Netflix Turkey’s Ethos and the Contradictions of Global Streaming Television

Abstract

Abstract The mini-series Ethos (Bir Başkadir), produced by Netflix Turkey, was a critical and social media sensation, distinguished by its narrative and visual sophistication and its explicit engagement with contemporary social, cultural and political tensions. However, considered in light of larger questions about Netflix and streaming television in general, Ethos also provides a meta-commentary on contradictory aspects of streaming television, particularly those discussed by Ramon Lobato in his book Netflix Nations. In particular, Ethos self-consciously calls attention to ways in which it is simultaneously a local and transnational product. It also invites consideration of the divergent expectations and responses of its varied audiences, both in Turkey and abroad.