() is a Finnish political satire television series produced between 1990 and 1996. It was broadcast from 1990 to 1992 on Kolmoskanava and from 1993 to 1996 on MTV3. served as the main screenwriter, assisted primarily by Lasse Lehtinen, who wrote under the pseudonyms Saara Lenso, Serita Numintio, and Sole Sarana. For several years, Yleisradio political editor Jarkko Juselius also contributed to the writing. The series was directed by Pertti Melasniemi and produced by Jarmo Porola. A total of 207 episodes were produced.
In 1999, a 15-part continuation series, Herrat nauraa, was released as a follow-up to the original programme.
Overview The main characters of the series are business advisor Johannes Paukku (), a sausage manufacturer who became wealthy with "Paukku's Run", and his son-in-law Raimo "Tollo" Koskivuo (), a Social Democratic politician who was promoted from member of parliament to party secretary and minister during the series. In each episode, Paukku and Tollo organised a saunailta, or evening sauna party, and invited a political guest or other well-known public figure, with whom they attempted to gain support for their own political projects, accompanied by drinking and conversation. Paukku's character was reportedly modelled on business leader and industry lobbyist ; however, series co-writer Aarno Laitinen denied this, instead naming Harri Kontion, a far-right construction industry entrepreneur.
The characters of Hyvät herrat were distinctly characterised, and the show's humour often relied on satire and irony. Paukku was portrayed as a chauvinistic and complaining industrialist, while Tollo was depicted as a calculating political opportunist. Through these characters, the series caricatured the so-called "good brother network" of politics, in which decisions were portrayed as being made informally in saunas and private meetings without the public's knowledge. The characters also indulged in drinking, luxury, and extramarital affairs; Paukku resided in Barcelona and Tollo's wife never appeared in the series.
In the first year, sauna guests' backs were washed by the character Armi (Eila Pehkonen). After Pehkonen's death in September 1991, she was replaced by Tyyne Hurskainen (), who commented on politics from the perspective of the "front-line" of the National Coalition Party. Throughout the series, the sauna guests were served the alcohol Koskenkorva Viina—referred to as "turpentine"—by various waiters: first Pia (), then Timo (), whom Paukku nicknamed "Håkan", and South African Dr. Samuel Livingstone Matabele (Billy Carson). Paukku's openly dismissive treatment of the waiters was used to satirise prejudices against women, sexual minorities, immigrants, and activists. According to director Melasniemi, Paukku was always the character who ultimately misbehaved, was ridiculed, and became the subject of laughter.
Production and casting To ensure topical political commentary, episodes in 1990 were filmed on Mondays and broadcast the same evening, which meant that the cast often had to read that day's afternoon newspapers during filming to prepare. From spring 1991 until the end of the series, recording was moved to Tuesdays, giving the production team one additional day of preparation. The show was filmed in the Park Hotel Käpylä in Käpylä, Helsinki, which has operated under the name Finlandia Park Hotel Helsinki since February 2017.
According to screenwriter Lasse Lehtinen, several well-known actors were considered for the role of Paukku, including Lasse Pöysti and Pentti Siimes. The main requirement was that the chosen actor had to be sober, which made casting difficult because many actors available at the time reportedly struggled with alcoholism. Director Pertti Melasniemi insisted on casting Matti Tuominen, a decision later regarded by Lehtinen as successful, believing Tuominen convincingly embodied the role. At the time, Tuominen was relatively unknown to television audiences, although he already had an extensive career in theatre. His son, actor Sakari Tuominen, later stated that in private life his father's personality was very different from Paukku's, describing him as shy, modest, and more of a sidekick than the centre of attention.
The theme music of the series, and other synthesizer music in the program, was made by Jussi Halme. At the beginning of episodes from 1994 to 1996, a computer-generated animation by Seppo Välimäki was used as its intro.
Guests In each episode of the series, a Finnish politician or other public figure appeared as themselves. Guests included senior political leaders such as ministers and presidents.
According to show writer Lasse Lehtinen, politicians actively sought to appear on the programme, and only a few, such as Paavo Väyrynen, declined invitations. Although the characters Paukku and Tollo often ridiculed their guests, there was no shortage of participants, as the programme offered media publicity and an opportunity to present personal views on a popular television show. In this way, real politics and the screenwriters' satire were interwoven in Hyvät herrat.
Esko Aho, former Prime Minister of Finland, took part in the filming of an episode but ultimately decided not to allow it to be broadcast. Russian diplomat Viktor Vladimirov had also agreed to appear but cancelled a day before recording; he was replaced on short notice by writer and politician Jörn Donner.
The President of Finland, Mauno Koivisto, was scheduled to appear in an episode to play volleyball with Tollo for the Sikariporras team. However, on the eve of filming, government negotiations were taking place. In order to blur the line between fact and fiction, director Pertti Melasniemi sent Tollo with a film crew to the negotiations to provide commentary. When newspapers reported the following day that Tollo had participated in the government's formation, the Office of the President indicated that Koivisto would not take part in the programme. Melasniemi later suggested that Koivisto would therefore never be seen in the series.
Partial list of guests Sauli Niinistö Tarja Halonen Martti Ahtisaari Elisabeth Rehn Matti Vanhanen Juha "Junnu" Vainio Ben Zyskowicz Jörn Donner Ilkka Kanerva
Tuovi Allén
Leif Salmén Leena Harkimo Eero Paloheimo
Spede Pasanen
Impact An episode broadcast on 6 April 1993 attracted 1.4 million viewers. Nordenstreng, Kaarle & Wiio, Osmo A. (toim.) The series made its main character, sales adviser Paukku, a cult figure. His recurring catchphrase "Personnel, turpentine!" (Henkilökunta, tärpättiä!) became widely recognised in Finland.
The appearances of high-ranking politicians on the programme, which frequently employed dark humour, also provoked controversy. In the mid-1990s, the current affairs programme on MTV3 organised a studio debate and viewer survey on the question, "Is it appropriate for ministers to appear on Hyvät herrat?". The discussion was illustrated with clips from a post–May Day episode of the series, in which Paukku and Tollo awoke from a drinking binge wearing May Day masks.
According to , biographer of President Martti Ahtisaari, Hyvät herrat contributed in 1992–1993 to raising Ahtisaari's public profile as a potential presidential candidate. His name was first mentioned in this context during an episode in September 1992. Shortly afterwards, Aarno Laitinen wrote a column in Iltalehti titled "Could it be Martti Ahtisaari?". Lehtinen, who was at odds with the long-time Social Democratic Party (SDP) chairman and former prime minister Kalevi Sorsa, reportedly opposed Sorsa's candidacy. Eero Heinäluoma, a later SDP chairman, recalled in Ahtisaari's biography: "The essential thing was that Lasse Lehtinen, a propagandist even more skilled than Joseph Goebbels, set out to push Ahtisaari for the presidency systematically, using the entire media and influencing his fellow journalists across outlets."
Episodes +Season 1NumberNameGuest(s)Airdate1Raha saa palkkansa15 January 19902Tittelit pois22 January 19903Oma koti turhan kallisArja Alho29 January 19904Kolmossivun tyttö5 February 19905Kallis kansliapäällikkö12 February 19906Kirje rajan takaaLeif Salmén19 February 19907Paukku ja Leppänen26 February 19908Karjala takaisin!Johannes Virolainen5 March 1990912 March 199010Oma pää ja pääomaEsko Seppänen19 March 199011Muistamaton neuvosLasse Lehtinen26 March 199012Paljon onnea vaanJuha Vainio2 April 1990139 April 19901423 April 199015Mustaa valkoisella7 May 1990 +Season 2NumberNameGuest(s)Airdate16Turun muikku15 October 199017Nautaa rajallePekka Ruotsalainen22 October 199018Koivu ja johtotähti29 October 199019Kumin käryä5 November 199020Kusti polkee, lesti kulkeePekka Vennamo12 November 199021Pappia kyydissä19 November 199022Melkein ministeri26 November 199023Klyyvariklubi3 December 199024Vuorineuvosten vaivaistalo10 December 199025PaukkuryssiäRita Tainola17 December 19902629 January 1991275 February 199128Rauha ja solidaarisuus12 February 19912919 February 199130Matti Louekoski26 February 1991315 March 19913212 March 19913319 March 19913426 March 199135MakkaraesirippuBen Zyskowicz9 April 199136Mooses ja Demostenes16 April 199137Paukku ja pamppuSulo Aittoniemi23 April 199138MakkarapankkiUlf Sundqvist30 April 199139Pallo hallussa7 May 1991 +Season 3NumberNameGuest(s)Airdate40Ann yks silakkElisabeth Rehn1 October 1991418 October 19914215 October 19914322 October 19914429 October 1991455 November 19914612 November 199147Ei tippapullo tapaIlkka Kanerva19 November 199148Taistojen teillä26 November 199149Kauhea KankkunenJuha Kankkunen3 December 199150Dynamiittia!!Eero Paloheimo10 December 199151En etsi valtaaKirsti Paakkanen17 December 199152Kuollut kukkoJörn Donner4 January 199253Poliisin tuttu11 February 199254Innostunut sonni18 February 199255Varkauspäivä25 February 199256Lakkokenraalit3 March 199257Tiede ja kunnia10 March 199258Valoa kansallePentti Sierilä17 March 199259Peräänanattomat24 March 199260Sairas kansa31 March 199261Pekkaspäivä7 April 199262On sovittu14 April 199263TuhlaajapojatRaimo Ilaskivi28 April 199264Jokeri hihassaTeemu SelänneHjallis Harkimo5 May 199265Valkoinen metsästäjä12 May 199266Tasavallan miehetArvo Salo19 May 199267Hullujen huoneClaes Andersson26 May 1992 +Season 4NumberNameGuest(s)Airdate68Loistelohta1 September 199269Meedio8 September 199270Kolme muskettisoturia ("The Three Musketeers")Raimo Vistbacka15 September 199271Työstä ja taistelustaMikko Laaksonen22 September 199272Mein KampfRenny Harlin29 September 199273Carlssonin kiusausJorma Ojaharju6 October 199274Leijonaketju hyökkääSeppo Lindblom13 October 199275Käytös kymmenen20 October 199276Tasavallan ruorimiehetKimmo Sasi27 October 199277Miehen kääntöpuoli3 November 199278Kaasua, Kauppaneuvos Paukku10 November 199279Miesten turvakotiIlkka Taipale17 November 19928024 November 199281Itsenäisyyden varjossaGeorg C. Ehrnrooth1 December 199282Porsaita äidin8 December 199283SponsorisopimusRiitta Suominen5 January 199384Joustavin hampainPaavo Lipponen12 January 199385TyöhönottohaastatteluOlli Rehn19 January 199386Rakastan elämääJutta Zilliacus26 January 199387Suuri lehtijakoMarkku Laukkanen2 February 199388Tappajahauki9 February 199389Kauhun tasapainoJaakko Laakso16 February 199390Vahakabinetti23 February 1993912 March 1993929 March 199393Samma på svenskaOle Norrback16 March 199394YltiöheteröPaavo Nikula23 March 199395Vettä ja leipää30 March 199396SaamamiesKike Elomaa6 April 199397Pakettiratkaisu20 April 199398Taivaan täydeltä27 April 199399Vapaa LappiEsko-Juhani Tennilä4 May 1993100SupersunnuntaiAntti Kalliomäki11 May 1993101Turskan puolesta18 May 1993102EväsreppuTuovi Allén25 May 1993