Norway split down the middle on how to stack firewood following programme featuring an eight hour live shot of a fireplace Firewood programme sparks complaints on correct way to stack bark Nearly a million people tuned in to the programme in its prime time slot The night featured an eight hour marathon of a live fireplace In most places across the world, the topic of firewood would hardly be expected to set the nation's imagination alight. But in Norway, a television programme on the subject of wood caused quite a stir, after splitting the country straight down the middle on how it should be stacked. Nearly a million people, 20 per cent of the Norwegian population, tuned in to the programme when it was aired during prime time on Friday night. But the angry responses started almost as soon as it had begun. Right way up? The popular programme on firewood sparked numerous complaints about which way it should be stacked. No doubt this haphazardly stacked wood will cause quite a stir among enthusiasts The show was inspired by the book Solid Wood: All About Chopping, Drying and Stacking Wood - and the Soul of Wood-Burning, by Lars Mytting, which spent more than a year on the Norwegian non-fiction bestseller list. According to the New York Times, he said: 'We received about 60 text messages from people complaining about the stacking in the programme. Fifty per cent complained the bark was facing up, and the rest complained that the bark was facing down. One thing that really divides Norway is bark. Appeal: More than a million households in Norway have fireplaces of wood stoves, and the programme was said to appeal to Norwegians' nostalgia for a simpler time Rune Moeklebust, head of programmes at state broadcaster NRK, which showed the programme, said firewood was a natural subject for Norwegian television, as 1.2 million households in the country have fireplaces or wood stoves. He initially wanted to make a whole TV series about firewood, but cut it down to a 12-hour show, featuring eight hours of a live fireplace. The programme on Friday, billed as National Firewood Night, saw host Rebecca Nedregotten Strand promise to 'try to get to the core of Norwegian firewood culture'. After the four hours of programmes, looking at the importance and historical significance of firewood, the action moved to a live fireplace in a farmhouse in Bergen, which was filmed for eight hours. Wood was added by photographer Ingrid Tangstad Hatlevoll, who never appeared on screen, with viewers advising exactly where to place it. For much of the programme there was no dialogue, only the sound of the fire. One viewer, niesa36, wrote on the Dagbladet newspaper website: 'I couldn't go to bed because I was so excited.' American Derek Miller, author of the novel 'Norwegian by Night,' said the programme not only demonstrated the importance of firewood to the lives of Norwegians, but also appealed to Norway's nostalgia for a simpler time.