Bay Yanlis is guaranteed to get you rolling with laughter in this light hearted comedy. Consider it the perfect 21st century reincarnation of the old Doris Day and Rock Hudson movies from the 20th century! Read the details in this no-spoiler review.
• Format: Turkish Comedy Series
• Number of episodes: 14
• Genre: Rom Com
• Lead actors: Can Yaman as Ozgur Atasoy, and Ozge Gurel as Ezgi Inal
• Ending: Happy
• Air date: 2020
• English title: Mr. Wrong
• Where to watch Bay Yanlis full episodes with English subtitles-- see my blog post "Where to watch Turkish Drama with English subtitles."
Synopsis
Ezgi is a gal who has already gone through more relationships than most people could endure over a lifetime. She seeks the perfect man, but due to her personality, she puts the men in her life above herself, thus dooming each of her relationships to failure.
New neighbor Ozgur is a muscle-bound lady’s man whose idea of a long relationship is breakfast with his date after a one night stand. He offers to help Ezgi find the perfect man and coach her how to manage that relationship successfully.
What starts as an initial friendship plummets the highs and lows of emotions as both characters keep their hidden mutual attraction to themselves.
What I loved:
Well written script
Sometimes you think you’ve seen it all on TV, but the writers of Bay Yanlis blew the roof off the house with clever ideas as they took the script in unimaginable directions. My favorite diversion happened when Ezgi and Ozgur found themselves stranded on an island with little more than shelter over their heads while surrounded by goats, goats, and more goats. For those who remember I Love Lucy, not even Lucy Ricardo could make you roll so hard with laughter as Ezgi and Ozgur accomplished in this episode.
Great chemistry
At first glance, Ezgi and Ozgur appeared to be total opposites in life as well as in romance. With great acting and a tremendous script, the two were able to pull off great chemistry that built through each of the 14 episodes.
Incredible balance of complementary personalities
Bay Yanlis could not have been so successful without its strong number of truly sensational supporting actors. Every one brought great acting to the story, while the scripts allowed them to showcase their own talents. This true team effort was what made the series so spectacular. Several characters linger in mind as exceptional:
Cansu (Fatma Totaş), Ezgi’s cousin: Don’t let her incredible looks make you overlook her sensational acting through the series.
Ozan (Serkay Tütüncü), Ozgur's chef and business partner.
Other noteworthy acting performances:
Sarp Can Koroglu who played Serdar, Ezgi’s love interest.
Cemre Gumeli who, as Ezgi’s close friend, portrayed a stunning growth of personality as her story lines progressed.
Serhat Paril who was cast as Ozgur's antithesis, Tolga. His devilish personality brought humor and excitement to the production.
Gurgen Oz who played Levent, love interest to Cansu. His crazy antics were so well choreographed, he was a pleasure to watch in spite of his loony character.
Magnificent scenes shot outside Istanbul
The series was shot almost entirely in and around Istanbul. However, several scenes were shot a few hours southeast of the city. Ezgi’s parents owned a restaurant where many scenes were shot, and it was located along the road to Ozgur's family home a bit further out. A few scenes were shot along the river in the area, as well as on a small island which was home to the goats, goats, and more goats.
What I wasn’t so fond of:
A very abrupt ending
In spite of very high viewer ratings, the series was canceled abruptly while episode 14 was being shot. Originally planned as a 29 episode series, the final episode apparently required a quick re-write of the final 10 or 15 minutes. Although Bay Yanlis appeared to conclude with all loose ends tied up, the script completely fizzled out and lost its magic.
A change in direction to the story line midway through the series
This sensational comedy began as a journey about love and romance highlighted by the emotional connection between Ezgi and Ozgur. Midway through the series, Tolga was introduced as Ozgur’s friend yet at the same time his business rival. At this point, the romance connection between Ezgi and Ozgur seemed to take second place to the business shenanigans between the two rivaling friends. In this reviewer’s opinion, this misdirection in story line should have been capped much sooner, as it became stale.
Conclusion
I am clearly dating myself by saying my favorite comedy of all times was the Mary Tyler Moore Show of the 1970's. It was the epitome of comedy in this reviewer’s opinion. It seemed everything else was simply slapstick by comparison. I pretty much gave up on ever watching a comedy again …. until Bay Yanlis burst on the scene with incredible reviews. I loved it from the start. I was hooked. The scripts were on par with the old MTM scripts, and perhaps better at times. The acting was amazing. Every key actor brought perfection to the screen. If this is what comedy is going to be like for the rest of the 21st century, then count me in. I’m hooked!
Enjoy!
Mark
Copyright @ 2020 Mark Lauderdale Article reprint policy
Post Script
-Love Can Yaman? Check out my Erkenci Kus Episode Guide.
-Enjoy the Bay Yanlis trailer with English subtitles below!
Special thanks to Mark Lauderdale for his guest review!
Married for nearly 50 years, Mark Lauderdale works as a part time travel agent from his Fort Lauderdale, FL, home along with his wife Susan. The retired teachers have visited every continent and over 100 countries.
New to Turkish Drama, his addiction has encouraged the couple to book their third visit to Turkey in the spring as they travel around the Black Sea.
Also a professional photographer, Mark is hoping for an opportunity to conduct a few photo shoots with his favorite Turkish TV stars, as well as capture the beauty and mystery of Istanbul and the rest of Turkey.
Mark’s greatest achievement might be that he dropped 75 lbs at the age of 66 and the honour of being Florida’s Inspirational Athlete of the Year for the National Bodybuilding Organization. One year later he become the oldest man in history to compete on the stage at Nationals for Men’s Physique, just missing a pro card by 2 positions.
Mark would love to hear from you at MarkLauderdalePhotography@gmail.com.