LA-based indie LMNO Productions has acquired the U.S. remake rights to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK’s Slow TV format, from distributor DRG.

The format, which debuted on NRK in 2011, uses fixed cameras to continuously film and air a single event, such as a seven-hour train ride, 18 hours of salmon fishing, and a 134-hour cruise along the Norwegian coast (pictured), in real time.

Last Friday (November 1), 1.3 million people tuned in to watch NRK’s National Knitting Evening, a 12-hour live event featuring people knitting and talking about knitting.

“In a world where everything moves so fast, it was refreshing to find something so captivating that you did not want to look away from it,” said Lori Rothschild Ansaldi, LMNO’s senior VP of development, in a statement. “LMNO is constantly looking for very loud, distinctive formats and characters, and we believe we have found just that with the Slow TV concept.”

“Slow TV is a thoroughly audacious TV format; it goes against the grain,” added Andrea Jackson, DRG’s managing director of acquisitions and formats. “This is for a broadcaster that wants to do something totally different in a headline-grabbing way.”

NRK recently renewed its first-look deal – originally signed in March 2011 – with DRG. The company’s unscripted formats include Never Ever Do This At Home, My Celebrity Boyfriend and Teenage Boss.

LMNO’s credits include I Get That A Lot for CBS and The Little Couple for TLC.

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