The World's Slowest TV Show Comes to Netflix

Finally, TV for people who find C-SPAN too intense. Quartz reports Netflix is bringing Slow TV, a hit in its native Norway, to US audiences this month. The show features hours upon hours of regular activities shown in real time. There are no cuts, no narration, and the camera never moves. Quartz calls it "one of the most bizarre phenomena on television." The first episode of Slow TV aired in 2009 and let audiences enjoy—or at least absorb—a 7-hour train ride. It was watched by 1 million people—about 20% of Norway's population. A follow-up episode featuring a 135-hour cruise along the Norwegian coastline was watched by half the country, according to the Independent.

Other episodes of slow TV featured 100 hours of chess and 14 hours of birds in a cafe. Hundreds of thousands of viewers watched the episodes (though very rarely in their entirety). “They allow you to go far deeper, to enjoy more details,” the Independent quotes one satisfied viewer. According to a press release, 11 episodes of Slow TV will be available on Netflix starting Friday. They boast such exciting titles as National Knitting Night and The Telemark Canal. It looks like Game of Thrones has officially been put on notice. (More Netflix stories.)