EZEL - Turkish Drama Series, Ay Yapim Did It All

I saw an episode of Ezel last week and it was the first time I sat through the whole hour and half without even moving my head.
Wow what a show !

I soon after 'googled' all about it and turns out this show was a major tv hit and had won several outstanding awards during the last couple of years.


Here's what Wikipedia had to say about Ezel:


"The show is based on the plot of the famous novel The Count of Monte Cristo.
Although it is set in modern day Istanbul, Turkey, filming also took place in Bafra, Northern Cyprus and Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Plot:

• In 1997 Istanbul, Ömer Uçar (Ismail Filiz) and his family lived a comfortable lower middle-class life. Ömer had two best friends he had known for years;
  Ali (Barış Falay) who he worked with as a motor mechanic, and Cengiz (Yiğit Özşener)
  Ömer met and fell in love with Eyşan (Cansu Dere).
  Ali and Cengiz soon became convinced to rob a casino by Serdar Tezcan (Salih Kalyon), who happens to be Eyşan's father. 

• Serdar created the whole plan, and worked out there would be four people needed for a successful robbery. The first, Cengiz would be the mole who got a job working in the casino and who would therefore gain access. The second, Ali would be the ruthless killer who has no problem committing murder if needed. The third, Eyşan (Cansu Dere) would be the skilled con-woman who would manipulate the characters. Finally, Ömer would be blamed for the robbery by way of implanting false evidence, and therefore misleading the police and causing them to cease all other investigations. 

• Ali and Cengiz at the time believed that Ömer would only get a few years in jail for stealing the money, however the robbery went wrong and Ali shot dead the security guard. This was done with a gun that Cengiz had pointed at Ömer a few days before after heaving drinking, and when Ömer touched the gun his fate was sealed. A jacket that Ömer had previously worn was also dumped with the gun to ensure the police would be swift in arresting Ömer.

• Eyşan would later testify in court in order to re-establish the evidence and accusations, thus cementing her betrayal. The plan worked successfully and while all Ali, Cengiz, Serdar and Eyşan got away with millions of dollars, Ömer went to jail the day after he proposed to Eyşan.
  In jail Ömer had a very hard time, being beaten almost daily by the head warden who was convinced Ömer had committed the crime, and wanted to know where the money was. 

• His family was even threatened, and so his hatred for his old friends grew for what they had done to him. Ömer's only luck was to be taken under the wing of Ramiz Dayı - "Ramiz Uncle" (Tuncel Kurtiz), who was a powerful mafia type figure who saw Ömer like one of his sons, and gave him some protection. In 2006, Ömer, had his face badly cut by the head warden with two other guards by using a riot in the prison as an excuse to beat Ömer, so he would tell where the money was. Ömer pretended to tell him, so that when the warden dismissed the other guards, a fight to the death mean't the head warden was killed. 

transformation after surgery

• With help from Ramiz, it was made known that Ömer had died but his face was unrecognisable, when actually Ömer escaped the jail and had full plastic surgery.
  
  Ömer Uçar then changed his name to Ezel Bayraktar (Kenan İmirzalıoğlu) ("eternity" in Turkish), and returns to get his revenge, unknown to his previous friends, Eyşan and Cengiz (who are now married with a son), and Ali (who is head of security at Cengiz's hotel) 

• The once simple boy becomes a man exceptionally skilled at gambling, reading people, fighting, and has considerably high class in society. He is helped by his assistants Kamil (Güray Kip) and Sebnem (Bade İşçil), as well as his prison mentor Ramiz Dayı. "

If interested you can check out this episode with English subtitles:

Link for Ezel Episode 1 in English subtitle

What I also discovered that my all time favorite Turkish drama soaps are produced by the same production company AY YAPIM.

"AY YAPIM is one of Turkey’s leading production companies producing drama series, formats, weekly and daily shows. An average of 150 episodes of top drama series is produced and distributed in the region each season . All are the highest rated of the broadcast night on national television channels. Also produces weekly and daily tv shows of both self created and international formats."

My favorite shows produced by AY YAPIM:

العشق الممنوع

ميرنا وخليل

الاوراق المتساقطة

Awards

2010 - ALTIN KELEBEK (GOLDEN BUTTERFLY) STARS OF TV AWARDS
Best Actress “Beren Saat - Aşk-ı Memnu”
Best TV Series “Ezel”
Best Actor “Kenan İmirzalıoğlu - Ezel”

2010 - İSMAİL CEM TELEVISION AWARDS
Best Opening Sequence for Drama Series “Haluk Arus - Aşk-ı Memnu”
Best Adapted Screenplay for Drama Series “Ece Yörenç, Melek Gençoğlu - Aşk-ı Memnu”
Best Supporting Actor for Drama Series “Selçuk Yöntem - Aşk-ı Memnu”
Best Web Support for Drama Series “Aşk-ı Memnu”
Best Trailer for Drama Series “Ezel”
Best Unforgettable Scene for Drama Series “Ezel”
Best Music for Drama Series “Toygar Işıklı - Ezel”
Best Editing for Drama Series “Serdar Çakular - Ezel”
Best Cinematographer for Drama Series “Veysel Tekşahin - Ezel”
Best Original Screenplay for Drama Series “Kerem Deren, Pınar Bulut - Ezel”
Best Director for Drama Series “Uluç Bayraktar - Ezel”
Best Actor for Drama Series “Kenan İmirzalıoğlu - Ezel”
Best Drama Series “Ezel”

OTHER AWARDS
2010 - Galatasaray University
Best TV Series “Ezel”
Best Actor “Kenan İmirzalıoğlu - Ezel”

2010 - Bahçeşehir University
Best TV Series “Ezel”

2010 - Yıldız Technical University
Best TV Series “Ezel”

2010 - Istanbul Technical University Industrial Engineering
Best TV Series “Ezel”

2010 - Kabatas High School Graduates Association
Best TV Series “Ezel”

2010 - Özel Burç İletişim Meslek Lisesi (High School)
Best TV Series “Ezel”

2009 - Radio - TV Journalists Association
Best TV Series “Yaprak Dökümü”

2009 - Ankara University Faculty of Law
Best TV Series “Aşk-ı Memnu”

2009 - Vefa Highschool, Kemal Sunal Culture and Art Awards
Best TV Series “Aşk-ı Memnu”

2009 - Beykent University
Best Actress “Beren Saat - Aşk-ı Memnut”
Best Actor “Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ - Aşk-ı Memnu”

2009 - Istanbul University Informatics Awards
Best TV Series “Aşk-ı Memnu”
Best Actor “Selçuk Yöntem - Aşk-ı Memnu”

2009 - Istanbul University Faculty of Law
Best TV Series “Aşk-ı Memnu”

2009 - Kadir Has University
Best TV Series “Aşk-ı Memnu”

2009 - TED Afyon College
Best TV Series “Aşk-ı Memnu”

2009 - Entertainment Journalists Association (EJA)
Best TV Series “Aşk-ı Memnu”
Honor Award “Halil Ergün - Yaprak Dökümü”

2009 - Istanbul Aydın University
Best TV Series “Aşk-ı Memnu”
Best Actress “Nebahat Çehre - Aşk-ı Memnu”
Best Actor “Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ - Aşk-ı Memnu”

2009 - Istek Özel Semiha Şakir Highschool
Best Actress “Nebahat Çehre - Aşk-ı Memnu”
Best Actor “Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ - Aşk-ı Memnu”

2009 - Galatasaray University
Best TV Series “Aşk-ı Memnu”
Best Actor “Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ - Aşk-ı Memnu”

2008 - Radio – Tv Journalists Association Media Oscars
Best TV Series “Yaprak Dökümü”

2008 - iMedya Stars
Best TV Series “Yaprak Dökümü”

2008 - Vefa Highschool 3th Kemal Sunal Culture and Art Ceremony
Best TV Series “Yaprak Dökümü”
Best Actress “Bennu Yıldırımlar - Yaprak Dökümü”

2008 - Beykent University Communication Club
Best TV Series “Yaprak Dökümü”
Best Actress “Bennu Yıldırımlar - Yaprak Dökümü”

2008 - Rotary Club
Best TV Series “Yaprak Dökümü”
Best Actress “Bennu Yıldırımlar - Yaprak Dökümü”
Best Music “Toygar Işıklı - Yaprak Dökümü”

2008 - Faculty of Political Science Young Members Society
Best Actor “Halil Ergün”

2008 - Koç University
Best TV Series “Yaprak Dökümü”

2008 - Istanbul University Informatics Awards
Best TV Series “Yaprak Dökümü”

2008 - 15th EJA (Altın Objektif) Golden Objective Awards
Best TV Series “Yaprak Dökümü”

2008 - 35th Altın Kelebek Awards
Best TV Series “Yaprak Dökümü - Yaprak Dökümü”
Best Actress “Bennu Yıldırımlar - Yaprak Dökümü”
Best Actor “Halil Ergün - Yaprak Dökümü”

2008 - Istek Özel Uluğbey (school)
Best TV Series “Dudaktan Kalbe”

2007 - Golden Tulip Fine Arts Awards
Best Director “Mesude Eraslan - Yaprak Dökümü”

2007 - Maltepe University
Best TV Series “Yaprak Dökümü”

2007 - Istanbul University Lawyers Club
Best Family Series “Yaprak Dökümü”

2007 - 13th Kavram Olympic Games Ceremony
Best TV Series “Yaprak Dökümü”