Beyond Datafication: Creative Labor and Orientalist Production Logics in Turkish Drama Streaming

Streaming companies’ opaque, data-driven production practices have transformed screen industries, and Turkey’s globally successful drama sector is no exception. Like their counterparts elsewhere, Turkish drama creators often express frustration with these metric-driven systems or strategically accommodate them. Yet, interviews with thirteen creators reveal a deeper source of dissatisfaction: Orientalist production logics through which streaming companies package Turkey’s marketable locations, cultural difference, and globally recognized stars at the expense of inventive storytelling. While some creators reckon with these dynamics, others critique them. I argue that the role of data in streaming production cultures and the terms of inclusion in global drama markets cannot be understood without attending to the value of data concerning older Orientalist hierarchies and the commercial value assigned to locations outside the West.