The Best TV Shows on Yle TV1

Every Yle TV1 Show Ranked From Best To Worst

Across the timeline from 1956 to 2024, Yle TV1 has presented audiences with over 20 captivating shows. For top-tier entertainment, Yle TV1 delivered Eurovision Song Contest and Hymyhuulet in 1956 and 1987. Stay up-to-date with over 20 of Yle TV1’s elite series, with our list refreshed for August 2025.

  • Ihmebantu
    Ihmebantu (2009)8.4

    Ihmebantu is a Finnish black humor sketch show.

  • Harvoin tarjolla
    Harvoin tarjolla (2008)8.0

  • Unknown Soldier
    Unknown Soldier (2018)7.4

    The Unknown Soldier miniseries expands the story of the 2017 film of the same name. The World War II series based on Väinö Linna's classic novel closely follows a machine gun company of the Finnish Army on the Karelian front during the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union, from mobilization in 1941 to the Moscow Armistice in 1944. It's a story about how camaraderie, humor, and a desire to survive connect men on their journey. War upends the lives of both the individual soldiers and those left on the home front, and leaves its mark on the entire nation.

  • Invisible Heroes
    Invisible Heroes (2019)7.4

    Invisible Heroes tells the heroic tale of young Finnish diplomats in Chile during 1973’s infamous military coup. Finnish diplomats Tapani Brotherus and Ilkka Jaamala along with Tapani’s wife Lysa Brotherus helped over 2000 left-wing Chileans escape the military junta’s persecution. The Finns acted without official authorization while Swedish ambassador Harald Edelstam was the most visible defendant of human rights with the backing of Sweden’s Prime Minister, Olof Palme.

  • Bordertown
    Bordertown (2016)7.3

    The story of DI Kari Sorjonen of the Serious Crime Unit in Lappeenranta, his family, and his investigations into a variety of harrowing homicides around the border area.

  • Eurovision Song Contest
    Eurovision Song Contest (1956)7.2

    The Eurovision Song Contest is an international song competition, organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and featuring participants representing primarily European countries. Each participating country submits an original song to be performed on live television and radio, transmitted to national broadcasters via the EBU's Eurovision and Euroradio networks, with competing countries then casting votes for the other countries' songs to determine the winner.

  • Helsinki Syndrome
    Helsinki Syndrome (2022)7.0

    Family man Elias Karo takes four journalist hostage at their newspaper’s headquarters, in a desperate attempt to get them to reveal the wrongdoing wreaked on his family during the 90's recession.

  • Raid
    Raid (2000)6.6

    Raid is based on detective stories by author Harri Nykänen and made into a 12-part series. The story tells about a police officer who has been investigating white-collar crimes is shot dead in a TV-studio. Another policeman takes his own life at his summer home. A young woman, an executive with a powerful electronics concern, also commits suicide. Her embittered father suspects foul play and he invites Raid, the woman's former boyfriend to "make inquiries". Meanwhile, the police are looking for the first killer - and the trail leads inexorably to Raid. Very soon, however, they realise that the guilty party is somewhere else, and the interests of the police and the avenging angel Raid converge. The unholy alliance shows that even those with morals may, to some extent, use immoral means to achieve an end. The Raid series was voted the best TV-programme in Finland year 2000. Tapio Piirainen received an award for best script and best direction.

  • Transport
    Transport (2022)6.2

    A journalist traces a microchip found in baby food. A bank manager's mistake ensnares her in a much larger scheme. A family falls apart after the father goes missing. An insurance examiner investigates what happened to a border control veterinarian. This suspenseful Nordic noir drama enters the world of international money laundering through the stories of ordinary people caught up in the crimes.

  • Himmelblå
    Himmelblå (2008)6.0

    Himmelblå is a Norwegian drama series which aired on NRK1 in Norway, on SVT in Sweden and on RÚV in Iceland. It is based on the British TV drama Two Thousand Acres of Sky written by Timothy Prager and produced by Adrian Bate.

  • Tellus
    Tellus (2014)5.8

    As a group of Finish ecoterrorists escalate their attacks, they are pursued by an environmentally conscious detective who's less radical about his activism and tries to save the earth in his own personal way.

  • Seconds
    Seconds (2024)5.7

    A huge train accident in an idyllic small town shocks the whole of Finland, and accident investigator Marita Kaila is faced with the most difficult case of her career. Under increasing pressure, Marita and her team try to find out what led to the death of dozens of people. But there is also a tragedy in Marita's own past, which the demanding investigation brings to the fore. Will he solve the case before the pressure becomes too much?

  • Alamaailma Trilogia
    Alamaailma Trilogia (2010)5.5

  • Hymyhuulet
    Hymyhuulet (1987)5.0

  • 66th North Precinct
    66th North Precinct (2023)5.0

    Police work, boxing and family life in Lapland! Maria Pudas (Saara Kotkaniemi), a former boxing world champion, investigates crimes with her partner Samu Pajala (Karim Rapatti) in Lapland. The life of Maria's cordial and slightly chaotic family (Iina Kuustonen, Eero Saarinen, Katariina Kaitue and Heikki Ranta) changes when Maria's father Esko has a seizure and it is revealed that he has debts of 500,000 euros. In order to save her family, Maria decides to return to the ring once more, and to resolve the situation, only victory matters.

  • Peacemaker
    Peacemaker (2020)4.8

    Finnish peace negotiator Ann-Mari Sundell has recently retired from her post as a crisis response adviser in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Suddenly, she is invited by the UN mandate to lead an international conflict resolution process in Turkey. As the peace talks proceed, Ann-Mari has to reconcile with her past before her personal life comes in the way of the whole peace process.

  • The Hobbits
    The Hobbits (1993)4.7

    Hobitit is a Finnish live action fantasy television miniseries originally broadcast in 1993 on Yle TV1. Produced by Olof Qvickström, it is based on the events of the books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.

  • Kotikatu
    Kotikatu (1995)3.5

  • Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu
    Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (2012)N/A

    Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (abbreviated UMK) is an annual music contest organised by the Finnish public broadcaster Yle. UMK began in 2012 as a new concept for the Finnish selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, replacing the original Finnish Eurovision Song Contest qualifying event (Suomen euroviisukarsinta) which had been held since 1961.

  • Kansan mies
    Kansan mies (2013)N/A

    The life of Aki Honkala, a blindly dedicated Member of the European Parliament, takes a radical turn during one scandal-plagued election night. The fall from grace is no surprise to anyone but himself. The people have spoken, let the chatter go - but what remains of a man who has lived and breathed politics for most of his adult life?