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Germany: national final viewing figures decreased again
Since the new format of the national final was introduced in 2006 the viewing figures have been continuously decreasing: in 2006, 5,28 million people watched the show making it the most popular program of the day. Last year, 600,000 viewers less were counted and this year even 1,2 million people less. The show made it only narrowly into the top ten of the day, but it has to be said that the competition was strong: two soccer matches were shown on other channels as well as the highly popular program Germany's next topmodel.
Unlike in other countries, traditionally, much more people watch the international final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Germany than the national final - in recent years always more than twice as many.
Germany will be represented in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest by the group No Angels with the song Disappear. As a big four country, Germany is directly qualified for the final of the competition on 24th May but also has voting rights in the first semi final on 20th May.
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Go directly to the reactions
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@ Stephen Conn: I agree!
@ Kathrin S
PS Or what about getting back the guy who used to do it, Axel Bullthaupt?
@ Little Imp
I am so sorry I misunderstood you about No Angels: ActualIy I think they would have been a good choice when they were at the pinacle of their fame 5 or 6 years ago but then , it seems, they refused to do Eurovision; I think they are only using the ESC as a springboard back to fame, I suppose we'll see them in the jungle with Dirk Bach next year..
@ Kathrin, I have never watched a casting show or Stefan Raab - as you said very old people over 50 watch ARD etc ;-) But I found your comments most interesting and elucidating. Thanks! And I fully agree that the compere must go, maybe we could get a petition together and send it to NDR? I could imagine Hape Kerkeling! ?
@ Stephen Conn
I liked "Wadde hadde dudde da". It has a catchy melody and the performance was very cool. I don't think that by comedy songs the singing ability is as important as by normal songs.
It is not that everything about casting shows is good. I just like how they present them. The stages are usually more modern and the atmosphere is much better because the viewers are more frenetic and are applauding much louder. They often stand up, have old kind of shields and when a song is slow they often wave cigarette lighters.
I also really like the whole atmosphere of the Bundesvision Song Contest. It was great. Absolutely every participants get frenetic applauds.
The contrast to the national final was very big. The only singer who get real backing by the viewers was Carolin because there was obviously her fan club present. Otherwise the other viewers were just weakly clapping.
The old building looks nice but I just think that it is the wrong location for the national final. Like you said it is a reminiscent of the old days when people wore smoking jackets to the Grand Prix. And those old days are just not compatible anymore with the ESC from today. Those old fashioned songs from the older days wouldn't have a change anymore today. And more modern songs have a better effect when they are performed on a modern stage.
But like I have already told in an older comment, the main problem is the moderator. A good, funny moderator who don't appear like he would wish the 70s were back, would cure the main problems of the show.
@ Stephen Conn:
I have not said that I want the No Angels. I only said that IF the No Angels (and this is sadly the case now) it would be better to choose their song. There certainly must be better choices out there than Disappear. And we didn't have all the disappointed CB and CF fans here if we had an internal selection with open song voting. 
Im not satisfied with this result. On the contrary. But if he had foreseen this I think that would have been the better path.
Two words: Oliver Pocher.
@ Kathrin
Re. your comments earlier today, the the nostalgic theatre setting is reminiscent of the old days when people wore smoking jackets to the Grand Prix.. . very old people even over 50 like me don't watch casting shows... ;-)
@ Kathrin S Thanks for the links, I voted for Cinema Bizarre and am really sorry to hear they can't sing but did that stop Stefan Raab? !
The five LIVE performances at the national final:
No Angels - Disappear
url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=xhDJ6QscNJ0]http://youtube.com/watch?v=xhDJ6QscNJ0/url]
Carolin Fortenbacher - Hinterm Ozean
url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=afyGZxAwGmQ]http://youtube.com/watch?v=afyGZxAwGmQ/url]
Marquess - La Histeria
url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=jv29tQPmGgM]http://youtube.com/watch?v=jv29tQPmGgM/url]
Cinema Bizarre - Forever Or Never
url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=gcLPDMiNG_s]http://youtube.com/watch?v=gcLPDMiNG_s/url]
Tommy Reeve - Just One Woman
url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZkqoPgr24fM]http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZkqoPgr24fM/url]
I would have prefer a win of Carolin Fortenbacher after watching the national final but I can live with the No Angels win. Their live performance was really good and the song appear much more interesting performed live than in their music video. Sandy's voice also sounds less squeaky and you can hear more of the voices of the other singers in the chorus live.
For all the Cinema Bizarre fans out there, just watch their live performance and you will understand why they haven't won. I like their song in their video but they were live just bad. I don't believe that it was just bad because the lead singers was a little ill. They have their first live concert just a little more than a month ago and have because of this too few live experience. And I also don't think that the voice of the lead singer is very great when he is healthy.
@ Matthew C
Concerning the wild animals which disturbed you:
I think the fans behind the doors was just a big joke, to give the impression that all the teenagers in Hamburg were in a frenzy about the NF !! Did you really take it seriously??
@ SERDUCHKA
"Why can't the winner of Bundesvision just go to eurovision??"
It is a program on a big private channel, a big rival of ARD. I don't think that those channels will ever work together. The Bundesvision Song Contest was also not very popular this year among the viewers. The watching quota among people under 30 is good but most older people are not very interested in the show. It is really not so successful among all viewers.
By the way would you say that the top 5 songs of the Bundesvision Song Contest this year were better than those at the national final?
1. Subway to Sally - Auf Kiel
url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=PbJYYL5Puh8]http://youtube.com/watch?v=PbJYYL5Puh8/url]
2. Clueso - Keinen Zentimeter
url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=QUXUEBVtXpc]http://youtube.com/watch?v=QUXUEBVtXpc/url]
3. Down Below - Sand in meiner Hand
url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=z277oW-_wPg]http://youtube.com/watch?v=z277oW-_wPg/url]
4. Madsen - Nachtbaden
url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=AQ8oA2Lkwnw]http://youtube.com/watch?v=AQ8oA2Lkwnw/url]
5. Jennifer Rostock - Kopf oder Zahl (the song begins at 01:55 in the video)
url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=LS0NSKfinq4]http://youtube.com/watch?v=LS0NSKfinq4/url]
I personally like the songs but I don't think they would have been a good choice for the ESC. You have to understand the lyrics to really like the songs and I don't think that the music genres of these songs are very popular in most ESC countries.
But one thing is clear. The show itself, the stage and everything around it, is MUCH better than the national final.
@ Max
Glad to say I agree with you on one point today ;-))
I too as a gay man fully agree with you re. the presenter, his tone and jokes are what you would expect in a show in a down-market gay bar... but at least we didn't have to suffer Dirk Bach this year.
@ Prime Time
There will always be some competition for the viewers regardless when ARD show the national final. This Saturday evening would have been for example a much worse time to show it. I really don't think that with the TV Total Wok world championship and the German idol version on other channels that the national final would have gotten more viewers. Especially most young viewers would have prefer one of the other programs.
@ Little Imp, I think that No Angels is the worst choice D has made for years so your suggestion is a no no!!
At the moment I'm thinking why we had a open national final. Wouldn't it be better if the No Angels were nominated directly and the public only choose their song? I'm sure that would have been better than sending this harmless and mediocre Disappear because of the No Angels fanbase.
To be honest, the standard of the performances and songs was extremely poor. Cinema Bizarre had the only decent song and only Carolin Fortenbacher could sing well.
The 2006 and 2007 shows were much better and produced decent winners who did poorly in the ESC final. No wonder the public are losing interest.
Germany have ended up with an entry this year that could best be described as average.
Will we end up with a bottom 4 of France, UK, Germany and Spain? I wouldn't be surprised.
personally i find it irritaing when people write in american english, and not english english, because i am english, and everyone seems to spell things wrong, when its the americans who changed the language.
very few people who read this site speak american english as their first language, compared to the high number from britain and ireland who speak english english as their first language.
well thats my opinion anyway
Cinema Bizarre suck a lot!
What a pity about the viewing figures. Big names took part in the national final and i thought that it would be interesting for Germans. Anyway good luck!
@Philipp Wiesner, yes football not soccer.If you read Marcus's reports you'll notice he writes American English not British English.Probably a result of American teachers or time spent in North America from experiences here in Europe.
SERDUCHKA !!!
I meant comparing only THREE shows out of 43 National Finals.
It's There OWN FAULT (I Live In Germany)....why they had done the show on wednesday.....first of all Germany is a Country where Football/Soccer is VERY VERY VERY Popular and than there was Germany's Next Topmodel host by Heidi Klum, too....The Show is very popular nearly all people i know, they watch it...and i was a little pissed because i can't watch it because i watched the National Final!!......
The German Broadcaster ARD/NDR are not so clever in my opinion because ussually that broadcaster only watch old people...and they show the 2nd Semi final at 00:00 or something like this....they should show it live because what they want show in the time they could send the 2nd semi final??..again an boring report about Restaurants?....i think thats not clever!!...Thats There OWN FAULT and they have not to complain!
It does not really matter if NF viewing figures decreased this
year, because the SONG chosen by Germany is good!
Best of luck at the ESC 2008 Belgrade!
SERCUCHKA !!!
Why compare only two shows?
Did you happen to watch the Greek ESC 2008 National Final?
It was a great show!
"I couldn't watch" --> sorry
The simple reason why -for example- I didn't coudn't watch the complete NF- were the competing songs. It was nothing about Eurovision, I completely didn't care which song will win. I also didn't like the fans behaviour- completely obsessive, like of some wild animals. They even were isolated behind special doors. Disgusting idea. The good orchestra was the only advantage.
no angels??? hmm... a good desision!
I want Cinema Bizarre back! 
They deserve to represent Germany and win the ESC!
Oh well...
I personally started watching before the first performance and switched to football after the last performance... who needs this stupid show anyway?
Btw, why are you calling them "soccer matches" ? We're not in America, it's FOOTBALL! 
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