DV
Norway will be lucky to get through the Semi Final I feel, remember the constituency of Eurovision.
NG
Yep - though I wasn't totally surprised by Norway's result. They had a very mixed bag this year. Arguably the best performance of the series on MelodiGrandPrix was Alexander Steneruds interval medley during the second heat. I doubt he'd do well in the main contest - but he certainly delivers a great performance (and vocals)
I don't really follow the others that intently - but have just listened to Belgium. Really interesting - which they do quite often (Sanomi in the made up language a few years back was different and did well) - and I suspect a unique entry. (Shades of the Real Group who are popular in Sweden - but funkier) It might do well - it might tank. It's a real marmite kind of thing I think.
Finland - slight shades of Tom Dice from last year? Very simple - and often very simple works amazingly well (in some cases approaching goosebump territory) on a huge stage if covered effectively - and makes other acts that throw dancing kitchen sinks at their numbers look cheap and desperate.
noggin
Founding member
Last night's Super Saturday results were extraordinary, with peculiar wins in Malta, Belgium, Finland and Norway. The only expected result being the progression of Sanna Nielsen in Sweden to Globen.
Yep - though I wasn't totally surprised by Norway's result. They had a very mixed bag this year. Arguably the best performance of the series on MelodiGrandPrix was Alexander Steneruds interval medley during the second heat. I doubt he'd do well in the main contest - but he certainly delivers a great performance (and vocals)
I don't really follow the others that intently - but have just listened to Belgium. Really interesting - which they do quite often (Sanomi in the made up language a few years back was different and did well) - and I suspect a unique entry. (Shades of the Real Group who are popular in Sweden - but funkier) It might do well - it might tank. It's a real marmite kind of thing I think.
Finland - slight shades of Tom Dice from last year? Very simple - and often very simple works amazingly well (in some cases approaching goosebump territory) on a huge stage if covered effectively - and makes other acts that throw dancing kitchen sinks at their numbers look cheap and desperate.
NG
Sadly you may be correct... (And it's one of the real downsides of the expansion of the contest - as it was far less of an issue in the 80s and 90s when it was really the "Western Eurovision Song Contest + Yugoslavia and Israel")
noggin
Founding member
Norway will be lucky to get through the Semi Final I feel, remember the constituency of Eurovision.
Sadly you may be correct... (And it's one of the real downsides of the expansion of the contest - as it was far less of an issue in the 80s and 90s when it was really the "Western Eurovision Song Contest + Yugoslavia and Israel")
NG
I wouldn't call Norway's win peculiar, more expected. She's the only MGP entry this year to reach number 1 and she was in the last semi!
Yep - I thought similarly.
I really hate that 7 Days and 7 Nights song that also went through in Sweden. There were some much better songs than that.
Yes - I would have loved Elisabeth 'Bettan' Andreassen to have gone through - shades of Helen Sjöholm in her performance.
MF always has a mix of music - and a lot of it isn't really my cup of tea.
I'd have liked to have seen Dilba and Rasmus Viberg (I know he had pitching issues at one point - but it had a real 'Eurovision' flavour to it) go through from the first show (I'm glad Jenny Silver is in Andra Chansen) and I'd have liked to see Bettan go through from last night (She's Eurovision, Melodifestivalen and MelodiGrandPrix royalty!) Whilst I enjoyed Babsan - like After Dark before her I don't think it would work outside Scandinavia (As DQ proved I fear)
noggin
Founding member
Last night's Super Saturday results were extraordinary, with peculiar wins in Malta, Belgium, Finland and Norway. The only expected result being the progression of Sanna Nielsen in Sweden to Globen.
I wouldn't call Norway's win peculiar, more expected. She's the only MGP entry this year to reach number 1 and she was in the last semi!
Yep - I thought similarly.
Quote:
I really hate that 7 Days and 7 Nights song that also went through in Sweden. There were some much better songs than that.
Yes - I would have loved Elisabeth 'Bettan' Andreassen to have gone through - shades of Helen Sjöholm in her performance.
MF always has a mix of music - and a lot of it isn't really my cup of tea.
I'd have liked to have seen Dilba and Rasmus Viberg (I know he had pitching issues at one point - but it had a real 'Eurovision' flavour to it) go through from the first show (I'm glad Jenny Silver is in Andra Chansen) and I'd have liked to see Bettan go through from last night (She's Eurovision, Melodifestivalen and MelodiGrandPrix royalty!) Whilst I enjoyed Babsan - like After Dark before her I don't think it would work outside Scandinavia (As DQ proved I fear)
TE
I think you misread. I think Stockholm in 2000 was the game-changer. Compare it to Ireland in 1997, Birmingham in 1998 and Jerusalem in 1999 and there is a total step-change in coverage and ambition. Personally I thought Jerusalem in 1998 was a bit of a let down after Ireland in 1997 and Birmingham in 1998. (Very limited space I guess - but the scripting felt less tailored to the song - and I don't think LED had quite arrived when they used it - just too coarse)
Well the Moscow 2009 stage was designed by the team who did one of the Irish contests ISTR - and it was amazing. As I'm sure was the price tag.
I was incredibly impressed with the Oslo staging last year. They didn't try to better Moscow - they took a different tack - and I thought it was all the better for it.
Hasn't the NRK producer for Oslo taken over from Svante at the EBU? If so - I suspect the EBU would probably dictate to RTE who was and wasn't approved to direct the show... (But I doubt it would get to that)
Of course many broadcasters don't have in-house directors for these kinds of shows anyway - the industry is much more freelance based.
The BBC don't have a single in-house staff director in BBC Vision Entertainment any more (apart from the P/Ds in Events which is technically a part of Entertainment). In fact outside of BBC News (and the Nations) there are very few staff directors at the BBC. There is absolutely no doubt if the Beeb won the contest it would be a freelancer directing (in fact I think it was the last time!)
That's interesting re the BBC noggin - you learn something new every day. I wonder would Jonathan Bullen get the gig?
You're evidently correct about directors. It's only when you list them that you see the extent to which the Swedes took over. It would be interesting if larger countries with their own directors had won during the 2000s - Eurovision could have gone in a slightly different directorial direction to that we have now...
Fully agreed about Greece. Not only was the spidercam over used and in jarring SD, the reliance on pedestals was surely the heaviest since the 1990s. There were two problems with this: firstly the stage was too high for comfortable ped use (as noggin has often pointed out, Eurovision is rightly a television event now - the venue audience is secondary), and secondly, the emergence of heavy jib and steadicam use has meant peds mainly fill the gaps with close-ups these days, which Greece also did to a degree, but without taking account of the high proportion of ped use. So the ped shots featured little of the dynamisim expected of a ped-dominant production. If that makes sense. It was a frustratingly erratic production to watch with many dull and 'oops, what's going on here' moments.
And yes, I meant to say Stockholm, not Oslo as the turning point. It really upped the stakes. Kattis and Anders were supremely confident, professional and delightfully irreverent too. A very sophsticated show.
Yep, Moscow's stage was designed by set designer John Casey (now based in New York), who designed the 1997 stage for RTÉ, and was involved in 1994 and 1995 also.
I think you misread. I think Stockholm in 2000 was the game-changer. Compare it to Ireland in 1997, Birmingham in 1998 and Jerusalem in 1999 and there is a total step-change in coverage and ambition. Personally I thought Jerusalem in 1998 was a bit of a let down after Ireland in 1997 and Birmingham in 1998. (Very limited space I guess - but the scripting felt less tailored to the song - and I don't think LED had quite arrived when they used it - just too coarse)
Well the Moscow 2009 stage was designed by the team who did one of the Irish contests ISTR - and it was amazing. As I'm sure was the price tag.
I was incredibly impressed with the Oslo staging last year. They didn't try to better Moscow - they took a different tack - and I thought it was all the better for it.
Hasn't the NRK producer for Oslo taken over from Svante at the EBU? If so - I suspect the EBU would probably dictate to RTE who was and wasn't approved to direct the show... (But I doubt it would get to that)
Of course many broadcasters don't have in-house directors for these kinds of shows anyway - the industry is much more freelance based.
The BBC don't have a single in-house staff director in BBC Vision Entertainment any more (apart from the P/Ds in Events which is technically a part of Entertainment). In fact outside of BBC News (and the Nations) there are very few staff directors at the BBC. There is absolutely no doubt if the Beeb won the contest it would be a freelancer directing (in fact I think it was the last time!)
That's interesting re the BBC noggin - you learn something new every day. I wonder would Jonathan Bullen get the gig?
You're evidently correct about directors. It's only when you list them that you see the extent to which the Swedes took over. It would be interesting if larger countries with their own directors had won during the 2000s - Eurovision could have gone in a slightly different directorial direction to that we have now...
Fully agreed about Greece. Not only was the spidercam over used and in jarring SD, the reliance on pedestals was surely the heaviest since the 1990s. There were two problems with this: firstly the stage was too high for comfortable ped use (as noggin has often pointed out, Eurovision is rightly a television event now - the venue audience is secondary), and secondly, the emergence of heavy jib and steadicam use has meant peds mainly fill the gaps with close-ups these days, which Greece also did to a degree, but without taking account of the high proportion of ped use. So the ped shots featured little of the dynamisim expected of a ped-dominant production. If that makes sense. It was a frustratingly erratic production to watch with many dull and 'oops, what's going on here' moments.
And yes, I meant to say Stockholm, not Oslo as the turning point. It really upped the stakes. Kattis and Anders were supremely confident, professional and delightfully irreverent too. A very sophsticated show.
Yep, Moscow's stage was designed by set designer John Casey (now based in New York), who designed the 1997 stage for RTÉ, and was involved in 1994 and 1995 also.
NE
These are my predictions:
1. Something will be announced on 2x BD50s by the middle of March at the latest.
2. The UK song will be performed on The Graham Norton Show on Friday 11th March.
3. Switzerland will make the top 20.
4. Norway will make the top 4.
5. Finland will make the top 15.
6. UK will make the top 10.
1. Something will be announced on 2x BD50s by the middle of March at the latest.
2. The UK song will be performed on The Graham Norton Show on Friday 11th March.
3. Switzerland will make the top 20.
4. Norway will make the top 4.
5. Finland will make the top 15.
6. UK will make the top 10.
Last edited by Neo on 26 February 2011 9:44pm - 15 times in total
MD
Last year was the first year I decided not to watch Eurovision. I caught up with the scoreboard on iPlayer, mainly due to the fact that most of the songs, including our own, were dire. This year, so far, the quality of the songs are even worse!
If Blue's song is powerful enough to get the votes in, I think we have a good chance of winning this year. That's if people vote for the song and not the Country of course!
If Blue's song is powerful enough to get the votes in, I think we have a good chance of winning this year. That's if people vote for the song and not the Country of course!
ST
Very good lmao
Very good lmao