The Innocents (2020)
The Innocents is a Turkish drama, family series broadcast on TRT 1, first aired in 2020. A car accident brings İnci into the life of Han and his family, whose home is shaped by severe trauma and compulsive behaviors. Han’s love for İnci challenges the closed family order he has spent years protecting.
The Innocents cast: Birkan Sokullu (Han Derenoğlu), Ezgi Mola (Safiye Derenoğlu/Ataç), Merve Dizdar (Gülben Derenoğlu/Bilen), Gizem Katmer (Neriman Derenoğlu), Metin Coşkun (Hikmet Derenoğlu), Esra Ruşan (Esra Şafak).
Detailed content was compiled from sources with AI; pending editorial review. Editor: Uğur Arı.
Plot
İnci lives with her grandfather Memduh and her younger brother Ege. After an accident brings her into contact with Han, their families become connected. Han is devoted to maintaining the fragile household shared by his ill father Hikmet and his sisters Safiye, Gülben and Neriman, who live with severe compulsions and the effects of past trauma. Falling in love with İnci makes Han consider his own happiness for the first time, but İnci’s arrival exposes the family’s fears and disrupts the order Han has tried to preserve. The series explores love, family responsibility, childhood trauma and the possibility of healing.
Origins of the story
Adaptation status
The series is based on the “Çöp Apartman” story in Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu’s book Madalyonun İçi. Screenwriter Deniz Madanoğlu states that the adaptation expands the source material and changes character development, including Gülben’s more romantic characterization, Neriman’s younger age and Han’s fictionalized journey.
Connection to reality
The broadcaster describes the series as adapted from a real-life story. The source book was written by psychiatrist Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu from stories rooted in her professional experience. No reliable source confirms one-to-one identities between the fictional characters and specific real people.
Iconic filming locations
The story setting and the real filming site are identified separately.
Temel Apartmanı
Asmalı Mescit, Beyoğlu · İstanbul · Türkiye
- Use in filming
- Used as the series’ main apartment location.
- Place represented in the story
- Not explicitly stated in the sources
- Scenes and context
- A private residential building; it was also used in the series Şahsiyet. No street number or visit directions are provided.
Balat
Fatih · İstanbul · Türkiye
- Use in filming
- Identified as one of the series’ filming areas.
- Place represented in the story
- Not explicitly stated in the sources
- Scenes and context
- Sources confirm filming in Balat, but do not clearly identify a specific building or scene there.
Antik Dantel HQ / Showroom
Büyükçekmece · İstanbul · Türkiye
- Use in filming
- Used as Han’s office.
- Place represented in the story
- Not explicitly stated in the sources
- Scenes and context
- The real building is distinct from the fictional office in the series. Current business or visitor access has not been verified.
Cumhuriyet Köyü Barajı
Cumhuriyet Village, Beykoz · İstanbul · Türkiye
- Use in filming
- Identified as the location used for the picnic scene.
- Place represented in the story
- The family’s picnic location
- Scenes and context
- The source identifies the picnic area as Cumhuriyet Köyü Barajı. Current access and use conditions have not been independently verified.
Location details were compiled from sources with AI assistance and are pending editorial review.
Trailer
Details
- Year
- 2020–2022
- Channel
- TRT 1
- Genre
- drama, family
- Seasons
- 2
- Episodes
- 71
- Rating
- 8.3
Cast
Character Map
Hero
- ↳ İnci — partner
- ↳ Safiye Derenoğlu — sibling
- ↳ Gülben Derenoğlu — sibling
- ↳ Neriman Derenoğlu — sibling
- ↳ Hikmet Derenoğlu — parent
- ↳ Memduh — relative
- ↳ Ege — sibling
Anti-hero
- ↳ Gülben Derenoğlu — sibling
- ↳ Neriman Derenoğlu — sibling
Supporting
- ↳ Neriman Derenoğlu — sibling
Character
What's in this series?
From a book story to a television universe
The series expands the “Çöp Apartman” story from Madalyonun İçi into a long-form television narrative centered on Han, İnci, Safiye, Gülben and Neriman. Screenwriter Deniz Madanoğlu says that Gülben was made more romantic, Neriman’s age was lowered and Han’s fictional journey was developed separately.
From psychiatric experience to fiction
Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu’s book presents people’s psychological struggles in story form, drawing on her psychiatric practice. TRT also describes the series as based on a real-life story. This general connection does not establish that each character corresponds to a specific real person.
Trauma, family responsibility and healing
The series focuses on how childhood experiences shape adult relationships and behavior. The screenwriter describes the story as examining family relationships, trust and the effects of pressure on women.
Production context
Masumlar Apartmanı was produced by OGM Pictures, directed by Çağrı Vila Lostuvalı and written by Deniz Madanoğlu and Rana Mamatlıoğlu for TRT 1.
Frequently asked questions
How many episodes is The Innocents?
The Innocents has 71 episodes across 2 seasons.
When did The Innocents air?
The Innocents first aired in 2020 on TRT 1.
Who is in the cast of The Innocents?
The main cast includes Birkan Sokullu (Han Derenoğlu), Ezgi Mola (Safiye Derenoğlu/Ataç), Merve Dizdar (Gülben Derenoğlu/Bilen), Gizem Katmer (Neriman Derenoğlu), Metin Coşkun (Hikmet Derenoğlu), Esra Ruşan (Esra Şafak).
Sources
- Masumlar Apartmanı — TRT 1
- Masumlar Apartmanı — OGM Pictures
- Deniz Madanoğlu: “Asıl merak uyandıran, sessizlerin hikâyesi” — Episode Dergi
- Madalyonun İçi — Bir Psikiyatrın Not Defterinden — Remzi Kitabevi
