From 31 January adventurous TV viewers world-wide can watch a real-time live-on-tape web stream of Hurtigruten expedition ship MS Spitsbergen’s voyage in the waters surrounding Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago located approximately midway between Norway and the North Pole. This is made possible through a nine-day long, multi-camera, free to watch broadcast from Norway’s national broadcaster, NRK.
“Through 17 cameras, an abundance of history, stories and information, all accompanied by Norwegian and Sámi music, we are offering viewers from all over the world a close to reality-experience of the actual voyage. This is the closest and most sustainable way you could possibly get to the real deal,” promises Project Lead Thomas Hellum in NRK.
This is the second time Hurtigruten has been the host of a slow TV production from NRK. A 2011 broadcast showcased a 134-hour long sailing with a Hurtigruten ship along the Norwegian coast. More than 3 million viewers from 110 different countries tuned in to watch.
“The viewers will find themselves surrounded by a jaw-dropping scenery, fascinating local communities, and exceptional wildlife including polar bears, whales, walruses, birds, and several other arctic animals observed from a non-interfering distance,” says Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam.
Hurtigruten’s history in Svalbard is almost as long as the history of the company itself. Its founding father Richard With established an expedition route between Svalbard and Hammerfest as early as in 1896.
The renowned Norwegian broadcaster has become famous over the years for its many slow TV program series. Barack Obama even referenced the phenomenon in a speech during a White House dinner in 2016, arguably fascinated by the concept.
Previous productions include:
- 2009: Bergensbanen minute by minute – train journey across Southern Norway
- 2010: Flåmsbana minute by minute – scenic tourist route, train journey
- 2011: Hurtigruten minute by minute – a coastal voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes
- 2012: Salmon river – minute by minute
- 2012: Telemarkskanalen minute by minute – channel boat trip
- 2012: Nordlandsbanen minute by minute – season by season – train journey north of the Arctic Circle
- 2013: National Wood Night
- 2013: Summer Entertainment Show – coastal cruise with entertainment show, a journey from Oslo to Kirkenes and back
- 2013: National Knitting Night
- 2014: 200 years in 200 minutes – lecture performed by Professor Frank Aarebrot
- 2014: 1814 in 24 hours
- 2014: Piip-show (showing birds in rigged “coffee shops”)
- 2014: The hymnal from cover to cover
- 2015: WWII in 200 minutes
- 2015: Summer Show minute by minute – coastal cruise with entertainment show, a journey from Vadsoe to Oslo
- 2016: Saltstraumen minute by minute
- 2017: Reindeer Herding minute by minute
- 2017: Summertrain, 8 weeks on Norwegian tracks with entertainment show
- 2018: Monsen (Norwegian modern explorer) Minute by minute
- 2019: The Clock minute by minute – 24 hours
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