Eurovision 2017

This way makes much better television and that's all that matters. It's an entertainment show at the end of the day not election coverage.


It's exciting to the end now, so they have really solved the problem that existed before.

Regardless of the jury points, Portugal still won regardless.

I'm in Lisbon right now ironically. SIC have mounted a very elaborate OB using multiple 4G camera links for Benfica FC bus procession and gig to celebrate them winning some sort of cup or other, the city's gone mad, I doubt even a single person here gives a stuff about EV !

Some UK credits for the first time.

I prefer having the juries as they music professionals who will properly judge a song on its merits.

I would also prefer to have the event now split over 2 nights, rather than the current semi-finals set up. Performances on Saturday, Results on Sunday and voting in between. Don't like the way that they handle who's qualified for the final.

Which is of course is why Cyprus gave 12 points to Greece and Greece gave 12 points to Cyprus. Also are you suggesting the juries decided they liked Portugal due to the quality of their song and the viewing public just liked his hair or something? There is merits in both approaches so they probably have the balance about right. For the contest not to have any form of public voting in this day and age would be mad, surely a big part of the appeal is the interactive element and the fact people are voting across the world at the simultaneously. If it was just jury voting, the broadcasters may as well not even air it live.


As for your other idea, would totally ruin the Grand Final as a spectacle and wouldn't be ideal for the audiences, broadcasters and those having Eurovision parties.

All ESC broadcasters take part in a rehearsal of the contest on Friday night. The juries are able to watch this rehearsal in their own country - they don't have to be in the arena.

The rehearsal also includes a rehearsal of the spokesperson voting (with dummy results) and a recording is made of the show, up until the voting, to run as a backup in every country in case of technical issues.

Interesting fact: The moron in the Australian flag who 'invaded the stage' during Jamala's performance was not Australian, but a Ukrainian who performs this kind of pathetic act on a regular basis, having invaded the stage during an awards ceremony in 2013 and attempted to kiss the rear end of Kim Kardashian last year among many other 'career highlights'.

A Ukrainian imbecile, essentially, and someone with no affiliation to Australia whatsoever.

Great selection of songs made it through to the final and I'm delighted for the winner. He got an amazing reaction from the audience in the hall and it's clearly struck a chord all across Europe. I thought the UK's song was great, much improved over the selection show version and great staging. While consistently high scores were still absent it shows what taking it seriously can do.

The saddest moment of the night for me was the spokesperson for Israel (Ofer Nachshon, who has given the results for almost a decade) paid tribute to the IBA, the state broadcaster that is being closed down by the government. A member of the EBU since 1957, they hosted the contest twice, and won three times in all. Last nights Eurovision was Channel 1's last ever broadcast I believe, a skeleton staff staying on to put it out. Ofer also insinuated that it would be the last time Israel would compete.

And just to add that it appears the IBA were the only members of the EBU in Israel, and they withdrew from membership, showing the contest as a last hurrah.

So that would, at least for the time being, appear to be an end to Israel's involvement in the Song Contest.

This isn't correct, or wasn't this year anyway. The dress rehearsal for the final took place earlier on Friday and there was a separate "Jury Final" on Friday night.

noggin said 'a rehearsal on Friday night' is shown to the juries. So he is correct.