Dizi Friends Podcast

Eda S and Maha J
  • 5.0 (6)
  • TV Reviews
  • Updated Biweekly

Podcast description: Join Eda and Maha biweekly for an entertaining and informative chat about Turkish TV shows aka dizis. Eda is Turkish and Maha lives in the US and they find joy in exploring our differences as well as our similarities through watching dizis. Find us on Twitter(X) as @dizi_friends and on Instagram as @dizifriends

  1. Sep 13

    Behind the Dizi: Pınar’s Acting Journey on Daha 17

    Episode Notes This week, we welcome a very special guest to Dizi Friends: Pınar, an artist, yoga teacher, and Eda’s yoga teacher of eight years, who recently stepped into the world of acting with a small role in Kanal D’s Daha 17. Living in Bodrum, Pınar decided to take a chance on something completely new and started applying for auditions. That leap eventually led to her playing a veterinarian in the series. We talk about what the experience was really like, what surprised her about being on a dizi set, and whether seeing the industry from the inside changed the way she looks at Turkish series. The conversation also opens up into something bigger: creativity, yoga, embracing change, and the importance of allowing yourself to be a beginner again. And of course, we still talk dizis — including Pınar’s love for Taşacak Bu Deniz and Muhtemel Aşk. Come for the behind-the-scenes stories. You might leave wanting to try something you’ve been putting off for years. Find out more at https://dizi-friends-podcast.pinecast.co

    Behind the Dizi: Pınar’s Acting Journey on Daha 17

  2. Sep 6

    Season 6 Premiere: New Turkish TV Series Coming This September

    Episode Notes Season 6 is here. 🎧 For our premiere, we’re looking ahead to the new Turkish series arriving in September; who’s starring, what the stories are, and which projects are already reminding us of something we’ve seen before. We discuss: Aşk ve Taht Güneşin Doğduğu Yer Mercan Köşk Hamal Anne Yarısı Sevdam Karadeniz (the movie Eda mentions while talking about this series: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1330591/) Adana Ayazı Ömür Usta Tuzlu Kahve Başkalarının Hayatı Haysiyet İyilik Öğretmeni Karakuyu Along the way, a bigger pattern starts to emerge. With production costs high and the financial risks of launching a new dizi even higher, many producers seem increasingly reluctant to take creative chances. Familiar stories, recognizable formulas and concepts that resemble previous hits can feel like the safer bet. And then there’s the other strategy: cast a major star and hope the audience follows. We talk about why a famous lead can absolutely help a project get attention but also why star power alone cannot compensate for a weak premise, poor character development or writing that simply isn’t there. Because ultimately, no matter how impressive the cast list looks, the story still has to work. Which September projects have our attention? Which ones already feel a little too familiar? And will the new season give us something genuinely surprising? Welcome to Season 6 of Dizi Friends. Find out more at https://dizi-friends-podcast.pinecast.co

    Season 6 Premiere: New Turkish TV Series Coming This September

  3. Aug 30

    A Dizi Time Machine: Back to 2015

    Episode Notes Pack your bags because this week, Dizi Friends is going back to 2015. 🎧 It was a very different moment for Turkish television, and in this episode we look back not only at the dizis we were watching, but at the world they were airing in. We start with a little time travel. What did 2015 feel like in Turkey, the US and around the world? What were we watching, talking about and living through and why does that era already feel so distinct from where we are today? Then, of course, we get to the dizis. We revisit: Poyraz Karayel Aşk Yeniden Kiralık Aşk Kara Sevda Muhteşem Yüzyıl: Kösem From romantic comedies and angsty melodramas to crime stories and major historical productions, 2015 gave us a lineup that feels surprisingly varied in hindsight. But this isn’t only a nostalgia episode. We also talk about how the business of making dizis has changed: production models, budgets, advertising, episode structures and the pressures shaping Turkish television today. Were dizis actually better in 2015, or do we just remember them that way? And what has the industry gained and lost over the last decade? Expect nostalgia, industry talk, lots of comparisons and, naturally, plenty of opinions. Light spoilers for the series discussed. Find out more at https://dizi-friends-podcast.pinecast.co

    A Dizi Time Machine: Back to 2015

  4. Aug 16

    Digital Turkish Series & Movies: Our Recommendations

    Episode Notes After talking about it for what feels like forever, we finally recorded our Turkish streaming recommendations episode. 🎧 This week, we step away from traditional network dizis and look at Turkish series and films available on digital platforms — from dramas and romantic comedies to darker stories, star-driven projects and easy weekend watches. On the series side, we talk about: Platonic (Platonik: Mavi Dolunay Oteli) Another Self (Zeytin Ağacı) (Eda's article: https://www.dizidoktoru.com/zeytin-agaci-will-take-you-back-to-your-roots-1) Kübra Old Money (Enfes Bir Akşam) To Love, to Lose (Ayrılık da Sevdaya Dahil) Like There’s No Tomorrow (Yarın Yokmuş Gibi) And for films, we cover: Sonunda Sen (Love at Last) Private Lesson (Özel Ders) Yaz Evi (Summer House) Last Call for Istanbul Love Tactics (Aşk Taktikleri) Make Me Believe (Sen İnandır) Godspeed (Yolun Açık Olsun) We share what we liked, what we’d recommend, who each title might appeal to, and which ones are better approached with slightly adjusted expectations. If you’ve been looking for Turkish content beyond weekly television — or just need something new for your watchlist — this episode is for you. Light spoilers for some of the titles discussed. Find out more at https://dizi-friends-podcast.pinecast.co

    Digital Turkish Series & Movies: Our Recommendations

  5. Jul 19

    Summer Rom-Coms Are Back: Doğanın Kanunu & Muhtemel Aşk

    Episode Notes After a two-month break, Dizi Friends is back — just in time for the return of summer rom-coms on Turkish television. ☀️🎧 In this episode, Eda and Maha take a closer look at two of the season’s new romantic comedies: Doğanın Kanunu and Muhtemel Aşk. We share our first impressions, discuss what works, what does not, and whether either series can bring back the charm, chemistry, and escapism we associate with a classic summer dizi. We also briefly check in on Daha 17 and Altı Üstü İstanbul because that is pretty much everything currently on offer. Are summer rom-coms finally making a comeback? Do these new series have enough personality to keep us watching? And what makes a lighthearted dizi feel genuinely fun rather than simply familiar? Expect first impressions, honest criticism, friendly banter, feminist propaganda, and plenty of opinions after two months away from the microphones. Light spoilers for the series discussed. Find out more at https://dizi-friends-podcast.pinecast.co

    Summer Rom-Coms Are Back: Doğanın Kanunu & Muhtemel Aşk

  6. May 3

    If We Wrote a Dizi: Second Chances

    Episode Notes This week on Dizi Friends, Eda and Maha do something a little different: We create our own dizi. From casting and tropes to storyline, timelines, and even marketing, we imagine what our perfect Turkish series would look like. Set between Ankara and Istanbul, Second Chances follows a group of university friends whose lives reconnect years later; bringing old dynamics, new relationships, and unfinished stories back to the surface. Expect: familiar tropes with a twist, multiple love stories (yes, we went there), past vs present timelines and a surprisingly detailed take on how a show like this should actually be marketed. This episode is part storytelling, part industry commentary and a little bit of manifesting. Tune in and tell us: would you watch Second Chances? Find out more at https://dizi-friends-podcast.pinecast.co

    If We Wrote a Dizi: Second Chances

  7. Mar 28

    What Makes a Great Leading Man? The Ozan Akbaba Case Study

    Episode Notes This week on Dizi Friends, Maha and Eda explore a question we don’t often stop to ask: What actually makes a great leading man? Using Ozan Akbaba as a starting point, we unpack the qualities that make certain actors feel… different on screen. From charisma and presence to emotional control and casting choices, we look at what makes a performance truly compelling—and why some leading men stay with us long after the episode ends. We also touch on how leading men in Turkish TV have evolved over time, and why audience expectations might be shifting. Is it about power? Vulnerability? Or something harder to define? *The movie we mention as a trivia at the ending is "Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım" starring Türkan Şoray and Kadir İnanır. Thank you for listening! See you in the next episode and let us know if you would like to listen to an episode about iconic Turkish movies. Find out more at https://dizi-friends-podcast.pinecast.co

    What Makes a Great Leading Man? The Ozan Akbaba Case Study

  8. Mar 8

    Violence, Shock Value & Mafia Fatigue on Turkish TV

    Episode Notes This week on Dizi Friends, Maha and Eda explore a noticeable shift in Turkish television: Why do so many new series revolve around crime, violence, and mafia-style narratives? We discuss several recent projects, including: Aynı Yağmur Altında – A show that sparked debate due to a controversial early scene and its reliance on shock-driven storytelling. Sevdiğim Sensin – A series with emotional potential about a young woman rebuilding her life in Istanbul, yet framed within darker narrative elements. A.B.İ. – An age-gap romance entering an already crowded dramatic landscape. Yeraltı – Another love story built around a mafia-centered world. Rüya Gibi – A promising show featuring a refreshingly different protagonist (a hairdresser), which concluded at episode 13 as darker themes took over. We also briefly mention Eşref Rüya ** and discuss broader concerns about how excessive violence might influence younger viewers. This episode is not about criticizing individual creators. It’s about recognizing a pattern. We ask: Why has “crime” in Turkish TV become almost synonymous with “mafia”? Is shock value replacing layered storytelling? Are audiences growing tired of violence-heavy narratives? And what does this trend say about the current state of the industry? Crime stories can be powerful. But does every story need a mafia backdrop? Join the conversation and tell us: Are you experiencing mafia fatigue too? Find out more at https://dizi-friends-podcast.pinecast.co

    Violence, Shock Value & Mafia Fatigue on Turkish TV
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5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Podcast description: Join Eda and Maha biweekly for an entertaining and informative chat about Turkish TV shows aka dizis. Eda is Turkish and Maha lives in the US and they find joy in exploring our differences as well as our similarities through watching dizis. Find us on Twitter(X) as @dizi_friends and on Instagram as @dizifriends

Information

  • Creator
    Eda S and Maha J
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Eda S and Maha J
  • Show Website
    Dizi Friends Podcast

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