The interplay between authenticity, realism and cultural proximity in the reception of Turkish drama serials among Qatari audiences

Abstract

This article explores how young Qatari audiences perceive authenticity in Turkish television dramas. The concepts of authenticity and realism are used as analytical tools to examine empirical findings from twenty focus group discussions with students, in 2016 and 2017. The results reveal that young Qataris see Turkish serials as offering a more authentic representation of real life than local and regional television serials. Although Turkish drama serials do not provide a window into actual life within Turkish society, they are perceived as offering a realistic depiction of characters and storylines representing Turkey’s social life and culture. This article establishes that Turkish serials’ dubbing into a colloquial Syrian dialect has heightened audience experience of authenticity. The fact that Turkish dramas were created against the backdrop of a Muslim country with significant ethnic and cultural similarities further elevated the Arab audiences’ perception of authenticity.