Would you watch a movie that was nothing more than a minute-by-minute recording of someone sleeping? It may sound like a terrible idea (and a useless way to spend your precious time) but this type of "slow TV" is becoming popular, even in the United States.
If you've come here to find a couple of slow-burning TV series 13 New Netflix Originals You'll Be Watching In 2016 13 New Netflix Originals You'll Be Watching In 2016 Netflix has released a lot of original content, including House of Cards, Orange is the new Black, Narcos and Master of None, but 2016 is set to be Netflix's most exciting year yet. Read More Slow TV is a specific genre that is far removed from thoughtful slow motion TV. You won't find any drama here, and that's the point. Maybe that's why people fall in love with slow TV.
Many people immediately think of Andy Warhol's. Sleep (a five-hour film of a sleeping man) and the Norwegian broadcasting company Bergensbanen (a seven-hour view of a train ride) and assume slow TV is meant to be quiet, contemplative, and/or relaxing.
It can be, but it doesn't have to be.
Slow TV is any type of television coverage that is produced in real time. , though that doesn't necessarily mean it has to be broadcast in real time. In fact, some even say that live coverage disqualifies a show for being slow TV, so it includes things like sports.) For them, slow TV should be recorded with the intention of watching it after the fact.
This is a big step away from traditional TV shows, which are deliberately timed and designed to maximize drama per minute. Even unscripted reality shows, as they exist right now, are distilled and edited to deliver the maximum amount of entertainment that can fit in an allotted broadcast slot. None of this is "slow" in any sense of the word.
In fact, traditional television is manufactured to hook us and keep us addicted. The Pros and Cons of Bilingual TV Shows The Pros and Cons of Bilingual TV Shows and Binge Eating is a recent phenomenon that almost everyone has done thanks to Netflix, Hulu. , and Amazon Prime. But for all its various pros, it also has some downsides. Read More , Game of Thrones , and Stranger Things . Unfortunately, the dramatic and addictive nature of modern television is seldom good for the mind, body, or soul. At best, it can greatly reduce attention span. Reclaim your focus:5 ideas for dealing with short attention spans. Get your attention back:5 ideas for dealing with short attention spans. to absorb any of it. However, you can take steps to improve your care with a few simple steps. Read More 5 Ways Technology Could Be Fueling Your Depression 5 Ways Technology Could Be Fueling Your Depression Technology can make depression worse. With technology enveloping our lives, we should be more aware of technology's potential impact on us. There are a few things you can do to lessen the load. Read more.
But there is something different about slow TV.
You can think of slow TV as really without any editing.. Some of these shows can be meditative (like watching a seven-hour train ride through beautiful countryside) but they can also be informative or even entertaining (like watching a wood chopping event). That said, the guy above has a larger, or at least more vocal, fan base and viewer base, and it seems like that's the core identity of slow TV.
Some have even called it therapeutic, able to tap into something deep within us and allow us to enter a state of rest:
And with that in mind, the draw of slow TV is obvious when you think about it:it doesn't demand any attention from you as a viewer. This means you can put it in the background and let it roll while you do something else, like homework. Or you can curl up on the couch and take a nice nap while you watch, not fearing you've missed a thing when you wake up.
It is like ambient or white noise. Top 10 Relaxing Apps to relax, clear and clear your mind. Top 10 Relaxing Apps to relax, clear and clear your mind. Life can sometimes overwhelm you with stress and anxiety. That's when these calming apps can help you de-stress and clear your mind. Read More
At the time of this writing, slow TV is still mostly a Norwegian phenomenon, but it is spreading to the US, Europe and everywhere else that is slowly learning about this phenomenon. And Netflix apparently wants to join before everyone else, hence the addition of several slow TV shows.
Fireplace 4K , also known as Fireplace for your home , is a show I fell in love with many months ago, long before I knew that slow TV was a real genre in its own right. It's similar to some of the videos you'll find on YouTube - hours and hours of atmospheric footage of rain, a cafe, nature, etc - but it's in beautiful 4K resolution. What's the difference between 4K and Ultra HD? What is the difference between 4K and Ultra HD? Thinking of buying a new TV or monitor but feeling lost with all the terminology like 4K and Ultra HD? Here's everything you need to know about it. Read more.
This particular show is nice to see during the winter. Since I don't have a fireplace in my apartment, I turn off the lights after dinner and play the sounds and sights of Fireplace 4K on my TV, and it's quite effective at creating a calm and relaxed environment.
Netflix also has two others in this series:Fireplace 4K:Classic Edition and 4K Fireplace:Birchwood Edition . The wood burns and crackles differently in these, but it's pretty much the same video.
Winter Wonderland It's actually in the same series as Fireplace 4K mentioned above, but it takes you to the complete opposite end of the spectrum:cool instead of hot, bright instead of dark. Very quiet, especially with the soft music in the background..
And it's not just a camera trained on a single chimney, every minute or so, Winter Wonderland Jump to a different camera. One moment you may be looking at a glacial stream, while the next shot could be a wide shot of snow-covered evergreens against a background of icy peaks.
There is one more in the Fireplace 4K series called Mountain Waterfall , which is a 30 minute single camera shot looking at a beautiful summer creek. The rhythmic babbling of the water on the rocks makes it a moment of rest..
National Knitting Night is actually the second in a series of three, but the first (National Knitting Morning ) and the last one (National Knitting Night ) are not available on Netflix at the time of writing. Still, Night it's four hours long and that should be more than enough to get an idea of what it's all about.
There is a lot of talk in this, but it is smooth and informative. At some points you will learn about knitting techniques and at other points you will watch some women knitting and chatting about knitting related topics.
I like National knitting , National firewood It is a series of three titles. The difference is that Netflix actually has all three series, so you can watch it from start to finish if you want.
Start with National Firewood Morning , go along with National Firewood Night , and end with National Firewood Night . Tomorrow and Night are similar to Fireplace 4K (hours of crackling flames) while Night it's more like an exploration of wood, how to cut it, how to stack it, and how to prepare it for fire.
Train trip Bergen to Oslo (Bergenbanen in Norwegian) is the 2009 show that kicked off the modern slow TV trend, which is funny to think about because it was actually produced to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Bergen Line.
Over seven hours, you'll watch the journey from Bergen to Oslo through the lenses of four cameras, both inside and outside the train. It traverses all types of environments and terrain (eg arid, snowy, grassy, urban) and is beautiful and interesting to watch from this vantage point.
Inspired by the success of Bergenbanen , Northern Railway takes you on another train ride, this time from Trondheim to Bodø. While the actual train ride is 10 hours long, it's actually a compressed one-hour version. (The original 10-hour trip is titled Nordlandsbanen .)
Due to its compressed nature, there are many cuts in different shots. It doesn't have as many long shots and singles, which could be disappointing if you wanted something more like Bergenbanen . This one also has voice-over comments, which may or may not be distracting.
Two years later Bergenbanen , another voyage was filmed from start to finish, this time a cruise along the western coast of Norway, from Bergen to Kirkenes, resulting in a 134-hour journey through 11 cameras, culminating in Hurtigruten .
North Pass is a one hour compressed version of Hurtigruten Complete with voiceover commentary about the ship, the voyage, the people and the geography of Norway along the way.
Note:The following Slow TV shows are supposed to be available on Netflix but were not at the time of writing:Salmon Fishing and The telemark channel .
You may be able to find slow TV on other streaming services if you know where to look. The Window Channel provides full-length environmental scenic videos that, for example, show the view from a window overlooking a Pacific beach, and you can watch them on Amazon right now if you have an Amazon Prime video subscription. Good for you? Which Amazon Prime Membership Is Right For You? Potential subscribers used to only have one choice when it came to Amazon Prime. However, now, Amazon offers three different subscription plans so you can choose the one that best suits your needs. Read more.
Opinions may vary, but I think bold moves like this, among other things, make Netflix worthwhile. Why You Should Pay More For Netflix Why You Should Pay More For Netflix Every time Netflix raises its prices, millions of binge-watchers balk at the thought of paying a couple of bucks more. But this is dumb, because Netflix is an absolute steal. Read more . If you're looking for shows on Netflix beyond the usual fare, we recommend these cool sci-fi shows. Finished Stranger Things? 8 TV Shows To Watch On Netflix Ended Stranger Things? 8 TV Shows to Watch Next on Netflix What's a Stranger Things fan to do when they've seen every episode and another season isn't coming out anytime soon? Below are 8 TV Shows You Must Watch Next on Netflix. Read More 8 British Comedies Every American Should Watch on Netflix. 8 British Comedies. Every American should watch on Netflix. you need to check out, all of which are available to watch on Netflix. Read more.
How do you feel about slow TV? Are you going to see any of these shows? Is slow TV a gimmick past its prime, or will it become something even bigger? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
