Swedish state television channel SVT’s extraordinary and fascinating nature documentary “The Great Reindeer Migration” (Älgvandringen) has successfully completed its seventh season. Broadcast live for 478 hours from the heart of the forests of northern Sweden, the program offered viewers the opportunity to witness the wonders of nature up close. First broadcast in 2019, “The Great Reindeer Migration” quickly became a cultural phenomenon in Sweden, rather than a niche production. The fact that it reached around 2024 million viewers in 9 shows how widely the program is followed.
Technology Meets Nature: 478 Hours of Live Broadcast
SVT series project manager Johan Erhag expressed his satisfaction with the success of the program this year. According to Erhag, during the broadcast marathon that started on April 15, the team recorded a total of 26 hours of unique footage using 478 remote-controlled cameras, seven night-vision cameras and a drone that provides uninterrupted image transmission. Thanks to this technological infrastructure, viewers were able to follow the movements of the deer in their natural habitat, their seasonal migrations and their interactions with other creatures as if they were watching through a window.
Spring Deer Migration and Bear Surprise
One of the most impressive moments of the season was the spring crossing of 70 European moose (also known as Alces alces) on the Ångerman River, which was caught on camera in the final episode. This natural event, which took place about 180 miles north of Stockholm, showed the moose’s struggle to survive in the harsh landscape and their instinctive journey. But another surprise of this year’s broadcast was the unusual number of bears caught on camera. Rarely seen in such live broadcasts, multiple bears were filmed at the same time, giving viewers a unique perspective on the life cycle and behavior of these majestic animals in the region.
Successful Representative of the “Slow TV” Movement
“The Great Reindeer Migration” is considered a successful example of the “slow TV” movement that Norway’s NRK channel started in 2009. This movement, which began with the broadcast of a seven-hour non-stop train journey from Bergen to Oslo, aims to offer viewers a different perspective on nature and life through real-time and long-term broadcasts. “The Great Reindeer Migration” also aligns with this philosophy, allowing patient viewers to share the rhythm of nature.
On Screens Again Next Spring
Although the official viewing figures for this year’s season have not yet been announced, the good news from SVT is that the “Great Reindeer Migration” will return to the screens for its eighth season next spring. This shows that the program has established itself as a permanent fixture on Swedish television and has become an indispensable production for nature lovers. In the upcoming season, viewers will once again have the opportunity to discover the secrets of Sweden’s enchanting northern forests via live broadcast.
