Slow TV
February 19, 2021 - Even with the promise of a new year, people are still feeling tremendous stress related to the ongoing pandemic, the challenging weather, and a host of other factors. Finding ways to decompress are vital for our wellbeing. You’ve probably come across tips and articles on ways to relax, but here’s one outlet I found curious, mesmerizing, and kind of fun: Slow TV.
The name alone sounds funny to me. I certainly don’t associate the word ‘slow’ with TV. I think of fast-paced programs and advertisements. While watching regular TV programs can be stress relieving for some, I invite you to try watching some Slow TV to see if it works for you.
Slow TV is most often associated with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK)’s televised programs of long, uninterrupted videos of trains or boats traveling across the country. Probably the most famous video is a 7-hour train journey from Bergen to Oslo. I have never been to Norway, but judging from this video, the country is absolutely beautiful. So take a few minutes, or hours, and enjoy part of the journey:
Or how about this 11-hour journey on the MS Victoria through the Telemark Canal, Norway, also produced by NRK.
Looking for just a little information about Slow TV instead of hours of footage? Here’s a “trailer” about NRK’s Slow TV programs in English:
As if 11 hours wasn’t enough, NSK decided to do a 134-hour boat trip from Bergen to Kirkenes. Here’s a website they created detailing the massive project.
NRK also has some delightful programs that are still slow, but not too slow! Here’s a program they did for “National Knitting Night” where knitters “try to capture ’the back to back’ world record from Australia, which means that they will have to produce a sweater, from a sheep's back to a human's back, in less than 4 hours, 51 minutes, and 14 seconds.” Can they do it? Buckle up Camas and find out!
Okay, after all this slow TV I’m feeling pretty relaxed and a little sleepy. Time for a nap.
Elliot Stapleton, Library Associate
February 19, 2021
