Time Goes By (2010–2013)
Time Goes By is a Turkish drama series broadcast on Kanal D, first aired in 2010–2013. In 1960s Istanbul, the return of seafaring captain Ali Akarsu disrupts his family’s established life. After Ali’s relationship with Caroline and the ensuing separation, Cemile and her four children try to keep the family together as the story moves through the social and political atmosphere of the 1970s and later years.
Time Goes By cast: Ayça Bingöl (Cemile Akarsu), Wilma Elles (Caroline Enke- Akarsu), Yıldız Çağrı Atiksoy (Berrin Akarsu), Aras Bulut İynemli (Mete Akarsu), Farah Zeynep Abdullah (Aylin Akarsu), Meral Çetinkaya (Hasefe Akarsu).
Detailed content was compiled from sources with AI; pending editorial review. Editor: Uğur Arı.
Plot
Ali Akarsu is a sea captain who spends long periods away on voyages. His wife Cemile and their children Berrin, Aylin, Mete and Osman maintain their life in Istanbul while waiting for his returns. Their discovery of Ali’s relationship with another woman, Caroline, changes the family irreversibly. Cemile struggles to build a new life with her children, while each child experiences the family’s rupture differently. Berrin’s university life and political awareness, Mete’s anger, Aylin’s complicated relationship with Soner and Osman’s child’s-eye perspective connect the family drama to the changing social and political climate of Turkey. Across three seasons and 120 episodes, the series follows the characters’ growth, the transformation of their relationships and the family’s confrontation with the past.
Origins of the story
Adaptation status
No verified official adaptation from a novel, short story, book, film, series, play, memoir or historical work was found in the consulted sources.
Connection to reality
The screenwriter Coşkun Irmak stated in an interview that the character of Osman was connected to his own childhood and that the series carried traces of his life. He also stated that the story was not literally true. The series should therefore be understood as a fictional narrative inspired by the screenwriter’s experiences, not as a complete biography of a real family.
Inspirations and influences
Osman Akarsu → Coşkun Irmak’s childhood
Confirmed by a creator or official sourceAccording to an interview attributed to Coşkun Irmak, the character Osman carries traces of the screenwriter’s own childhood and life; the narrative is not literally true.
Confirmed by creator
Limit of the evidence: The statement concerns Osman and the screenwriter’s childhood; it does not establish that the other characters were based on real people.
Trailer
Details
- Year
- 2010–2013
- Channel
- Kanal D
- Genre
- drama
- Seasons
- 3
- Episodes
- 120
- Rating
- 7.5
Cast
Character Map
Hero
- ↳ Berrin Akarsu — parent
- ↳ Aylin Akarsu — parent
- ↳ Mete Akarsu — parent
- ↳ Osman Akarsu — parent
- ↳ Arif — partner
- ↳ Ahmet — partner
- ↳ Soner Talaşoğlu — partner
Anti-hero
- ↳ Cemile Akarsu — spouse
- ↳ Caroline — partner
- ↳ Berrin Akarsu — parent
- ↳ Aylin Akarsu — parent
- ↳ Mete Akarsu — parent
- ↳ Osman Akarsu — parent
Antagonist
Supporting
- ↳ Cemile Akarsu — relative
- ↳ Berrin Akarsu — relative
- ↳ Aylin Akarsu — relative
- ↳ Mete Akarsu — relative
- ↳ Osman Akarsu — relative
What's in this series?
Historical background from the 1960s to the 1980s
The series begins in 1960s Istanbul and places its family conflict alongside the political tensions of the 1970s and the social changes of later years. Berrin’s university storyline connects the family drama with youth movements of the period. Academic studies examine the series not only as a nostalgic family story but also through its representation of the period atmosphere, class relations and social identities.
Family, gender and women’s struggle
Cemile’s effort to remain economically and socially resilient after the breakdown of her family is one of the series’ central axes. Academic analyses discuss how women in the series remain surrounded by traditional patriarchal patterns while also challenging those patterns through decision-making, work and solidarity within the family.
A period drama and international circulation
The series was broadcast on Kanal D for three seasons and is presented in Kanal D’s international catalogue under the title “Time Goes By” as a 120 x 108-minute production. The official international catalogue emphasizes its family-centered period-drama identity and large ensemble cast.
Academic reception and the use of space
Academic studies argue that homes, neighborhoods and other living spaces function as more than settings: they make the characters’ social positions, family relationships and identity formation visible. The series therefore constructs its period atmosphere not only through costumes and dates but also through the social functions of its spaces.
Frequently asked questions
How many episodes is Time Goes By?
Time Goes By has 120 episodes across 3 seasons.
When did Time Goes By air?
Time Goes By first aired in 2010–2013 on Kanal D.
Who is in the cast of Time Goes By?
The main cast includes Ayça Bingöl (Cemile Akarsu), Wilma Elles (Caroline Enke- Akarsu), Yıldız Çağrı Atiksoy (Berrin Akarsu), Aras Bulut İynemli (Mete Akarsu), Farah Zeynep Abdullah (Aylin Akarsu), Meral Çetinkaya (Hasefe Akarsu).
Sources
- Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman Ki dizisi resmî Kanal D sayfası — Kanal D
- Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman Ki bölüm özetleri — Kanal D
- Time Goes By / Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman Ki — Kanal D International
- Kanal D International katalogu — Kanal D International
- Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman Ki Dizisinin Künyesi — Marmara Üniversitesi Kütüphane ve Dokümantasyon Daire Başkanlığı
- 'Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman ki'nin senaristi: Osman benim — Ensonhaber
- “Küçük Osman” gerçekmiş açıklamasının röportaj aktarımı — Magazinkolik
- Yıldızlaşmış Tasarı Mekânlar: Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman Ki — Akademik Sanat
- Televizyon Dizilerinde Kadının Temsili: Öyle Bir Geçer Zamanki Örneği — Erciyes Üniversitesi AVESİS
- “Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman Ki” Dizisi Örneğinde Yabancı Kadının Temsili — International Journal of Communication and Media Research
