Eurovision 2011 - 10/12/14 May 2011

I was thinking it would be better if the UK viewers could choose the singers and songs (out of a list of all good songs) like other countries do with a bigger TV programme. Maybe it's too expensive though.

They're still doing a programme about them this year, but they've already chosen everything (and not letting viewers choose the song didn't do much good for the UK last year).

Well the documentary can't be any worse than last years selection show, and at least Blue have had hits in this century, unlike Mr Waterman.

The next logical step though for next year is taking having a selected act one step further and having the public choose the song they since, as was the format in the early 90s which generally resulted in second place IIRC.

How about airing a show across Europe on cable channels and those that would take it (maybe the BBC's own commercial channels), and therefore let a cross section of Eurovision viewers from each nation decide their favourite.

A slight version of that is used by Melodifestivalen now, last year in the Jury section of the voting six pf the eleven were based overseas. The Televotes being added on afterwards to the jury total. Overseas votes counting for around 25% of the eventual total.

see this entry in ….

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI
30-Jan-2011 @ 20:09

Yes - MF have been playing around with international contributions for a couple of years now haven't they?

Last year ISTR that they reduced the number of Swedish regional juries, and added the international juries to make-up the numbers (though televoting still accounts for around 50% of the final vote) ISTR that there were more votes available to the international juries than the Swedish juries?

(5 Swedish juries compared to 11 the year before, but 6 international compared to 1 the year before?)

The strange thing was that the international jury representatives during the voting were a bit random (most of them spoke Swedish).

Norway had Alexander Rybak (but he was there to perform), Ireland had their ambassador (well he was an easy Irish representative to find for an event based in Stockholm... Though he did get confused and thought Abba had one in Stockholm, not Brighton) Nice to hear Måns's great English accent though... Serbia was represented by Radovan Jaromir (who is - or was - an SVT in-vision presentation announcer in Sweden) - who has a Eurovision connection (he's presented a few of the Countdown shows, and apparently wrote the English lyrics to the 2007 winner - Molitva)


The year before, 2009, didn't they have the strange and very complicated "International Joker" bit ? This was where international representatives could chose a song that hadn't gone directly to the final from each heat as their "joker" - and then chose between these jokers for an 11th place in the final (unless the jokers had already qualified by going through the second chance round). All but one of the songs the international jury chose were also chosen by the public to go to second chance - so it all got quite complicated... Confused? We all were... Oh and the international jury were allowed to vote in the 2009 final - but only as the 12th jury after the 11 regional juries they had that year. (So counted for only about 4% of the final votes?)

Not sure BBC Worldwide would want to touch it with a 10 foot barge pole though...

Britain just doesn't seem to 'get' Eurovision in the same way as other countries. As a nation we still find it comical - and treat it very light heartedly. This may not actually be a bad thing...

However other countries DO take it seriously. It's their one chance each year to appear on an international stage - as equals. A chance to beat countries massively richer, massively more important etc. The UK is a major international player - Malta probably isn't. The UK features on international news bulletins on a daily basis. Moldova probably doesn't.

They therefore take their entry into the competition pretty seriously - as a matter of national pride and a way of best representing their country. (Though you do ask yourself sometimes if that REALLY is the best they have got...)

And then there is Melodifestivalen... The juggernaut of all pre-selection shows (the MGPs try to keep up but don't...) Truly a brilliant bit of telly every year, backed by a music industry and record labels who know it will deliver huge sales (relatively speaking) to their artists if they get involved. (Some performers are told they'll only get an album release if they agree to do MF)

I don't think sending 'Blue' is the answer to our problems and it doesn't seem quite right that the public have had absolutely no say in it this year. Why should the inept and indifferent fatcats at the BBC choose who represents us?

I know cost is always the reason why they don't make an effort, but they could save so much money simply by not doing the selection show in TC1 - or by merging the Eurovision with one of their other shows, such as 'So you think you can dance?' - where the winners will dance behind our Eurovision entry etc.

I wish ITV could have a stab at the pre-selection. I bet they'd make something good of it.

Such a shame that the BBC don't invest more production in Eurovision pre-selection. A few years ago I had highish hopes for the BBC's pre-selection programme, especially when regions got involved with reporting regional phone results into the programme - a nice enough touch - only happened once or twice though as far as I remember. Just imagne if the BBC threw a roadshow element at it - wouldn't have to be live - but like Britain's Got Talent, I'm sure something that showcases singing ability from theatres across the country might whip up some more interest in Eurovision.

In a way, maybe given the UK's apathy to the contest, the BBC is deciding the song and the performers without a "song and dance" to keep the critics happy. If the BBC did make this a showcase event of the year, imagine the flack it would get from the likes of the Daily Mail (until we won the thing of course, then it would be a huge success). The BBC just cannot win.

There's hope for the ESC SF's in HD from the BBC ...

see this exchange on ….

TWITTER.COM/#!
09-Feb-2011 @ 16:46

They probably have thought about it before though! There's certainly a much better chance this year.

Dana International could be making a return to Eurovision this year as she's taking part in the Israeli NF with a song called (ahem) Ding Dong.

Also Blue will be appearing in Malta's NF with a selection of their old songs but no I Can sadly.

It is a song contest, not a singing contest though. Now the juries are back this distinction is more important than in recent years

The Irish Selection ... Grimes brothers et al. Tonight at 9.35

Incredibly drawn out affair though over two hours. Will link to the streams when live.

Feeds ....

Via Eurovision TV ....

here….

WWW.EUROVISION.TV/ESCTV
11-Feb-2011 @ 21:21

Via RTE ....

here….

WWW.RTE.IE/LIVE
11-Feb-2011 @ 21:22