The Eränkävijät series first aired in Finland in 2016 and has been sold to over 30 countries worldwide. This autumn, its ninth season and 100th episode air on Yle TV1 and the Yle Areena streaming service.
The celebratory episode’s title sequence features all of the main characters who have appeared in the series since its beginning.
Aki ja Äijä vuonna 2017. Aki Huhtanen and Äijä the dog in 2017.
Eränkävijät in Finnish media
From the very beginning, the idea of Eränkävijät has been to show Finnish wilderness culture today through the people who are truly living it. The point is also to show viewers how long and diverse Finland is. In Kilpisjärvi, it’s still ice fishing season, but at the same time, in the south, the leaves are already on the trees. As a by-product of all this, a variety of Finnish dialects emerges, as well as variations in wilderness culture that have been shaped by the surrounding conditions.
Helsingin Sanomat wrote about the sixth season in 2021 as “a TV series where wilderness literature meets reality TV, but nature takes centre stage instead of embarrassment.”
Ari, Moona ja Veikka Turunen nuotion ääressä Pohjois-Karjalassa. Ari Turunen with his children Moona and Veikka by the campfire in Northern Karelia. Photo: Mikko Varjoranta
The main characters are real people, but the series doesn't create embarrassment or competition like many popular reality TV shows. The focus is on peaceful activities and enjoying nature.
The recent ninth season was covered in Ilta-Sanomat:
“The series still has an important place as a conversation starter, especially if the talk of animals as “material” is kept under control. What is today’s Finnish relationship with nature like? What can we learn from our ancestors who knew the secrets of forests, rivers and lakes? And, with the recent freshwater pearl mussel debates, what do we really know about the endangered species in our nature, their characteristics, and conservation?”
Manu Soininmäki on viihdyttänyt katsojia toisesta tuotantokaudesta alkaen. Manu Soininmäki joined the cast in the second season.
Areena’s most-watched factual programme
At the beginning of its ninth season, the series is hugely popular. The Yle Areena streaming service’s viewing figures show that Eränkävijät season nine was the most-watched factual programme, and the third most-watched programme overall.
Eränkävijät has been nominated 13 times and awarded four times at the Golden Venla Awards, including Best TV Programme in 2017.
The 10th season of the series is currently being filmed and will be broadcast in autumn 2025.
108 episodes of Eränkävijät are available via Yle Sales.
The 100th episode airs on Yle TV1 on October 20th, 2024. All episodes are available on Yle Areena.
