The popular Turkish series "Behzat C: An Ankara Detective Story" has been revived for a new season, slated to premier this month on the streaming site BluTV, with Netflix currently streaming the original three seasons.

Past episodes are fascinating to watch in light of the sweeping cultural and political changes that have taken place in Turkey over the past decade.

When "Behzat C" first aired in the fall of 2010, Turkey harbored a more optimistic atmosphere, fueled by recent years of economic growth and a positive global reputation as a model for the Middle East, as shortsighted as that may have been. The show ended in May 2013, just before the Gezi Park protests and the harsh crackdown that followed — the beginning of more than half a decade of political turmoil, encompassing terror attacks, a failed coup, widespread internal strife, the transformation of Turkey's political system, a deep economic recession and relentless political pressure on the media, academia and civil society.

"Behzat C" routinely showcased politically charged themes that are unlikely to be featured on today's mainstream television, which has been shaped by the authoritarian leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Episodes featured police violently suppressing workers’ strikes, residents of slum neighborhoods resisting the demolition of their homes and the murder of a university professor who specialized in minority issues (a nod to the 2007 assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink). Moreover, the show is rife with foul language, violence and copious drinking, which resulted in heavy state censoring during its original run.