Voice actors, too, have become celebrities. Viewers recognize their voices across different series and discuss their performances on social media. Some actors voice multiple characters in the same show, a feat requiring impressive vocal range. Fans create compilation videos of the most dramatic dubbing moments on YouTube, celebrating a “perfect scream” or “heartbreaking whisper.” Georgian broadcasters are not dubbing Turkish series out of cultural altruism. The numbers speak for themselves. A hit Turkish drama regularly captures a 40-50% audience share in its time slot, dwarfing local productions and Western imports. Advertising slots during these shows command premium prices, with Georgian branches of international brands and local businesses eager to reach captive viewers.
For now, though, the heart of the phenomenon remains simple. Every evening, across Georgia — from high-rise apartments in Batumi to stone houses in Svaneti — televisions glow. A Turkish story, spoken in Georgian words, makes people laugh, weep, argue, and hope. And in that emotional truth, the translation ceases to matter. The series no longer feel Turkish. They feel like home.
Translators face a unique challenge: preserving the poetic, sometimes melodramatic Turkish dialogue while making it sound spontaneous in Georgian. “Turkish is rich in idioms about fate, blood, and fire,” says Mariam, a translator who has worked on over 20 series. “Georgian has its own poetic soul. You can’t translate literally — you have to find the emotional equivalent.”
Fashion trends, too, have been affected. Long coats, silk headscarves worn loosely, and men’s beards styled like Turkish leading men have appeared in Georgian streets. Coffee culture — specifically Turkish coffee — has seen a modest revival, thanks to scenes of characters drinking it during pivotal moments. Not everyone celebrates the trend. Some Georgian intellectuals express concern about cultural dependency. “We are outsourcing our imagination,” one film director told a local newspaper. “Young Georgians know the streets of Istanbul better than the alleys of Tbilisi’s old town.”
The Georgian dubbing adds another layer of intimacy. Unlike voice-over common in some post-Soviet countries, Georgia has largely embraced full dubbing for these series. Professional actors match the emotional intensity of the original performances, transforming the dialogue into natural, idiomatic Georgian. Slang, proverbs, and local references are occasionally inserted, making the characters feel like they could live in Batumi or Gori. Behind the scenes, a cottage industry has flourished. Dubbing studios such as Adrinol , Cinema Tone , and Georgian Postproduction have grown from small operations to full-fledged businesses employing dozens of actors, sound engineers, translators, and lip-sync technicians.
Below is an in-depth feature article on the topic, written in English, as requested. In the past decade, Georgian prime-time television has undergone a quiet revolution. It did not come from Hollywood, nor from Moscow, nor from a domestic production renaissance. Instead, it arrived from across the Black Sea — from Turkey, wrapped in the warm, emotional cadence of the Georgian language. The phenomenon of turquli serialebi qartulad natargmni (Turkish series dubbed into Georgian) is no longer just a programming trend; it is a cultural touchstone. A Dubbing Boom That Redefined Evenings Walk into any Tbilisi apartment around 9 PM, and you are likely to hear familiar voices: the tense whisper of a wronged heiress, the commanding tone of a vengeful businessman, or the tearful plea of a mother protecting her secret. These are not original Turkish actors speaking, but Georgian dubbing artists whose voices have become as recognizable as pop stars.
Religious conservatives have occasionally objected to romantic and sexual content, though most series are edited for Georgian television to comply with local norms. Others worry about the glorification of wealth and revenge. Yet these criticisms have done little to dent ratings. While television remains dominant, younger Georgians increasingly watch dubbed Turkish series on YouTube. Channels like Turquli Serialebi Official and Qartuli Dublaji have millions of views per episode. Fans discuss plot twists in Facebook groups and Telegram channels, often analyzing episodes minutes after they are uploaded.
“After an episode where the heroine leaves an abusive husband, my mother had a long talk with my sister about red flags in relationships,” says Tekla, a 24-year-old student from Tbilisi. “The series gave them a language to discuss things that were previously taboo.”
