Slow TV

Wellness is changing the face of entertainment, as “slow entertainment” offers a calming antidote to the hectic pace of modern life. This year, Netflix’s most talked-about show is Terrace House, a slow-moving Japanese reality show centered around six young adults who sit in a house and talk. Last year, the company streamed several programs from the Norwegian Broadcasting Company’s “Slow TV,” including the four-hour National Knitting evening and the seven-hour Train Ride: Bergen to Oslo. Another company embracing slow TV is the BBC, whose first 2016 foray into slow programming attracted close to a million viewers.

The revival of slow TV has inspired other mediums to slow down and embrace mindfulness. Last week, BBC Radio Three announced “Slow Radio,” a new podcast designed to escape the “frenzied world,” featuring the sounds of birds, mountain climbing and chanting monks. The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has just launched “Seeking Stillness,” a series of installations with themes that focus on contemplation, meditation and clearing the mind.

As discussed in our Well Economy report, wellbeing is now a top priority for consumers. Slow entertainment offers respite from the chaotic realities of the world, allowing people to escape and take comfort in mindful nothingness. Even in the era of “peak TV,” media companies are showing that there is an appetite for creative content that helps consumers unwind.