Netflix has another Turkish original breaking out globally. Not a Stranger (local title Seni Tanıyorum) launched on September 17, 2026, and has done what most regional titles never do: grow sharply in its second week rather than fade.
Created and written by Tuğba Doğan and directed by Mert Baykal, the eight-episode psychological thriller stars Elçin Sangu, Melis Sezen and Ozan Dolunay. The story follows a love triangle in which a woman begins to take over the life of the artist who paints her.
The number behind the momentum
In its opening week, the series entered Netflix’s non-English TV chart at No. 2 with 4.6 million completed views. In week two, it climbed to No. 1 with 9.7 million completed views — a 111% jump. In hours, it moved from 31.1 million to 65.7 million. Across ten days, that is 14.3 million completed views.
Where the audience came from
FlixPatrol data shows the title has spread far beyond Turkey:
- No. 1 in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Morocco and Saudi Arabia, among dozens of markets across Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
- No. 3 in the United States and Canada.
- No. 4 in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Why it matters for planners
For media planners and entertainment marketers, the most useful signal is not the debut. It is the second-week acceleration. A regional original that grows in week two is behaving like a word-of-mouth hit rather than a front-loaded release, which changes how you might benchmark it for reach planning.
The series is also performing strongly against Old Money, which was renewed for a second season and is considered one of the bigger regional titles in some time. According to the source, Not a Stranger is the most-watched Turkish series released on a Thursday in Netflix data going back to 2022. It still trails all-time non-English Top 10 entries La Palma and Teach You a Lesson, which hold the No. 8 and No. 10 spots.
What to watch next
Netflix typically waits 28 to 60 days to evaluate completion before announcing renewal decisions. Season two chatter in Turkey is loud, especially after the open-ended finale, but there is no official confirmation yet. An announcement could land in late October or November if the completion data holds.
For slate and inventory planning, treat the week-two curve as the headline number, not the launch position.
Source: What’s on Netflix
