Leyla and Mecnun (Leyla ile Mecnun) (translated)

Leyla ile Mecnun (Leyla and Mecnun) is a Turkish absurdist comedy series produced by Eflatun Film, created and written by Burak Aksak and directed by Onur Ünlü. Set in Istanbul, it builds a surreal parody on the legendary love story of Layla and Majnun, layering absurd humour, science-fiction touches and situation comedy on top of the classic tale.

The show premiered on TRT 1 on 9 February 2011 and ran its first three seasons there until 2013, when it was taken off the air without a proper finale. Eight years later it was revived on the streaming platform Exxen, where seasons 4 through 7 were released between 2021 and 2023; in total the series spanned seven seasons and concluded with its 144th episode.

Ali Atay leads a cast that includes Ezgi Asaroğlu, Zeynep Çamcı, Müge Boz, Melis Birkan, Deniz Işın, Köksal Engür, Serkan Keskin, Cengiz Bozkurt, Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan and Osman Sonant. Widely praised by critics and the winner of several awards, the show has endured as a cult favourite thanks to its singular comic voice.