EUROVISION 2009 - MOSCOW, RUSSIA

Think my Saturdays will be preoccupied with Melodifestivalen, If the ALW thing works I might change my view for 2010

Yep - will watch the BBC show until MF starts, then it will be MF all the way until the finals. (Will it be on SVT HD this year? Do hope so!) MF has a GREAT line-up this year it seems.

Will timeshift the BBC show...

Eurovision: Your Country Needs You

Concept .... Started shakily but it has something going for it, the contestants really got a going over which was good. Delighted to see the A&R guy Colin Barlow involved. The trip to the Venue was important and a good move.

Politics .... Froth, could have been eliminated, at this stage.

Music Auditions .... It's a POP contest generally and those who auditioned used ALW STAGE material which isn't a three minute full blown opus.

Acts .... They have fallen into the trap of needing different genres to choose from to make a show rather than a hunt for one act, so all Girl soloists could have been selected for example, this was avoided unfortunately. The result will be voting on style of act, gay vote going for the boys etc.... which will be unfortunate.

Selection ... There is unfortunately one obvious non-winner of Eurovision from the off, which hopefully will eliminated promptly but I doubt if the UK public will see through it.

The process at the end seemed rushed and the substitute seemed 'strange', memories of the final Joseph contestant returned.

One the whole better than I expected, next week will be the crucial one, I really hope that there'll be no 'cheerleaders' like Barrowman in the live show.

Hmmm the possible inclusion of Barrowman is why I'm giving this show a wide berth until I know he's definitely not going to be in it. Him and Carrie Grant ruined the selection show last year with their blatent picking of songs that they thought "sounded Eurovision" - a surefire sign it won't do well.

Part of me wishes the BBC would give up on Eurovision and hand it to ITV. For all their faults, ITV know how to do a show like this properly. Plus it wouldn't have Graham bloody Norton on it.

That's all well and good. But would you really want to see ITV handle Eurovision if we did win it?

I hark back to our withdrawal of Junior Eurovision one year when we were due to host it because ITV found it too expensive... and that was Junior Eurovision.

If it was on ITV, it would just be another gig for Ben Shepherd.

Whatever happens, imagine the dismay if we lose this year. I can already guess the headlines.

Yep - the SECOND year... ITV signed up with an agreement to host the second year (unlike adult Eurovision JESC winning is not related to hosting the event) but dropped out and shunted the show to ITV2 when it didn't rate. Hardly a commitment...

Yep - though that doesn't mean there is record company backing to the performers who win, which is really the key (as they fund the major promotions etc. that the BBC can't)



Yep - though it is entirely related to the show - you don't chose a song that you think the UK Eurovision fans will like (cos they can't vote for it) you chose a song that the rest of Europe might vote for - except that the regional voting (not political per se - just understandable if you understand the demographics of the regions) means that this is an uphill struggle.



Yep - though they aren't auditioning the material they are singing - they are auditioning their ability to perform - though the ALW material was a bit prominent some of the people who chose it didn't go through.



Understandable though. MF doesn't go down the "single genre" route either.

They were never going to chose a single genre for 6 weeks - this isn't Maria or Joseph is it?



Yep - and if you mean the group I think you mean - then pandering to Eurovision's perceived inherent racism can't be encouraged... If we start there it is a slippery slope. (Though it is sad that the last time a country with a non-white performer won was - I think - in 2001, prior to the massive enlargement)



Yep - the two girl groups seemed to evaporate very quickly...

Thinking about it - groups haven't faired that well in recent years. Strong - mainly female (Dima Bilan a notable exception) - singers with decent backing groups have won - or rated highly - predominantly in recent years. (Though some bands have made good also ran positions)



I suspect John Barrowman will deliver to the brief you give him (he's a professional performer after all). If you ask him to select "Eurovision Camp" he will, if you ask him to select "decent vocalist" he will. He will be guided by the production team at the end of the day - these pundits don't just pop up and say random things - they are heavily produced... (Or have I just spoiled the mystery?)

Do we go straight to the final this year as in previous years as I was under the impression that the EBU decided we didn't need to donate so much money now. If we enter at semi-final stage then we won't actually get into the final anyway.

The big four ticket to the final continues

Yep - there were rumblings that it might go away - but they appear to have come to nothing. (I suspect the Big Four continued with their threat to pull out if they weren't guaranteed final places, and whilst the licensing fees they contribute are no longer as vital to fund the contest as they once were - losing a broadcast slot in the UK would be unthinkable - where Eurovision still rates very highly)

Nice to see the twins rejected from X Factor are going through to the 'Final 6' to represent the best of this countries singing ability. Fantastic. Not.

Surely all ALW needs to do for this to be branded a success is get higher than a 'nil' after all the results are in?