Portrait of a Scandalous Family

In 1911 on the island of Büyükada, a respected retired commander and history writer, Şakir Paşa, keeps his family together in an old villa while the world around them is shifting. His eldest son, Cevat, returns from Oxford with an Italian wife and a bohemian outlook that clashes with his father's strict military values. Tensions grow as private desires and social expectations collide, and an infatuation between Cevat's wife and the elder Şakir Paşa sets off events that fracture the household. The series follows the immediate fallout in that household and the ways those rifts ripple outward, setting the scene for later generations who would leave a mark on the cultural landscape.

Released in 2024, the show was created by Hande Altaylı and directed by Bahadır Karataş. The principal cast includes Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu as Cevat Şakir, Fırat Tanış as Şakir Paşa, Vahide Perçin as İsmet, Nilsu Berfin Aktaş as Ayşe, and Helin Kandemir as Sümbül, with the story rooted in real historical figures.

As of its release the series has not picked up major industry awards or prominent festival prizes. There are no widely reported Emmy, Golden Globe, or similar nominations linked to the show at this time.

By dramatizing a scandal that touches on honor, sexuality, and artistic inheritance, the series has reintroduced the Şakir Paşa family to contemporary viewers and raised interest in the social tensions of late Ottoman Istanbul. It prompted conversations about how private behavior and public reputation interacted in elite circles, and it highlights the ways scandal can reshape a family's public story.

Critical and audience reaction has been mixed to negative, with very low user ratings in some venues. Viewers and critics who engage with the series often note its focus on generational conflict, clashes between conservatism and bohemian life, and the emergence of artistic identities from personal upheaval. The show leans heavily on character friction and period detail to carry its dramatic weight.