How to Kill a Bull (miniseries)

How to Kill a Bull (also known informally as The Poleax; Finnish: Häräntappoase) is a five-part Finnish television miniseries directed by Jussi Niilekselä (fi), originally broadcast in 1989 on Yle TV2. It is based on the 1984 novel of the same name by Anna-Leena Härkönen.^[1] The miniseries is produced by Yleisradio.^[2] The miniseries was later published by the director as three-part 50-minute episodes.^[3]

How to Kill a Bull
Genre	Miniseries
Based on	How to Kill a Bull by Anna-Leena Härkönen
Written by	Jussi Niilekselä Merja Turunen
Directed by	Jussi Niilekselä
Starring	Santeri Kinnunen Outi Alanen Antti Majanlahti Petri Lairikko Maija-Liisa Majanlahti Risto Salmi
Composer	Jukka Siikavire
Country of origin	Finland
Original language	Finnish
No. of episodes	5
Production
Running time	5 × 30 minutes
Production company	Yle
Original release
Network	Yle TV2
Release	15 November (1989-11-15) – 13 December 1989 (1989-12-13)

The miniseries was awarded the 1989 Telvis Award as the best television program of the year.^[4]

Plot summary

The main character of the miniseries is Alpo "Allu" Korva (Santeri Kinnunen), a young city dweller from Turku who is planning to go to Stockholm for the summer vacation with his friend Taala (Jukka Hiltunen). Against his will, he is sent by his mother (Tuija Vuolle) to spend the summer in the Torvenkylä village, located in Himanka, North Ostrobothnia, with his relatives to do hay work. At first, Allu sees his situation in the Takkunen family as unbearable, which is not helped at all by his boastful relative Rutanen (Antti Majanlahti), but the situation changes when he passionately sets his eyes on the wayward girl Kerttu (Outi Alanen).^[1]

Cast

• Santeri Kinnunen as Alpo "Allu" Korva
• Outi Alanen (fi) as Kerttu Hurme
• Antti Majanlahti (fi) as Pasi Rutanen
• Petri Lairikko (fi) as Tauno Takkinen
• Maija-Liisa Majanlahti (fi) as Lahja Takkinen (Tauno's mother)
• Risto Salmi (fi) as Svante Takkinen (Tauno's father)
• Maria Aro (fi) as Anni Hurme (Kerttu's mother)
• Petri Manninen (fi) as Ripe
• Ilkka Pentti (fi) as Touko Mäkelin
• Minna Hämäläinen (fi) as Vuokko
• Jaakko Haapanen (fi) as Jaakko Hurme (Kerttu's father)
• Mauno Käpyaho (fi) as Toivo Tuuhonen
• Henna-Maija Alitalo (fi) as Kirsti Nyyssölä
• Riitta Räty (fi) as Mrs. Nyyssölä (Kirsti's mother)
• Antti Vartiala (fi) as Heikki Nyyssölä (Kirsti's father)
• Eero Junttila as Björn Nyyssölä (Kirsti's brother)
• Matti Viironen (fi) as Pekka (Allu's stepfather)
• Tuija Vuolle (fi) as Marketta Korva (Allu's mother)
• Jukka Hiltunen (fi) as Taala
• Seppo Kulmala (fi) as radiation meter
• Kari-Pekka Toivonen as Late
• Aino Pirskanen as bookmobile girl (uncredited)

See also

• List of Finnish television series