The huge moose migration in Sweden has become a slow television phenomenon.
The 24-hour live broadcast shows the 20-day annual migration of animals on Swedish national broadcaster SVT.
On the show – it starts on Tuesday, airs a week ahead of schedule – it won’t happen for hours at a time. Fans say this is its beauty.
The product attracted 9 million viewers last year.
Remote cameras capture dozens of mooses crossing the river to pastures where they grazed in summer.
Big moose migration records annual movement of animals near Coulberg in northern Sweden
One expert and fan said the broadcast “because nothing happened because nothing happened because nothing happened” and even the production staff said they were less stressed during the show.
Fan Ulla Malmgren stocked up on coffee and prepared meals in advance so she wouldn’t miss a moment of competition.
She said, “Did you sleep? Forgot. I won’t sleep.”
Ms. Malmgren, 62, is not alone. The show, known in Swedish as Den Stora Algvandringen, is sometimes translated into English by the great elk Trek, started in 2019 and has nearly a million viewed it.
In 2024, the work attracted 9 million viewers on the streaming platform SVT Play.
The live broadcast started for a week due to the warm weather and early moose movement.
Broadcasters Be careful not to disturb the animal’s journey (SVT via AP)
From now until May 4, live remote cameras will be in the annual migration of summer to summer grazing pastures, and dozens of moose will be captured while swimming in the Angerman River, about 187 miles northwest of Stockholm.
Big Moose immigration is part of the trend, beginning in 2009, with Norwegian public broadcaster NRK broadcasting minute by minute on seven-hour train trips in the south of the country.
The TV show is slow and has been produced in the UK, China and elsewhere.
For example, the central Dutch city of Utrecht installed a “fish doorbell” on the river lock, allowing live viewers to remind authorities of fish tied up when they moved to the spawning ground.
Annette Hill, a professor of media and communications at Jonkoping University in Sweden, said slow television originated from reality television, but lacked performances, so it was more realistic to the audience.
These works allow the audience to relax and watch the journey develop.
Viewers – TV Staff – According to the show (SVT via AP) the decrease in stress levels
“It’s a weird way, because nothing catastrophic happened, nothing spectacular happened,” Professor Hill said. “But something very beautiful is happening at that moment.”
As an expert and fan of the great moose immigration, Professor Hill said the live word helped her slow down the day by following the natural rhythm of spring.
“It’s definitely a time to keep a calm, atmospheric environment in my own home, and I’m really grateful,” she said.
Johan Erhag, SVT Big Moose immigration program manager, said the calming effect extended to the crew.
“Everyone who works with it will drop under normal pressure,” he said.
The camera displays animals when migrating to spring and summer pastures every year (SVT via AP)
The elk has been walking for thousands of years, making it easy for crew members to know where to lay nearly 12 miles of cables and locations for 26 remote cameras and 7 night cameras. Also use drones.
Up to 15 staff members work in UMEA’s SVT control room, performing at a distance to avoid disturbing migration.
SVT won’t say how much production costs, but Mr Erhag said it was cheap at the 506-hour video broadcast last year.
Mr Erhag said the Swedes had been fascinated by the approximately 300,000 moose they roamed in the woods.
The largest animal in Scandinavian countries is known as the “King of the Forests”. Bull moose can reach 6 feet 10 inches at shoulder height and weigh 450 kg (992 lbs).
But despite their size, herbivores are usually shy and lonely.
