New Encounters: Localization of Global TV Drama Genres on Turkish OTT Platforms

Over the past decade, over-the-top (OTT) platforms have profoundly impacted the television broadcasting landscape in Turkey. These platforms have opened up new opportunities for producing and distributing original TV drama, known as “dizi” in Turkish. This study examines the localization of global TV drama genres on Turkish OTT platforms. The study uses a genre analysis framework to examine three TV dramas, each declared as the pioneer of its genre in Turkey. Genre analysis is conducted critically regarding both textual and cultural levels of the generic characteristics and background. The findings indicate that these dramas exhibit a hybrid characteristic, showing similarities in textual properties (generic verisimilitude) but lacking the generic practice’s cultural background in Turkey (cultural verisimilitude). The study argues that this hybridity is the result of a tension between market-driven localization and the deeper socio-cultural context.