Thomas Hellum: The world's most boring television ... and why it's hilariously addictive

You've heard about slow food. Now here's slow ... TV? In this funny talk, Norwegian television producer Thomas Hellum shares how he and his team began to broadcast long, boring events, often live — and found a rapt audience. Shows include a 7 hour train journey, an 18 hour fishing expedition and a 5.5 day ferry voyage along the coast of Norway. The results are both beautiful and fascinating. Really.

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[Kojak]

One thing I think this guy missed, is that another reason for the success might be because we live in such a fast society nowadays, and having something that really forces us to slow down gives people a chance to relax. An action movie is not relaxing, but a seven hour train ride is, as well as an aquarium screensaver, a looping cut of a fire or for that matter a lava lamp (damn hypnotizing that!). So yeah, part of the success is of course that people get a chance to participate, but another is probably because of the opportunity to relax.

[KarriKoivusalo]

Norway's capital city is "oh slow", what did you expect?

[twelvesmylimit]

I love Norge so much. It's mine and my husband's 'spirit country'. We spent a lovely time touring some of it in February and did that Oslo to Bergen rail journey (and back). We also cruised the coast. Beautiful. Jeg elsker Norge!

It's like Tour de France, you watch it for the crazy fans, and the scenic shots.

[ZZzzzzzWhat]

i had a cable tv channel called _myzen_ that showed hours of natural landscapes from all over the world, it even had gps coordinates. i loved that channel.

[DevPreston]

Last summer I travelled in Norway, and from the first moment I saw this strange and friendly boat journey along the coast I found it captivating and relaxing. Watching on and off became a feature of the holiday, it was compulsive and comforting, and I didn't understand the nature of the show at the time but it always seemed to be on. People depicted on the shore looked so happy to be taking part, it did feel like an event. I think that the occasional inclusion of people in the film made it quite different to burning fire in the hearth stuff - I related differently and more completely.

[TheMrPits]

watching it on 'mute' with chillstep or some other ambient music playing in the background. I've used it numerous times for various therapeutic strategies use to cope with stress. So many uses, from hypnotic to educational.

[princeofexcess]

I am a big fan of this. Not necessarily watching a boat trip for hours and hours but letting a viewer actually have some breathing room when watching an event. People need time to think. If you record some event and than just edit everything boring out and just leave the highlights you end up with a video that is not as exiting as the original.

I rock climb a lot and have a lot of people that do that while filming. I would really like to produce a film of climbing that lasts for days. To see all the struggle and the views and the boring parts of rock climbing.
This gives me hope that maybe it can become a reality. At least in norway. haha

[philpaine]

From 1986 to 1993, a local television station in Toronto, Canada broadcast nightly shows called Night Walk, Night Ride and Night Moves. They played from 1AM until dawn, showing real-time images of wandering through the city at night, at a leisurely pace, accompanied by a pretty good jazz trio. In the dead of night, in the middle of winter, this could actually be quite intriguing, with a certain "frisson" of horror. An astonishing number of people regularly watched these show, and not all of them were "stoners".

[Jognt]

Imagine this, combined with something like the Occulus Rift for 3D.. I think it would be amazing! Especially for elderly who may not be able to make such a trip themselves anymore!

[daledude]

15:26 "Exactly. So..."

Couldn't stop laughing haha

[Jonic_P]

Went to a TEDx Talk recently and got to enjoy this video with a large lecture hall full of people. It was surprisngly one of the more memorable talks (due to the fact I was laughing along with hundreds of other people at the same time) and shows how people are willing to patiently put effort into making their own narratives.

[mudit]

its great actually - i feel wonderful about it.. its innovative and deep..
people like journeys.. people like doing things.. forming things.. going from A to B..
i think its creative.. very creative..

[Jerome...]

Now I need to know where this cow went...

[puupipo]

I remember seeing that train ride and the coastal ship journey on Finnish TV as well. I did watch them for a while when I didn't have anything else to do and found them kind of interesting but now that I know the story behind those documentaries I'm sure I'll view them from a different perspective if I ever end up seeing them again.

[MRayner]

Good story about a brilliant idea delivered by a great speaker – a model presentation.

[kkay]

Absolutely loved the talk. I would so watch the programs while knitting, which is my favorite hobby. Made me want to visit Norway.

[almirrafaeldearruda]

I'm Brazilian and I like watching train journeys to empty my mind... it's lovely.

[saithsanders]

Programing that brings calm to your mind and smile to your face is real TV in most cases if you are not genre watching. I just loved this. Brilliant.

[ICEMANrdID]

Omg we need that in the US. Hot air balloon across the United States on TV! What?!