A SURPRISE TV success story has been the two-hour journey of the Dales Bus through the Yorkshire Dales on Bank Holiday Monday.

In a new series of features styled as ‘slow television’, the All Aboard! The Country Bus programme attracted about a million viewers, beating Channel 5 and Film 4 in the ratings.

Despite having no commentary, viewers were charmed by the beautiful Dales scenery and the interesting local facts, to make it the most popular slow television programme on BBC 4 yet. There must be something in taking a step away from the deluge of reality TV, and brash shows with flashy gimmicks we are now faced with that makes us yearn for the peace and quiet that comes with a nearly silent programme, other than the occasional muffled chatter and sounds of sheep bleating.

It is almost akin to taking a holiday; viewers could quite easily have been passengers on the bus themselves, taking in the surroundings while enjoying a cheese sandwich and pondering where to get off for a nice walk.

The journey started in Richmond before making its first stop in Grinton, just outside of Reeth, and then meandered its way up Swaledale. It ventured up the Buttertubs Pass towards Hawes, then carried on until it reached Ribblehead Station.

Slow television apparently originated in Norway, and has been pioneered in Britain by BBC Four, with viewers finding solace in the calm of broadcasts such as a two-hour sleigh ride through northern Norway.

Cassian Harrison, editor of BBC Four, said: “I’m incredibly pleased with how popular slow television has become.

We’d hoped our Country Bus trip would be the perfect coda to a sun-kissed Bank Holiday weekend, but we never expected it to be our most popular slow journey yet.”