Uzak Şehir ratings drop: Will season 3 be its last?
Uzak Şehir has returned for its third season, but its first ratings have surprised the Turkish television industry and raised questions about what comes next for the hit drama.
The new broadcasting season is now underway, with returning favorites and new series arriving one after another. So far, Tuzlu Kahve is reportedly the main show giving producers and broadcasters something to celebrate, while several other productions have struggled to make the expected impact.
That makes the situation surrounding Uzak Şehir even more surprising. Güller ve Günahlar and Sevdiğim Sensin both performed strongly last year, setting high expectations for the new season. Against that backdrop, Uzak Şehir opening its third season with noticeably lower numbers caught the industry off guard. There is still hope that ratings could improve this week as schools reopen and viewers return to their regular routines.
Ratings Nearly Cut in Half
The Season 3 premiere still finished at the top of its night, but the numbers were significantly lower than what the series had achieved previously.
The first episode recorded 7.65 in Total, 6.00 in AB and 6.93 in ABC1. By comparison, Uzak Şehir had finished its previous season with ratings close to 11, making the new opening a major drop.
The decline is particularly noticeable because the drama had established itself as one of the strongest performers on Turkish television during its second season.
Despite the fall, Uzak Şehir still ranked first in all three audience categories on premiere night.
Other Shows Enter the Competition
The competition is also becoming tougher as more productions return to television.
The 14th episode of Altı Üstü İstanbul ranked second in Total with 6.76, third in AB with 3.89, and second in ABC1 with 5.51.
Meanwhile, the second episode of Evlilik Güzeldir recorded 2.13 in Total, 3.06 in AB and 2.85 in ABC1.
With more shows joining the race, Uzak Şehir will have to hold onto its audience as viewers decide which dramas will become part of their regular weekly schedules.
Will Season 3 Be the Last?
For now, there is no confirmed decision that Season 3 will be the final season of Uzak Şehir.
The ratings drop is certainly something the production and broadcaster will be watching closely, but one season premiere does not determine a show’s future. The coming episodes will give a clearer picture of whether the audience returns or whether the decline continues.
For now, the drama remains on air and its third season is moving forward.
The question is whether Uzak Şehir can regain the audience that made it such a major ratings force last season — or whether the new television competition will make that increasingly difficult.
