Norwegians are taking reality TV to the extreme with their plan for a 5 hour show on not just knitting, but live knitting. According to the LA Times on October 4, the show will capture an attempt to break the Australian world record of 4 hours and 51 minutes to produce a completed sweater, starting with the wool on the sheep’s back.
Scheduled to air on Norway’s NRK network on November 1, the live knitting episode is expected to draw a good audience. An earlier episode of “Slow TV” that followed a ship on a 5-day cruise drew an incredible 3 million viewers from the country of 5 million, and producers are hopeful that following a sweater from wool to wearability will enjoy similar results.
While watching someone knit for five hours doesn’t sound very exciting, the concept of seeing the creation of a sweater starting with the lamb who will give up its coat has a bit more of a draw. There’s always an interest in how things are made, and if attractions such as Colonial Williamsburg and Plimoth Plantation here in the U.S. are any indication, viewing the process from sheep shearer to spinner to knitter to finished product much like our ancestors did is bound to be a bit more likeable.
Will “Slow TV” catch on in the U.S.? It can’t be any worse than watching celebrities belly flop in a diving contest.
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