The Bad Penny (2021)
The Bad Penny is a Turkish action, drama, crime series broadcast on Show TV, first aired in 2021. Kartal, the crime leader of Çıngıraklı, a distinctive Romani neighborhood, and Efe, a daring Organized Crime Bureau detective, must temporarily set aside their rivalry to investigate a series of murders. The investigation leads them to a wider threat connected to the neighborhood’s power structure and their shared past.
The Bad Penny cast: Uraz Kaygılaroğlu (Kartal), Ekin Koç (Efe), Aslıhan Malbora (Leyla), Nesrin Cavadzade (Bahar), Mustafa Kırantepe (Ruşen), Uğur Yıldıran (Sesu).
Detailed content was compiled from sources with AI; pending editorial review. Editor: Uğur Arı.
Plot
Produced by Ay Yapım, the series begins with the conflict between Kartal, the crime leader and protector of Çıngıraklı, and Efe, a bold and rule-breaking detective in the Organized Crime Bureau. When a serial killer begins targeting the neighborhood and attacks Kartal as well, his authority is shaken. Efe is forced to cooperate with Kartal to find the killer. As the investigation develops, İrfan’s hidden past, his shared history with Kartal and the criminal connections surrounding Çıngıraklı are revealed. Kartal’s family, Efe’s professional circle and the neighborhood’s alliances become part of the same confrontation. The series concluded with its 28th episode.
Origins of the story
Adaptation status
The reviewed Ay Yapım and Show TV credits do not identify a source novel, story, book, film, series, play, memoir or historical work. This does not conclusively prove that no adaptation relationship exists.
Connection to reality
No direct statement was found in the reviewed official sources that the series was based on a true story, real person or specific historical case. It is presented as a fictional crime and police drama set in the fictional neighborhood of Çıngıraklı.
Trailer
Details
- Year
- 2021–2022
- Channel
- Show TV
- Genre
- action, drama, crime
- Seasons
- 1
- Episodes
- 28
- Rating
- 7.9
Cast
Character Map
Hero
- ↳ Leyla Çaka — partner
Anti-hero
- ↳ Efe — enemy
- ↳ Efe — ally
- ↳ Leyla Çaka — sibling
- ↳ Bahar — spouse
- ↳ Neriman — relative
- ↳ Oktay — parent
- ↳ Ruşen — ally
- ↳ Şesu — ally
Antagonist
- ↳ Kartal Çaka — enemy
- ↳ Kartal Çaka — enemy
- ↳ Efe — enemy
Supporting
- ↳ Kılıç — enemy
- ↳ Kartal Çaka — ally
Character
What's in this series?
Identity, belonging and othering
In a Show TV cast interview, Üç Kuruş is described as a series in which marginalized people may recognize part of themselves and which questions identity, status, superior-subordinate relations and the division between “us” and “others” in society.
The Romani neighborhood context
The official descriptions present Çıngıraklı as a Romani neighborhood with its own rules and distinctive social structure. The sources do not identify it as a specific real neighborhood or connect the plot to a real case, so it should be treated as a fictional dramatic setting.
Production context
Üç Kuruş was produced by Ay Yapım and broadcast on Show TV. It was directed by Sinan Öztürk and credited to writers Damla Serim, Murat Uyurkulak, Eset Akçilad and Berrin Tekdemir. The series ended with its 28th episode.
The crime conflict leading to the finale
Show TV’s episode archive shows the story developing from the initial Kartal-Efe investigation partnership toward the power struggle surrounding Kılıç and Baybars, followed by the final confrontation between Kartal and Kılıç. The police mystery thus expands into a broader conflict involving family, neighborhood and criminal networks.
Frequently asked questions
How many episodes is The Bad Penny?
The Bad Penny has 28 episodes across 1 seasons.
When did The Bad Penny air?
The Bad Penny first aired in 2021 on Show TV.
Who is in the cast of The Bad Penny?
The main cast includes Uraz Kaygılaroğlu (Kartal), Ekin Koç (Efe), Aslıhan Malbora (Leyla), Nesrin Cavadzade (Bahar), Mustafa Kırantepe (Ruşen), Uğur Yıldıran (Sesu).
Sources
- ÜÇ KURUŞ — Ay Yapım
- Üç Kuruş dizisi oyuncuları kimdir? — Show TV
- Üç Kuruş Tüm Bölümler Showtv.com.tr'de! — Show TV
- Üç Kuruş'un oyuncuları diziyi anlattı! — Show TV
- Üç Kuruş 28. Bölüm (Final) — Show TV
- Üç Kuruş'ta çok konuşulacak evlilik! — Show TV
- Üç Kuruş 4. Bölüm: Kartal ve Bahar evleniyor! — Show TV
- Üç Kuruş 21. Bölüm Fragmanı — Show TV
- Üç Kuruş 22. Bölüm: Kılıç ile Baybars'ın Şahin planı! — Show TV
