Svalbard Minute by Minute

Svalbard Minute by Minute
Directed byThomas Hellum
Presented byKari Toft
Helge Lyngmoe
Country of originNorway
Original languageNorwegian
Production
Running time13,319 minutes
Production companyNRK Hordaland
Original release
NetworkNRK2
Release31 January (2020-01-31) –
9 February 2020 (2020-02-09)

Svalbard Minute by Minute (Norwegian: Svalbard minutt for minutt) is a 221-hour-long 2020 Norwegian slow television broadcast that aired on NRK2 between 31 January at 18:00 to 9 February at 23:59 (CET).[1] The broadcast shows the MS Spitsbergen's [no] nine-day voyage around Spitsbergen, the only permanently-inhabited island of Svalbard, which commemorated the 100-year anniversary of the Svalbard Treaty, a treaty signed on 9 February 1920 which gave Norway sovereignty over Svalbard. Lasting a total of 13,319 minutes, it is NRK's longest slow television broadcast as of February 2022.

Production

Director Thomas Hellum conceived the idea for Svalbard Minute by Minute in 2011 after completing Hurtigruten Minute by Minute, a slow television broadcast which followed the 134-hour long voyage of MS Nordnorge from Bergen to Kirkenes.[2] The footage for the broadcast was shot by an NRK crew of 25 people earlier in August 2019 in order for better lighting conditions during midnight sun and because the voyage was too far north to broadcast live.[3] In total, seventeen cameras were used,[1] including camera drones.[4]

Broadcast and content

The MS Spitsbergen [no]

The entire 221-hour long voyage of the MS Spitsbergen around Spitsbergen, Svalbard was broadcast without interruption on NRK2 between 31 January at 18:00 to 9 February at 23:59 (CET),[5] and was also made directly available for streaming on NRK TV.[6] Alternatively, one-hour highlights from each day of the voyage were broadcast on NRK1 between 1–9 February.[4] In the broadcasts, hosts Kari Toft and Helge Lyngmoe observe the ongoings of the ship, and conduct interviews with passengers and crew members. They were assisted by archaeologist and Svalbard historian Per Kyrre Reymert and former Svalbardposten editor Arne O. Holm.[7][8]

Voyage

MS Spitsbergen's voyage:[9]

Viewership and reception

Svalbard Minute by Minute received 2.3 million viewers during its broadcast. John Einar Lockert, manager of Svalbard Adventures, attributed the broadcast to a 25 percent increase in tourist bookings to visit Svalbard.[10] In September 2020, the Norwegian Polar Institute named a headland in Burger Bay [no] Minute Island after the broadcast.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b Sidsel, Linden (27 January 2020) "Svalbard Minute by Minute - Slow TV Archived 2022-02-02 at the Wayback Machine". NRK. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  2. ^ Andreassen, Rune N. (26 February 2019) "Nå skal NRK lage «Svalbard minutt for minutt» Archived 2022-02-02 at the Wayback Machine". (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  3. ^ Bergh, Nicholas (31 January 2020) "NRK roses for nytt sakte-TV-program. Ideen kom for 11 år siden Archived 2022-02-02 at the Wayback Machine". (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  4. ^ a b Nikel, David (26 January 2020) "Norway’s Latest Slow TV Puts Svalbard In The Spotlight Archived 2022-02-02 at the Wayback Machine". Forbes. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  5. ^ Røsvik, Hilde Kristin (31 January 2020) "Svalbard minutt for minutt Archived 2022-02-02 at the Wayback Machine". Svalbardposten. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  6. ^ Jerijervi, Dag Robert (3 February 2020) "1,6 millioner nordmenn har fulgt denne gjengen rundt Svalbard - minutt for minutt Archived 2022-02-02 at the Wayback Machine". (in Norwegian). Kampanje. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Arnes Svalbard-logg Archived 2022-02-02 at the Wayback Machine", 6 February 2020. (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  8. ^ Tømmerbakke, Siri Gulliksen (31 January 2020) "Follow the Svalbard Voyage Minute by Minute here at High North News Archived 2022-02-02 at the Wayback Machine". High North News. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  9. ^ Christiansen, Lotten (10 January 2020) "Svalbard minutt for minutt Archived 2022-02-02 at the Wayback Machine". (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  10. ^ Merker minutt for minutt-effekten Archived 2022-02-02 at the Wayback Machine, 14 February 2020. (in Norwegian). Svalbardposten. Retrieved 2 February 2022. (Paywalled)
  11. ^ Viken, Oda (30 September 2020) "Nes i isødet oppkalt etter NRKs sakte-TV Archived 2022-02-02 at the Wayback Machine". (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 2 February 2022.