Everybody is talking about this new BBC detective thriller series

Stephen Porzio

Hailing from the director of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Mr. Robot, the show has earned comparisons to Columbo.

A new detective thriller series has premiered on the BBC and is proving a hit with both viewers and critics.

That show is The Turkish Detective, which centres around Mehmet Suleyman (Ethan Kai) – a British detective who arrives in Istanbul to join a homicide unit which is led by the eccentric inspector Çetin Ikmen (Haluk Bilginer) and features the tough-as-nails Detective Ayşe Farsakoğlu (Yasemin Kay Allen).

Together, the trio work to solve several crimes – with each of their investigations taking up two episodes of the series’ eight in total.

Acquired for release in Ireland and the UK by the BBC from Paramount – who put it on its service Paramount+ in other territories – The Turkish Detective’s first two episodes premiered on BBC Two last Sunday and Monday with little fanfare ahead of their release.

That said, there is a lot of talent involved in the show: it is based on a best-selling novel series by Barbara Nadel, it is directed in part by Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Mr. Robot) and its star Haluk Bilginer has appeared in several big Hollywood movies including 2018’s Halloween.

Since its release, The Turkish Detective has been well-received by audiences and critics alike, with its Columbo-esque performance from Bilginer, its unique Istanbul setting and its gripping mysteries being singled out for praise.

You can read a sample of some of the positive reviews for the show right here:

The Guardian: “Its far-fetched plots and unguessable twists make it oddly comforting TV fare.”

The Killing Times: “So far so good and Istanbul looks terrific in The Turkish Detective. The two main characters – although well-worn paradigms – are fun to watch, and there’s a strong central mystery and breezy pace to the whole staging.”

The Telegraph (UK): “The best thing about it is the lead performance from Haluk Bilginer. It’s one you’ve seen before – hoary old detective with decades of experience and a twinkle in his eye runs rings around the criminals while teaching his young sidekick a thing or two about getting results – but Bilginer is a joy to watch.”

The Turkish Detective is airing on Sunday and Monday nights on BBC Two for the next few weeks.

It is also available to stream in its entirety for those in the UK on the BBC iPlayer.