The Ultimate Guide to Slow TV

Several weeks ago, I watched Dune for the first time, and I just about had a heart attack. Yes, it’s beautiful (and Timothée and Zendaya are also beautiful), but lately I find myself turning to more quiet and calm media over blockbusters — traditional media just stresses me out too much.

With my anxiety levels reaching all time highs over the last few years, it’s undeniable how much my media choices affect my mood, outlook, and definitely my cortisol levels. Thus, I’ve found myself turning toward Slow TV as a regulation tool.

The origins of the Slow TV genre are generally traced to 2009, when someone in Norway strapped three cameras to the front of a train and filmed a 7-hour journey through the countryside. Boring? Maybe. Chill AF? Absolutely.

While Slow TV is traditionally defined as “marathon” coverage of ordinary events in their complete length (think train journeys, walks through cities, and other incredibly low-stimulation activities), my definition is a bit more broad:

Slow TV means anything slow, quiet, and calm that prioritizes process over plot or character. If TV is a spectrum, Game of Thrones is on one side, and Slow TV is on the other.

Today I’m excited to bring you my Ultimate Guide to Slow TV. There are a few reliable sources to tap for Slow TV, and below you’ll find specific recommendations from those networks and others to get you started.

Public television (PBS in the United States) is generally a great source for chill, quiet shows to help you calm TF down and better yet — they’re a public service and therefore free to stream! NHK World (Japanese Public Television) is my number one recommendation for Slow TV. Most of the shows are hosted or dubbed in English, so it’s easy to find something you like (and suddenly realize you want to go to Japan.) All sources listed below will be free to stream unless otherwise indicated.

🎨 Art + Design

• ART21 : This is one of my original favorites. I began watching this as an art student, and 20+ seasons later it is still one of the best places to get an inside view of how some of the greatest artists of the 21st century think about creative process. Favorites from over the years include Consumption , Spirituality , Ecology

• Design Talks+ : This is one of the first shows on NHK that really landed with me. Learn about Japanese design and processes in episodes like Paper and Subtlety

• Design x Stories : The same hosts from Design Talks+ on their new show, which is basically the same flavor as Design Talks+. Check out episodes like Snack Time (experiential design of Japanese snacks and candies!) and Lifestyle Tools

• The Great Pottery Throwdown : This has got to be one of the purest and most wholesome shows on TV. Yes, it’s a weekly competition show, but it’s the most talented and passionate potters in the UK cheering each other on instead of tearing each other down (Subscription required, HBO Max)

• Bob Ross - The Joy of Painting : (duh!) Do I need to explain myself with this one?

🌏 Travel

• Rick Steves Europe: My high school French teacher used to phone it in some days in the name of cultural education with Rick, and tbh those were some of the best days. Rick is cheesy and pure, and a perfect salve for European wanderlust!

• Drive and Listen: I will always love people who build random sites like this (and for what?). Another remedy for wanderlust, Drive and Listen puts you in the backseat of a car in the city of your choice, where you can select a local radio stations and truly just drive around and listen.

🌱 Nature + Science

• NOVA: This show has been airing for over 49 Seasons (!!!) and The Fabric of the Cosmos Series will forever be one of my favorites.

• Planet Earth: an old standby! With David Attenborough, all things are possible. (Subscription required, Discovery+)

• National Geographic Safari Live: Have you ever wanted to ride around in a Safari Jeep with National Park guides for 3 hours? Well now you can.

🏠 Lifestyle

• Spiritual Explorers: Another beautiful show from NHK World. This one dives into mental/ physical/spiritual traditions in Japanese culture, full of allegories for all your Western suffering to make you go “Damn, that’s deep.” One of my favorites is the episode on Aikido.

• Cooking shows — Ina Garten will always be a favorite of mine. Evidently, Steven Colbert watches this to relax his nerves before The Late Show! (Subscription required, HBO Max)

• Château Renovations — Don’t ask me how I ended up down this rabbit hole, but there’s an entire genre of people with too much money risking it all and sinking it into restoring 15th century French châteaus, and I just can’t get enough. Escape to the Chateau (Subscription required, Peacock) is my favorite, but on Youtube, check out The Chateau Diaries.

I hope you find something on this list that helps you quiet the chaos and turn off your brain — that’s the main reason why I love Slow TV. Life is hectic and Slow TV can really help you chill TF out. Have a favorite that you didn’t see on this list? Comment below and share it with others!