Asian dramas spread across the world through Turkish remakes

ISTANBUL -- Amid harsh domestic competition, Turkish television producers are hunting the world for original and appealing content to remake dramas in Turkey, including from places like South Korea and Japan. Some remade dramas have gained worldwide popularity and generated significant additional revenue for their original producers.

"Bahar," this year's top performer on Turkish channels, was marketed internationally as "Blooming Lady." It is based on South Korea's "Doctor Cha," which was screened there last year and is also available globally on Netflix. The first 16-episode season of "Bahar" was a massive hit, topping Turkish ratings in all episodes but the first.