkish tv series
• reception analysis
• sweden
• cultural encounters
• media audiences