The series is a surreal, absurdist comedy parody based on the classic Persian/Arabic poetic love story of Layla and Majnun, adapted into a modern Istanbul neighborhood setting.
After the original series ended in 2013, a planned feature film using the same script was abandoned when some cast members left the project.
After an eight-year hiatus, the show was revived in 2021 on the streaming platform Exxen at the request of platform owner Acun Ilıcalı, with the same cast returning for new seasons.
Screenwriter Burak Aksak published a book version of Leyla ile Mecnun in April 2018, stating it contains a different ending than the TV series.
The unbroadcast intended finale reveals that the entire series was actually the imagination of a permanently bedridden, mute child Mecnun who had a childhood accident; each character symbolically represents something from his real life, such as Dede being a doctor's syringe, Ismail being a goldfish in his bowl, Yavuz being the shadow of tree leaves waving through his window, and Leyla being a first-grade crush he never actually saw or spoke to.
This unbroadcast finale concept was not actually the screenwriter's original planned ending but was devised by lead actor Ali Atay together with director Onur Ünlü as the best solution under the circumstances at the time.
A short version of the unbroadcast finale scene was later revealed in the 107th episode (season 4) of the revived series, framed as a parallel universe explained to Mecnun by the character Dede.
The character Ismail Abi was so popular that starting January 1, 2013, spin-off mini-series 'İsmail Abi'nin Genleri' and 'Herkese Benden Çay', featuring only segments with that character, aired on TRT1 and were very well received.
In March 2013, the cast formed an alternative rock band called 'Leyla The Band', with Ali Atay on vocals, Serkan Keskin on bass, Osman Sonant on keyboards, Onur Ünlü on drums, and other cast members on additional instruments, touring various cities while the show was still airing.
After the show's abrupt cancellation, a planned open-air season finale viewing party at KüçükÇiftlik Park turned into a farewell concert attended by seven thousand people on September 16, 2013, with nearly the entire cast performing except Cengiz Bozkurt, who was filming a movie at the time.
In 2016, the series scored 9.2/10 on IMDb based on over 62,000 votes, placing it in the site's top 10 TV series list and making it the first Turkish show to surpass big-budget series like House and Lost in that ranking, despite never being officially marketed abroad.
While airing on TRT1, the show repeatedly trended as one of the most-discussed topics worldwide on Twitter during its broadcast day and time slot.
During the second season in September 2011, actor Ushan Çakır (who played Arda) was reported to have physically assaulted actress Ezgi Asaroğlu (who played Leyla) on set, choking her and dragging her by the hair; a forensic report confirmed injuries beyond minor harm, leading to a court case where Çakır was convicted of intentional injury and fined, while co-star Beste Bereket was acquitted of incitement due to insufficient evidence.
Following the on-set violence incident, production company Eflatun Film dismissed Asaroğlu after she rejected the company's calls for reconciliation, sparking public backlash; further controversy arose when director Onur Ünlü was later photographed posing with Çakır at the premiere of his film Celal Tan ve Ailesinin Aşırı Acıklı Hikayesi.
The show was pulled from TRT1 in August 2013 amid reports that the cast's public support for the Gezi Park protests had caused friction with TRT management, though TRT officially attributed the cancellation to ratings and budget issues; the matter was even raised as a formal question in the Turkish Parliament by CHP deputy Candan Yüceer.
Following the cancellation, nearly the same cast produced a spin-off series called 'Ben de Özledim' (2013-2014) about a cast and crew whose show gets cancelled, whose first episode depicted the intended finale of Leyla ile Mecnun, but this spin-off itself was cancelled after only 13 episodes.
