Marriage shows, in good times and in bad times

Matchmaking shows continue to rack in viewers after a solid decade of on-screen matrimonial excitement. Recorded live in a studio, and sometimes lasting for hours, participants hope to leave the show with a wedding band, while the audience becomes part of the excitement When you take a look at any TV screen around Turkey in the afternoon, and the numbers showing the viewers, you undoubtedly feel the presence of a collective rush to marry off everyone in the country.

Matchmaking (or more precisely, marriage) shows don't seem to be losing their appeal, with new ones popping up after the cancelation of others over the past decade.

"?zdivaç" (an old-fashioned term for marriage), "Su Gibi" (Like Water), "Dünya Evi" (another term for marriage), "Ne Ç?karsa Baht?na" (Luck of the Draw) and "Hayat Sevince Güzel" (Life is Beautiful When in Love) are some of the names of these marriage shows, some cancelled, other continuing to generate sometimes as many as a million viewers.

A few of these shows come with a unique concept, like one of the oldest of these shows, "Gelinim Olur musun?" (Would You Be My Daughter-in-Law?), and others emphasize the presenter "Esra Erol'da Evlen Benimle" (Marry me on Esra Erol's Show). Erol, in fact, is the most popular of these presenters, changing shows, and channels, but continuing her solid role as an on-screen cupid.

The more the formats change, the more they remain the same. Participants have a few minutes to present themselves to their prospective partners and the audience, and also state what they are looking for in a marriage partner. Sometimes the viewers are encouraged to become part of the matchmaking process through SMS messages.

The shows generally take place in a studio, in...