DECONSTRUCTION OF THE HISTORY IN THE SAMPLE OF POPULAR TELEVISION SERIALTHE MAGNIFICENT CENTURY

Abstract

There is a conceptual difference between history and writing about history itself. The relationship betwe- en history and history writing is constantly manipulated by the political powers and social groups in- volved and the media. For this reason, while there is only one historical passage there may exist manydifferent accounts of it. Today, the media is undeniably one of the most important elements in writing/ rewriting history and television is one of the most powerful and effective tools of the mass media. Televi- sion broadcasting claims to deal with history objectively through programmes such news programmes,documentary and discussion programmes. However, television can also reach and influence a massiveamount of audience through historical series. The Magnificent Century, a historical fiction televisionseries that has started in recent times, gives an account of the reign of Kanuni Süleyman, one of themost important Ottoman Sultans. The series has a considerably big audience potential in Turkey and inforeign countries. The way history is presented, the way historical events, concepts and individuals areretold in The Magnificent Century TV series, have become a focal point of discussion not only for socialgroups but also for parliament members. This study aims to offer a viewpoint about the relationshipbetween history and the mass media by applying a deconstructive approach to the historical receptioncreated by the TV series The Magnificent Century. The study results show that historical reality can bedeconstructed by historical serials.