On the 15th August, I wondered out-loud, whether Graham Norton would replace Terry Wogan on Eurovision. Guess what? After more than 30 years of guiding viewers through the highs and lows, panache, trash and pizzazz of the unfathomable world of the Eurovision Song Contest, Sir Terry Wogan, the doyen of the show is bowing out of the competition to make way for Graham Norton.
Related: Eurovision review | Wogan slates Eurovision
He turned his reputation around thanks to three TV talent contests, and rumours abounded whether he would team up with the BBC for another primetime series. Now we know. I received an email from the BBC press office yesterday, with an a clip attached – it was ALW addressing the nation, explaining that he would be not only writing next year’s Eurovision song, but also overseeing the selection of the singer/singers who will perform it at the ceremony in a series called Your Country Needs You. This is a bit of risk for the Dark Lord – Britain’s recent record in the competition isn’t exactly great and ALW’s involvement wont guarantee an imprved performance (especially if there’s the usual tactical voting). Have a listen to ALW’s address over the jump.
For all our reality TV news and reviews, go here.
Oh, why not? It’s not like anyone has a scrap of credibility left anymore. Webber’s possibly going to be chief judge on an X Factor-style panel to select the next Eurovision entry. His old friend Graham Norton will be hosting, so it might be fun! Who knows? Who knows.
Meanwhile, there’s a voting overhaul for the actual show to stop everyone voting for their neighbouring countries and hating on England all the damn time.
I don’t know if I read it or wrote it, but I’ve been thinking for a while that the inevitable replacement for Terry Wogan on the coverage of The Eurovision Song Contest would either be Jonathan Ross or Graham Norton. I say this because these days, Eurovision is seen more like a comedy show than a music show. You need someone who can mercilessly tease. So with that, it looks like The Beeb are making eyes at Graham Norton for the job (according to The Currant Bun). Of course, Wogan looks like he’s walking away from the show (read here for a refresher) and Norton would be a worthy replacement… bear with me…
Forget the hosts bacofoil dress. Forget the old man scratching with a gramophone. Forget the histrionics and blue oyster bar rave. The thing that I see and hear every time I close my eyes since the close of Eurovision 2008 (BBC One, Saturday, 24 May, 8pm) is the wacky antics and ear bleeding yells of the yoorawizzon green-room. Still, that’s not to say that’s all there was to it…
Spring is in the air, it’s a bank holiday weekend, and you know what that means: Eurovision is only just around the corner! With a “funky love song” co-written by our 2008 performer Andy Abraham that Eurovision veteran Terry Wogan reckons is “the UK’s best for years” do we really stand a chance of winning for once? Or, as Wogan himself goes on to say, “will any song from Western Europe ever win again?”
It’s nearly that time of year when we all despair at how bad pop music is, begin to debate about the tactics of voting and students get super ironic and have a drinking game in the name of European battle. Of course, I’m talking about the Eurovision Song Contest. Belgrade beckons but who will be singing in Serbia? It’s time for Eurovision – Your Decision
Sadly, once again, who we send to Eurovision is down to the Great British public. Quite why we’re trusted with such a thing is beyond me. In the past, we’ve sent some real grade A clowns. I mean, look at the woeful Daz Sampson and his slightly pervy schoolgirl routine. Naturally, we’ll get to decide via the magic of television voting. So who makes the shortlist for the preliminary show?
Now I know you were all gutted that Scooch only managed 22nd place (out of 24) in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest and have barely been able to sleep at night since, worrying about the possibility of vote rigging across much of mainland Europe. Long standing anchorman Terry Wogan has been including this observation in his witty repartee during the show for at least a dozen years (most notably in the case of Greece and Cyprus but more recently, with the addition of the Baltic countries to Eurovision…well…with the Baltic countries).
So in the face of such criticism and in a general climate of increasing mistrust with anything to do with television and voting, the organisers of the Eurovision song contest have held an inquiry into the allegations. And what they discovered makes fascinating reading…
Eurovision has always been good for a laugh, especially since Wogan perfected his unique brand of commentary, but this year in particular proved more amusing than most as the reaction to Finnish entry Lordi spread through the media, not to mention the audience. But if reaction to their entry was titillating, then reaction to their winning can only be described as hilarious. One thing’s for certain: no-one can ever legitimately call Eurovision boring again.
The demonic-looking Finns later claimed their music was more gospel than ghoulish. Take a look at this You Tube moment and judge for yourselves.
And to round things off nicely, here are this years Eurovision winners – Lordi, the Middle Earth orks from Finland.
So, Helsinki next year, then?
Technorati Tags: eurovision lordi
If you missed it on Saturday, here’s a look at the, um, interesting entry from Moldova, complete with Stripper Bride Britney(tm). Watch it right thought to the end, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.
In case you didn’t catch that, the lyrics are along the lines of "hey loca, gimme gimme your boca, you’re my girl you’re my choka, you’re the moca, doka, hoka polka…heeeey the hokey cokey!"
Technorati Tag: eurovision
You must understand that we use the word ‘best’ with slight artistic licence. Let’s hear it for Lithuania with their optimistic hit ‘We Are The Winners’…
Technorati Tag: eurovision
Well, after the usual comedy voting (I wonder how many of those countries actually count up the viewer votes rather than just giving top points to their neighbours?) the prize went to the monsters from Finland. A well deserved winner, I think you’ll agree. Those costumes alone were worth a vote.
And it was nice to see Daz and his girls coming away with (slightly) more than nil points, even if the song was complete and utter rubbish. Rubbish is what Eurovision is about, after all!
Technorati Tag: eurovision
Armenia
To finish we have big drums and long ponytails and a strange dance with suspenders. The singer starts out wearing a hood, and when he takes it off it’s obvious why. He has a greasy footballer’s ponytail and a dodgy triangle of facial hair. But he’s a bit of a Justin Timberlake when it comes to dancing, and the suspenders put Rachel Stevens ribbon routine in ‘Sweet Dreams My L.A Ex’ to shame, making the song a bit more exciting than it would have been otherwise.
So, that was the last song, and you know what I’m going to say, don’t you?
VOTE LITHUANIA! Go on, you know you want to.
Technorati Tag: eurovision
From:Coronation Street fans apply here