What is Slow TV? Tune In to Tune Out.
The phenomenon of Slow TV recently popped up in our quest for all things slow living, and having never heard of it before, we were intrigued. What is Slow TV? We’ve got the answers and links to our favourite examples.
There are Two Types of People in the World
There are two types of people in the world: those who require complete quiet and pitch black to sleep (my husband) and people who need to fall asleep to the sound of something reassuring (me).
As someone who often suffers from a racing brain in the evening, a distraction or something comforting to focus on as I drift off to sleep can work wonders. It provides relief from the fun habit of mentally listing all the tasks I haven’t completed yet, the what am I doing with my life questions, and obsessing over that one tile in my bathroom renovation, which is a slightly different colour from the others. That last one really bothers me.
Anyway, I digress. If you’re like me, let’s call us type A (!), you may have some go-to audiobooks, apps or TV shows you put on in the background to help you unwind and drift off. Well, Slow Laners, let me tell you about a little discovery I recently made thanks to Belmond’s new ‘Go with the Slow’ campaign: slow television. You may have already heard of it, but if not, welcome, welcome to this visual and audio breath of fresh air.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuPIYULjlBs&t=1091s
Scotland Long Shots: 60 minutes of Slow TV from the scenic Highlands by Train
The Magic of the Mundane
Slow TV broadcasts marathon shows that capture ordinary real-life events, journeys and places in all their simple splendour.
It’s the magic of the mundane, and magic is the right word; examples of subjects in the genre include train journeys, crackling fires and waves lapping beaches. And that’s it. No ‘who done its’, no suspense or jumping out of your seat, just birdsong and sunrises; the only twists and turns are those trains take around long lochs in Scotland.
You might think that sounds boring, and I suppose it is, in the sense that the interest doesn’t lie in the narrative. But it’s storytelling nonetheless, stories of landscapes and nature, of movement and connection. It’s rhythmic, hypnotic and enchanting.
But Why?
So why bother? In a world where we’re saying ‘see ya’ to our attention spans, watching an hour-long clip of a bus travelling around Yorkshire (England) is pretty radical. It’s meditative, stressbusting and calming, it’s not mind-numbing, but mind-soothing. And, as well as all that, it opens up the everyday beauty in the world – connecting you to people and places you may never have even imagined.
Ready to give some slow shows a go? Here are some slow television tasters, including the OG Norwegian Slow TV transmissions that started the phenomenon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NphsC0drR2Y
BBC FOUR
Dawn Chorus: The Sounds of Spring
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