Hamlet (2021)
Hamlet is a Turkish drama, crime series broadcast on GAİN, first aired in 2021. On the night when horses on the islands are culled because of an outbreak of equine disease, carriage drivers’ leader Ahmet Kesmeci is secretly murdered by his brother Kadir. Ahmet’s daughter Hazar believes it was not an accident and begins searching for the truth behind her father’s death and her family’s power struggle.
Hamlet cast: Erdal Beşikçioğlu (Kadir Kesmeci), Elit İşcan (Hazar Kesmeci), Ahmet Rıfat Şungar (Öner), Şebnem Bozoklu (Nagehan Tan), Cihat Tamer (Abdullah), Çiğdem Selışık Onat (Amelia).
Detailed content was compiled from sources with AI; pending editorial review. Editor: Uğur Arı.
Plot
Written and directed by Kaan Müjdeci, the seven-episode series uses the carriage trade on Büyükada as the contemporary setting for an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. After all the horses on the island are culled because of an outbreak of equine disease, carriage drivers’ leader Ahmet Kesmeci is secretly killed by his brother Kadir, who seeks control of the declining carriage empire. Ahmet’s daughter Hazar refuses to accept the death as an accident and investigates. The case reaches Nagehan Tan’s daytime true-crime program, Nagehan Tan’la Adalet, where family conflict, crime and revenge become part of a media spectacle. As Hazar pursues revenge, Öner is publicly blamed and the program reshapes the case for ratings. After a series of deaths, the family gathers again on Nagehan Tan’s program, while Hazar targets Kadir and Serkan seeks revenge against Hazar.
Origins of the story
Adaptation status
The series is an official contemporary adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It relocates the power struggle to Büyükada’s carriage trade, recasts Hamlet as the young woman Hazar Kesmeci, and introduces the daytime true-crime program Nagehan Tan’la Adalet.
Connection to reality
Promotional coverage describes the series as a Shakespeare adaptation blended with a real story. The available sources do not identify a specific real event or person, so no particular real-life case can be confirmed.
Inspirations and influences
Hamlet
Confirmed by a creator or official sourceThe series is a contemporary adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet.
Confirmed by creator and production coverage
Trailer
Details
- Year
- 2021–2021
- Channel
- GAİN
- Genre
- drama, crime
- Seasons
- 1
- Episodes
- 7
- Rating
- 6.9
Cast
Character Map
Hero
- ↳ Öner — partner
- ↳ Kadir Kesmeci — enemy
- ↳ Kerem — ally
Anti-hero
- ↳ Kerem — ally
Villain
- ↳ Hazar Kesmeci — relative
Antagonist
- ↳ Hazar Kesmeci — enemy
Supporting
- ↳ Hazar Kesmeci — ally
Character
- ↳ Kadir Kesmeci — sibling
- ↳ Hazar Kesmeci — parent
What's in this series?
Moving Shakespeare’s tragedy to Büyükada
Hamlet adapts the original tragedy’s family betrayal, murder and revenge through the carriage trade on Büyükada. Hazar is the young woman who takes the place of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, while Nagehan Tan’la Adalet brings the search for justice into contemporary crime media.
The limits of the “real story” claim
Promotional reports say that the Shakespeare adaptation was blended with a real story. The available sources do not specify which real event or person this refers to, so the series cannot be linked to a particular carriage driver, murder or historical case.
GAİN and international circulation
Hamlet was presented as a GAİN and Asteros Film co-production, written and directed by Kaan Müjdeci. The international distribution catalogue lists seven episodes of approximately 45 minutes each. The project was also reported as the first Turkish series project selected for Series Mania.
Critical discussion: localising a classic text
The series has been discussed through its adaptation choices, especially its use of Büyükada, the carriage trade and daytime true-crime television, as well as its female Hamlet and redistribution of lines from the original text among different characters.
Frequently asked questions
How many episodes is Hamlet?
Hamlet has 7 episodes across 1 seasons.
When did Hamlet air?
Hamlet first aired in 2021 on GAİN.
Who is in the cast of Hamlet?
The main cast includes Erdal Beşikçioğlu (Kadir Kesmeci), Elit İşcan (Hazar Kesmeci), Ahmet Rıfat Şungar (Öner), Şebnem Bozoklu (Nagehan Tan), Cihat Tamer (Abdullah), Çiğdem Selışık Onat (Amelia).
Sources
- Hamlet | Inter Medya — Inter Medya
- ‘Hamlet’ dizisi ekibi T24’te — T24
- Kaan Müjdeci imzalı Hamlet dizisinin galası yapıldı — Habertürk
- Episode Yerli 29: Hamlet dosyası ve Kaan Müjdeci röportajı — Episode Dergi
- Gazete Oksijen, 5–11 Kasım 2021 — Gazete Oksijen
- Hamlet (2021) – Full cast and crew — IMDb
- Hamlet (2021) – Episode Calendar — Episode Calendar
- Hamlet dizisi bilgileri — 1001Dizi
