Flagging Finnishness Reproducing National Identity in Reality Television

The worldwide success of reality television has received plenty of academic and public attention. All the debates seem both implicitly and explicitly to address reality TV as a global phenomenon, but little attention has been given to any national characteristics that may emerge in its localized variations. In this article, using a Finnish adventure show ys an important cultural product nre may indeed one of the most dramatic episodes of the Finnish reality TV program (Suuri seikkailu), which became an everyday ssion, and thus, a television event not unlike other (see, e.g., Scannell 2002). Some episodes mber of one million viewers, a figure seldom e million inhabitants. daily for a month from May to June, two teams men and nine women, compete in pursuing mobileadventurous, sporty tasks. Viewers can select via e-mail or via TELEVISION & NEW MEDI