Stockholm, Sweden

In today's fast-paced life, it is nice to slow down, and breathe, free of stress as the day passes by. Embracing the beauty that lies in 'slowing down,' in 2009, Norway introduced "slow TV" — by broadcasting about seven hours of footage of a snowy countryside, captured by a camera attached to a train.

Advertisment

This antidote to the stress of everyday life has in recent years gained widespread popularity in Sweden. Slow TV was launched in the Scandinavian country five years ago and since then the hours of footage, generally of nature, have proven to be a huge success, with viewers logging a combined 12 million hours in 2022, reports the Local. 

What is 'Slow TV'?

In 'Slow TV', things are just left to happen at their own pace. Sweden's 'Den Stora Älgvandringen' or 'The great moose migration', which is aired for a few weeks each spring by public broadcaster SVT on TV and online, attracts a large community that watches and comments on the animals’ every move.

Advertisment

"It’s kind of relaxing and also fascinating," Ingvar Persson, a regular viewer, told AFP.

Also read | French startup will take people to space in a balloon. Here's how

The latest broadcasts started on April 23rd and as per the Local, 2023 looks to be a record year.

Advertisment

The show's producer Johan Erhag says that he had no idea "it would be this popular". 

"On all the social media, everything is very stressed. There’s a lot of music in the programmes. There’s a lot of speaking. And this is the totally opposite way," he added.

How is Den Stora Älgvandringen recorded?

The feed is monitored from a control room lined with screens, with teams working shifts day and night to offer alternating viewpoints from 30 cameras. The region is a popular route for large mammals heading to new pastures in the spring. 

Also read | Just three planets down from Earth, this icy alien planet's moons may be hiding oceans of salty water

Why is a TV show with 'nothing' happening so popular?

The footage is seen as a form of meditation, providing a sense of nature and a break from city life. 

Talking to AFP, Anders Lindberg, a columnist for the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, said that he believes the concept of watching nothing happening for hours could be exported to other countries as a form of healthy entertainment.

"I think this could be exported to other countries also. The whole concept of sitting and watching nothing happening for hours and hours could be quite healthy for more people than us," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.