Selling Turkish quality: Multiple proximities and Turkish format exports in the post-streaming era

Abstract

A close analysis of puhutv’s Şahsiyet (Persona, 2018) and its Mexican adaptation for HBO Max Latin America (HBO Max Latinoamérica), Asesino del Olvido (Before I Forget, 2021) reveals that the show’s hybridization of the Turkish series’ melodramatic conventions with the Anglo-American quality TV characteristics is the key to its adaptability for Mexican audiences. Melodrama’s domination in both Turkey and Mexico contributes to the similar utilization of melodramatic elements when the Anglo-American quality TV model is adapted for the local audiences. Therefore, the proximity around the mainstream popularity of melodramas in both markets and the shared juxtaposition of melodrama and quality allow Şahsiyet to flow as a quality TV format between Turkey and Mexico.

Keywords

genre proximity melodrama online streaming quality TV transnational TV flows Turkish dizi Turkish TV video-on-demand platforms

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