Eurovision 2010: Pete Waterman's Your Country Needs You!

I've never seen this before so forgive me but just to confirm that, that clip is from the show that selects the song to represent that particular country? So basically their version of 'Your Country Needs You'?!

If that is indeed the case then we will never have a chance, look how seriously it is taken, beautiful camera work and direction as well as a classy looking production itself.

We take the p!ss out of Eurovision with silly commentary and acts that wouldn't make it to the live finals of 'The X Factor' - its no wonder we don't do well.

I thought last year was a step in the right direction but this year it was back to normal, no one can get behind an act they know nothing about and are force fed in a one and a half hour TV nightmare. Its such a shame or should that be sham.

It is, and the broadcaster SVT is funded the same way as the BBC (aside from a tiny bit of sponsorship for the final) so the BBC has absolutely no excuse for the shambles that was Friday night.

Although I agree with the comments about the show on Friday, the fact of the matter is that most Brits don't take Eurovision seriously. Now no doubt the national broadcaster could in part help change perception (and looked like they were heading in the right direction last year) but the general public just aren't willing to take the competition seriously.

Our huge ratings and high production values come in the form of The X Factor where the public support supposedly 'credible' artists who go on to do well in our charts.

Without wanting to take too much away from Sweden, I'd imagine the British music scene is far more respected worldwide and so British artists just won't give Eurovision a second thought. I don't think that's going to change and until it does I doubt the Beeb could justify a Melodifestivalen-type show, it's a bit of a catch 22.

It's not about taking it seriously, it's about showing it some respect. The BBC's lack of respect is not just the reason the UK hasn't done well at Eurovision in recent years, it's also the reason it's not "taken seriously" by the public. The public too are now aware that it's not the other acts which are the joke of Eurovision, but the acts chosen to represent us.

I don't think anybody is saying it should be made out to be more important than it is - after all it's just one night of television which people enjoy/hate for a multitude of reasons - but whether it's a one-off show or a full series the selection process should not so much show Eurovision some respect, but show itself some respect too - and it should be purely about finding a decent singer and a decent song. Trying to pass off rubbish as what is a good "Eurovision" song, as they've done for the last decade or so, is clearly not the right strategy - and clearly that thinking isn't reflected when you look at the winners of the song contest in recent years.


Frankly, the way the BBC treat the show now it's time they lost the rights.

Though it is chicken and egg.

SVT get a UK equivalent audience of just under 30 million for their final - and it is regularly their most watched TV show of the year (royal weddings notwithstanding - and there is a traditional Donald Duck cartoon shown at Christmas that is watched by loads of Swedes as well)

The BBC got a UK audience of under 3 million with the show on Friday - and I doubt even the Saturday night show rated much over 6 million.

The BBC couldn't mount a show like SVT does - there simply aren't the artists to perform in it.

In Sweden the record labels push their artists to the show - even if they don't want to do it - as they know it often delivers great chart success. SVT have a large range of domestic talent to chose from (though those with international success aren't usually entering - though there arent HUGE numbers of Swedish artists in that category - though some with modest overseas success like Alcazar and BWO do enter) - and the whole country is behind it and buys the records. When you listen to mainstream pop stations like Rix FM (kind of Heart/Capital) they are playing the entries...

In the UK we just don't take it seriously as a nation. No record label will let their talent anywhere near it. This leaves the BBC with very little choice but to either run a talent format (like last year) or do a minimal show (like this year and previous years) with unsigned artists they find themselves...

Jessica Garlick did well a while back when the contest was smaller and more "West European") and she was an ITV reality show (Popstars I think) also-ran, as were Jamelia and Andy Abrahms. Maybe that is still what we should be doing.

Whatever we do - we have to select early, and take it seriously, or otherwise Europe won't take us seriously... Or maybe the BBC don't want to win at the moment... (I suspect the BBC would have much bigger problems with the sponsorship aspect of hosting the event than most recent winners)

Completely agree Asa - though I bet Cowell would love 25+million audiences (which is what MF gets in equivalent % of the population terms)

Dumping it on a Friday evening, harks back to the 1990's when it was shunted to Sunday afternoon. The programme as it was needed some polishing. The lack of preparation was painfully obvious, the BBC do have the ideal programme into which the contestants could be bloodied - The One Show. Run them into the show twice before hitting the 'live' show, in the three weeks leading up to the selection, which has to be relocated to Saturday PDQ.

The one blessing was the lack of a female co-presenter this time around. The comments on Facebook are scathing, so surely the BBC should't ignore them.

If I follow your logic, then it seems that you're saying that a potential winning song for Eurovision should ideally be on radio playlists across Europe for weeks, even months ahead of the event to garner sufficient support come the evening itself.

Not being a massive follow of the show, this strikes me as being at odds with the purpose of the event.

I never hear other country's entries until the broadcast goes out - so they all land on my ears fresh, and I make a determination on the night who I prefer - with no knowledge (apart from what I glean here) of how the song selection is handled elsewhere. That's *my* culture of Eurovision - and I suspect a massive part of the UK audience are the same, too.

Its just my opinion, but if songs do better because they're ingrained in the conciousness of European radio listeners then that strikes me as an unfair advantage - but hey ho, I suppose if you can't beat them, join them.

I should add that I'm not a fan of Pete Waterman as songwriter. His selection rather reeks of being second choice to ALW in a rather glib "they're both song writers who do reality shows" way.

True - would be seen as a waste of licence fee cash by the Daily Mail for a start - but at least a show that looks like it has had an ounce of thought and rehearsals put into it might be possible.

Yes, Mr Norton is usually a more accomplished performer than this, I mean he totally corpsed at one point.
Again adding to the suggestion that this was a seriously under rehearsed production.

Not quite. Two issues.

1. In Sweden (and the other Nordic countries) they take their Eurovision selection shows very seriously - and many entries will chart (even those that don't get to their domestic final) and thus get decent domestic radio play. Not an issue within your own country - as you can't vote for your own country (nor for songs that aren't going through to Eurovision) - though it builds interest in both the domestic selection shows and the main contest.

However one factor in the Nordic block (and I suspect the Balkan and former-Soviets as well) is that there is a cultural overlap - and it wouldn't be unusual for a Swedish radio station to play a Norwegian or Danish entry - so I guess that gives them a familiarity advantage? (Can you imagine Heart, Capital, Magic or Radio 2 playing another country's Eurovision entry before the contest?)

2. If you chose your song early - and you're a big player in Eurovision and tour the region - you are likely to be invited onto TV shows in other countries to perform or be interviewed, particularly on other pre-selection shows who often need an interval act during the voting... Almost certainly your track will be played, an audience will see you (and either like you or dislike you), and will have heard the song. If you don't tour, and leave your selection to the last minute you don't benefit from this.



Arguably yes - but the event was originally a song contest, with no dancing allowed and a house band. These days you can have dancers, you can dance yourself, and you have to supply a (vocal-free) backing track. The scale of the event is huge - and it has changed (almost) beyond all recognition.

The original purpose of the event was to exploit the ability to link up Europe's various broadcasters - and a song contest was chosen as it was semi-independent of dialogue. (i.e. you didn't have to speak the language to appreciate the tune - and performance)



Ah - but that is a recent thing. Many countries do what Britain used to do - and preview the songs (the EBU provide copies of preview videos of all of them to all broadcasters entering the contest) Historically the Nordic block do a pan-Scandinavian (I think Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark - don't think Finland?) preview and review series of shows. Don't forget that many countries don't have anywhere near the amount of domestic production that we do in the UK - so being given a kit of parts to make a cheap and cheerful show works well for them. This means that many other countries will have already seen the songs prior to the contest. Western Europe (including the Big Four) is a bit snootier these days - and has little interest in a preview show. (Liquid Eurovision on BBC Three in the earlier 00s was a notable exception)



Don't think it is unfair - just an advantage. We used to preview other countries' songs - we don't now... Personally I think the UK entry visiting a country and appearing on a domestic show makes a very good impression - and stops us appearing to be "above it all"...

I was at Globen for the Melodifestivalen 2010 final and it was fantastic.

I loved the way that clubs in Sweden were all playing songs from this year, prior years and other Eurovision songs! It was really nice seeing the integration into general everyday life, rather than the distant position that we appear to take with the UK entries.

If you want to watch the whole thing online, [svtplay.se - 1hr 58min] http://svtplay.se/v/1926545/melodifestivalen/melodifestivalen_2010__final?sb,p102944,1,f,-1

The event itself was fantastic, the atmosphere was brilliant and the glowsticks were just an added that little bit extra (for three songs, I might add!)

I also liked the Norway vs Sweden medley segment whilst voting was taking place.