Time flies slowly by

By B.R.

GIVEN a choice of window to stare out of for seven hours, many people would choose a train's. There is something mesmerising about the way that towns and countryside whoosh past; the way that scenery is delivered to you while you sit motionless; how a fleeting glance of a vignette—an animated conversation over a garden fence, a farmer herding his livestock—allows you to make up your own storylines. Time, it seems, flies past as quickly as the view.

Few, on the other hand, would choose a plane window. Which is why British Airways must be applauded for its decision to broadcast footage of a seven-hour train journey through Norway in real time on some of its long-haul flights from next month. The programme has already been a huge hit in Norway. A million people—20% of the population—tuned in to watch the epic journey from Oslo to Bergen, according to the Independent. It is an example of a Norwegian genre called Slow Television, which has also included an eight hour programme showing a burning fireplace.

Bloomberg reports a BA spokesman as saying:

The marathon film has a similar appeal to that of moving plane maps watched by passengers for “endless hours” [...] “It fits perfectly with the wallpaper-style footage people find mesmerising...There’s a hypnotic, calming and entertaining quality to Slow TV that is perfect for in-flight entertainment.”

Gulliver doesn't need convincing.