Moles (Cartoon Series)

Köstebekgiller is a Turkish television series that blends animation and live-action genres, first broadcast on TRT Çocuk on 16 September 2010. Produced by Arzum Film Animasyon, it is the first Turkish series to feature live-action actors alongside animated characters. Written by Arzu Yurtseven and Murat Ferhat and directed by Ömer Gökhan Erkut, the series aired for eight seasons and 104 episodes between 2010 and 2018. The main cast includes İnci Türkay, Reyhan Asena Keskinci, Yiğit Ege Yazar and the animated characters.

Plot

The series tells the story of a girl named Pelin and her neighbor Caner, who live in a neighborhood in Istanbul. Pelin meets a family of moles called Köstebekgiller in her garden. The family consists of Dede, Baba, Anne, Boyo, Süslü and Bebi. After their burrows are destroyed due to human activity, the Köstebekgiller move under a tree in Caner’s garden. While Pelin helps the moles, Caner suspects their presence and tries to uncover what they are hiding. Each episode intertwines the underground life of the Köstebekgiller with the surface adventures of Pelin and Caner.

Themes

The series explores themes of friendship, solidarity, environmental awareness and family bonds. The destruction of the Köstebekgiller’s burrows by human activity draws attention to the relationship between nature and humans. Pelin’s assistance to the moles emphasizes themes of mutual aid and understanding between different species. Caner’s mischievous behavior and his conflicts with Pelin gradually evolve into friendship, conveying messages of personal growth and reconciliation. The underground life of the Köstebekgiller highlights teamwork and family unity. The series imparts values of environmental sensitivity and empathy to children.

Production

The series was produced by Arzum Film Animasyon and premiered on TRT Çocuk on 16 September 2010. The production, which combines live-action actors with animated characters, is notable for requiring one month to film the live-action scenes and one and a half months to produce the animated segments per episode. Filming took place in studios and outdoor locations in Istanbul. The screenplay was written by Arzu Yurtseven and Murat Ferhat. The music was composed to match the series’ adventurous and comedic tone.

Characters and Voice Cast

• Ceyda – İnci Türkay
• Pelin – Reyhan Asena Keskinci
• Caner – Yiğit Ege Yazar
• Salih – Orhan Aydın
• Aslan – Oğuz Oktay
• Çağlar – Cem Kılıç
• Eda – Emel Çölgeçen
• Professor Fikri Güzel – Jess Molho
• Müjde – Gözde Kısa
• Volkan – Can Bartu Aslan
• Feride – Uğur Kıvılcım
• Alican – Ahmet Öztürk
• Sevgi – Deniz Özerman
• Gürkan – Ruhi Sarı
• Mother Mole – Ezel Kalkan
• Father Mole – Hakan Akın
• Grandfather Mole – Salahsun Hekimoğlu
• Boyo – Mustafa Oral
• Bebi / Süslü – Gizem Gülen
• Kösteban – Mehmet Ali
• Uncle Köstan – Ahmet Abasıyanık