Balloon ride aims to be a hit on "slow television"

An experimental type of television programme, which is to feature a hot air balloon flight, has been so successful that a radio station has decided to try to copy it. The Go Slow Season was originally broadcast on BBC4 and it seems to have been popular with the audience. It has been revealed that one of the programmes in the new season will consist of a hot air balloon flight. The first season has inspired Alan Davey, the boss of Radio 3, to try slow radio out for size. Mr. Davey has told The Independent:

“It doesn’t matter how long a full-length drama is, it doesn’t have to be 45 minutes or 90 minutes, it takes as long as it takes. We’ll give music time to breathe and audiences the space to take it all in.”

The concept of slow television has been reported as having Norwegian roots. Over five years ago, a Nordic channel had success with a programme concerning a railway journey without a break. The show was in excess of seven hours in length. The experimentation with the idea in the UK also included looking at various activities. These included the likes of glassblowing and a canal trip. The prospect of a programme about a balloon trip can be seen as a natural extension of focusing on these relaxing activities. The slow movement seems to have captured the imagination of people in the media like Mr. Davey. He has already implemented an eight hour project called Sleep, with the assistance of modern composer Max Richter.