Salatut elämät is a Finnish

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

 30-minute long soap opera

Soap opera

A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...

 broadcast on MTV3

MTV3

MTV3 is a Finnish commercial television station owned by Bonnier. It had the biggest audience share of all Finnish TV channels until Finnish Broadcasting Company’s YLE1 took the lead. The letters MTV stand for Mainos-TV , due to the channel getting its revenue from running commercials...

. It was the first Finnish daily soap opera. Its first episode aired on January 25, 1999. On August 17, 2009, it was announced that Salatut elämät will be on the air until the spring 2015 making the series the second longest-lasting drama series of all time in Finland.

MTV3 also airs reruns of the series every weekend (Monday-Wednesday episodes on Saturday, Thursday-Friday episodes on Sunday). In the summer, the channel airs reruns of the series; in the summer of 2011, episodes from the season 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 are aired.

Themes

Salatut elämät follows the daily lives of several families, living in the same apartment block in Helsinki

Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

. The series has dealt with subjects such as abortion

Abortion

Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...

, drug abuse

Drug abuse

Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...

, alcoholism

Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...

, homosexuality

Homosexuality

Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...

, incest

Incest

Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...

, animal rights

Animal rights

Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...

, religious fanaticism

Religious fanaticism

Religious fanaticism is fanaticism related to a person's, or a group's, devotion to a religion. However, religious fanaticism is a subjective evaluation defined by the culture context that is performing the evaluation. What constitutes fanaticism in another's behavior or belief is determined by the...

, gambling addiction, teenage pregnancy, narcissistic personality disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder is a personality disorder in which the individual is described as being excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power, prestige and vanity...

 and its effects to the family, the search of biological parents, stealing and racism

Racism

Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...

, and therefore caused public debate.

An exceptionally widespread controversy was started by the season finale aired on June 1, 2009. In the episode, a pregnant woman was buried alive

Premature burial

Premature burial, also known as live burial, burial alive, or vivisepulture, means to be buried while still alive. Animals or humans may be buried alive accidentally or intentionally...

, and a café exploded during a wedding celebration, impliedly killing many of the main characters. Many, including Finland's minister of communications Suvi Lindén, questioned the show's suitability for school children. FICORA (Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority) decided later that the episode wasn't suitable for children under 11 years old, but the show's programming slot was late enough to meet the regulations.

Theme song

The original theme song was called Tunteisiin and performed by Anna Hanski but in 2001 the theme was changed to a version performed by Jore Marjaranta. In 2004, the theme song was replaced by an electronic version of the theme music.

Television ratings

Since its first episode aired in January 1999, it has been one of the most popular TV shows in Finland, regularly attracting around a million

Million

One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...

 viewers (1/5 of Finland's population). At the moment Salatut elämät is the highest-rated drama series in Finland.

Season	Episodes	Timeslot	Season premiere	Season finale	TV season	Most-watched episode (million viewers)
1.	89	Weekdays 7:30 p.m.	January 25, 1999	June 3, 1999	1999	1.191
2.	123		TBA	May 10, 2000	1999–2000	1.216
3.	168		September 4, 2000	May 14, 2001	2000–2001	1.360
4.	170		August 20, 2001	May 3, 2002	2001–2002	1.308
5.	165		September 2, 2002	May 16, 2003	2002–2003	1.294
6.	160		September 1, 2003	May 6, 2004	2003–2004	1.150
7.	150		September 6, 2004	April 27, 2005	2004–2005	1.226
8.	150	Weekdays 7:30 p.m. (fall 2005) Mondays – Thursdays 7:30 p.m. (spring 2006)	August 30, 2005	May 29, 2006	2005–2006	1.160
9.	150	Mondays–Thursdays 7:30 p.m.	August 14, 2006	May 24, 2007	2006–2007	1.105
10.	190	Weekdays 7:30 p.m.	August 20, 2007	June 4, 2008	2007–2008	1.033
11.	190		August 18, 2008	June 1, 2009	2008–2009	1.043
12.	180		August 24, 2009	May 31, 2010	2009–2010	1.063
13.	180		August 30, 2010	May 27, 2011	2010–2011	0.937
14.	TBA		August 29, 2011	Spring, 2012	2011−2012

Regular cast members

Actor	Character	Duration
Jarmo Koski Jarmo Koski Jarmo Koski is a Finnish actor. He stars as Seppo Taalasmaa in the half-hour soap opera Salatut Elämät.- Dubbed movies, Finnish voice :He's also a voice actor for children cartoons and animated movies :...	Seppo Taalasmaa	1999–present
Esko Kovero Esko Kovero Esko Kovero is a Finnish actor. He is known best as the role of Ismo Laitela in the Finnish soap series Salatut elämät of MTV3, but he has appeared also in few movies and the theatre. He had finished from Theater school for Master of Theater Arts in 1983. Among other things, he has occupational...	Ismo Laitela	1999–present
Anu Palevaara Anu Palevaara Anu Irmeli Palevaara is a Finnish actress, choreographer and dancer. She is best known for her role as Jenni Vainio in the Finnish soap series Salatut elämät which airs on MTV3. Palevaara has been with the series from the beginning, but in year 2001 she had a child and left for maternity leave...	Jenni Vainio	1999–2001, 2002–2011
Sami Sarjula Sami Sarjula Sami Sarjula is a Finnish actor. Sarjula has previously been the leading dancer in the Scandinavian Hunks.Since 2004, Sarjula has starred as Ossi Puolakka in a Finnish drama series Salatut elämät....	Ossi Puolakka	2004–present
Timo Jurkka Timo Jurkka Timo Jurkka is a Finnish actor, the son of actor Sakari Jurkka.Jurkka is also a musician. He writes songs and composes as well as performs songs accompanied with guitar...	Lasse Sievinen	2004–present
Johanna Nurmimaa Johanna Nurmimaa Johanna Nurmimaa is a Finnish actress and singer, best known as Paula Sievinen in the Finnish soap series Salatut elämät. She has acted in Salatut elämät from year 2004. In the series she has three daughters, a son and a husband...	Paula Lepistö	2004–present
Emil Hallberg	Onni "Tale" Taalasmaa	2007–2008, 2011–present
Jarkko Nyman	Sebastian Vuorela	2007, 2009–2010, 2011–present
Markku Pulli	Joonatan Sievinen	2007-2010, 2011-present
Anneli Ranta	Helena Kuula	2008–present
Tero Tiittanen	Sergei Kuula	2008, 2011–present
Kirsi Ståhlberg	Isabella Holm	2008–present
Sara Säkkinen	Peppi Puolakka	2008–present
Venla Savikuja	Heidi Aaltonen	2009–present
Rufus Rusanen	Severi Lepistö	2009–present
Jasmin Hamid	Katariina Mäkelä	2009–present
Mia Ehrnrooth	Cindy Rintala	2009–present
Mikko Parikka	Jiri Viitamäki	2010–present
Timo-Pekka Luoma	Antti Polvijärvi	2010–present
Petteri Paavola	Elias Vikstedt	2010, 2011-present
Susanna Mikkonen	Liisa Salo	2010–present
Rosa Rusanen	Iida Mustonen	2011–present
Salli Suvalo	Maria Mustonen	2011–present
Hemmo Karja	Janne Haukkala	2011-present

Upcoming cast members

Actor	Character	Debut
Riitta Elstelä	Anni Vatanen	2011/2012

Books based on the series

• Miia ja Saku (2000) (Miia and Saku)
• Kallen inttivuosi (2001) (Kalle in the army)
• Siljan Jenkkivuosi (2001) (Silja in America)
• Aamun uudet kuviot (2001) (Aamu's new plans)
• Saku ja suuri suru (2002) (Saku and the great grief)
• Teemun tarina (2002) (Teemu's tale)
• Aamu, Inka ja ihana Ilari (2003) (Aamu, Inka and adorable Ilari)
• Ken ja isosiskon viimeinen kesä (2003) (Ken and big sister's last summer)
• Ami ja ensirakkaus (2004) (Ami's first love)
• Annika ja Amerikan unelma (2005) (Annika and the American Dream)
• Ken ja Sauli kaukana kotoa (2006) (Ken and Sauli far away from home)
• Ossi ja lumikuningatar (2007) (Ossi and the Snow Queen)
• Romeo ja onnentähti (2008) (Romeo and the lucky star)
• Sofia ja salaisuuksien kevät (2008) (Sofia and the spring of secrets)
• Salla ja haaveiden kaupunki (2009) (Salla and the city of dreams)

External links

• Official homepage of Salatut elämät (in Finnish)