Credits
Written by
Published
Source(s)
News
© BBC
Researching new selection format
UK: BBC still making their mind up!
Recent stories in the UK media had reported that the UK selection show for 2009 would involve Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber using the same format employed successfully to select leading stars in West End shows. How do you solve a problem like Maria?, Any dream will do and I'd do anything, proved to be ratings hits for the BBC in the prestigious prime time Saturday evening television schedules. The BBC researcher stated that no decision yet been made on a format for the selection of the UK's song for the 2009 contest and that the Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber story was to be seen as pure speculation on the part of the press. The researcher also confirmed that a decision had not been made on Sir Terry Wogan's future involvement in the Eurovision Song Contest for the BBC.
Since last winning the contest in 1997 the UK have only managed to finish in the top 10 on two occasions, the last time in 2002. The UK regularly finishes in the bottom half of the final scoreboard and the public perception is that the song contest has become so political that the UK had little chance of doing well, regardless of which song was selected. This is why the new BBC production team in charge of the UK selection for 2009 has commissioned the issue to be researched in advance with this fan consultation being one part of that process.
Amongst the comments given by the fans were to get support of the British record industry to obtain an internationally recognised singer with an established team of song writers and producers, using regional heats over a number weeks and a grand final in a Melodifestivalen type format and even importing singers and songwriters from Sweden were suggested. Using reality and talent shows to select the UK entry were also suggested. The UK fans also emphasised the importance for the tickets for the televised final being made available to the true fans of the show as well as finding a TV commentator who could cover the contest in a positive manner.
The fans felt encouraged that they were being consulted by the BBC on the best way to find a successful entry for the UK in Eurovision for the first time in a number of years. They certainly kept the BBC researcher busy with their ideas during the whole Euro Bash event.
Related polls
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Best act not to qualify from the semi finals
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Most traditional Europop song
- First quarter final in Bulgaria: your favourite?
- Jury vote, do you agree?
- Jury vote only in the final or in the semis as well?
- What mixture of televote and jury vote do you think is the best?
Go directly to the reactions
Reactions
When reacting to a news item, please stick to the topic. Inappropriate messages (swearing, racism, hate, etc.), messages in other languages than English and spam (which includes URL advertising) will be deleted and you risk your account being removed. Reacting on newsitems is only possible when logged in as a member. Still don't have member account?
Click here to react Click here to become a member (free!)
Eddie would be a good choice. Granted, he's not the best singer but he is a nice guy and people in Europe remember him fondly for his big hit USSR in the 80's. Plus he's a big fan of ESC!
Ben - super lol 
Sounds promising... *rolls eyes*
eddy huntington was a run of the mill pretty boy disco singer who went round performing at the gay bars in the late 80s,
Good idea Zippy. But i guess, with limited licence payers money, the BBC will do one of 3 things
1) Internal Selection (might be best as many stars eg Morrissey would say yes as they would not have to go through a UK final)
2) An established singer singing all 8 songs (as in 92,93,94)
3) A televised final with genuine talent (and no novelty songs)......there must be hundreds of bands like Anonymous last year who would give anything to sing on such an international stage
Let's hope something good comes of this
Who changed the subject to JESC?
marc
My guess is that the Belgian entry will finish 8th or 9th. I wish I could vote for it 
marc x
I reckon that the Belgian entry will come about 9th The juries will obviously like it alot, but it will be competing for the "adult" vote with the Netherlands, who also have a very grown up song If the song does do badly though, I dont think it will be because of diaspora/bloc voting, I think it will be because it is too grown up for JESC. Personally I love seeing proper/grown up songs in JESC, however they never do well, wherever they are from 
Who's Eddie Huntington?
Eddie Huntington for the UK!!!!!!!!
Euro Sheep
I would regard Russia's songs of 02, 04 and 05 perfect examples of bland and nondescript yet still came nowhere near last!
Other good examples Greece 07, Armenia 07, Turkey 06 and Georgia 08, would have come closer to last place or not even qualified were it not for the diaspora issue.
Stockholm and Jonny,
Let's make a bet here. We all seem to like this year Belgian Junior song, where will it end up, 15 or 16th ? Well it will be interesting to see how the jury's will change the votingresults. Although this will be once again, very different fron the big contest as the juries only will appear in the final.... So for Belgium, Malta, Netherlands, Andorra etc... bad luck, once again.
Mina
There are plenty of eastern European countries that are just as badly affected by the diaspora/neighbour voting problem as the west - Slovenia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Lithuania, and others. Never mind WHO is affected - NOBODY should be!! I do agree with you that recent UK entries have had no excuse, but I'm just hoping that the planned changes to the voting system are sufficiently radical to make the contest a fair one. Based on the recent lack of any appetite for change, despite blatantly irrefutable evidence that it is needed, the cynic in me makes me doubt it.
I really wish the UK would have semi finals in Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland and England and then have a major final. I think including all parts of the country would help rather than just limiting it to England.
Also, unless better writers are hired and has been artists no one remembers anymore stop participating the UK will probably always remain in the bottom.
Euro Sheep
LOL. Yes, it means "One like you" and I agree that the lyrics sound grown-up
Stockholm calling
WOW! 15000 people!!! The atmosphere in there will be electric during the MF semi-final!!! And I prefer "En Som Dig", it's a lot less irritating, but the lyrics sound a bit grown up! I know I speak Swedish like a 2-year old (not even that 
) but doesn't it mean "One Like You"?
Mina
Super-lol Yes, it is a high priority of 10-year olds nowadays! I used that as an example because Madalina wrote the lyrics herself - and they're not exactly complicated like "we must reduce our carbon emissions and start using re-newable energy sources!!!" It's about flowers, butterflies and spring!
Euro Sheep/Jonny
Yes, the arena looks very modern. It will take 15,000 people.
Same here. Perhaps the reason why I like "Anders" and "Shut up" (Oliver is 15) so much is that they sound grown-up I also liked "Nu eller aldrig" though my favourite last year was "En som dig". Euro Sheep, do you like that one better?
http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=4_KZ0egX_Jg
songs like "Odelia Ranuni", "Erazanq", "Pisi Mi" and "Salvati Planeta" this year are perfect. The music isn't too grown up or childish and you can see the things these kids are singing are not just empty words put in their mouths by adults
Ofcourse...because as we all know, every 10 year old child worries about saving the planet
Jonny
Hmm, JESC is for partying not for serious grown-up-ness!!! hehe! It's a shame that Armenia or Georgia couldn't come up with something even halfway as decent this year (although, I do like the Wasps lol)! But the thing is, making a good JESC entry is very difficult. I don't see why 10 year olds should be singing about relationships and breaking up (especially telling their exs to "shut up!" ) but at the same time you have to avoid making it too cheesy or gimmicky because you'll end up with songs like Ukraine and Russia this year - which are awful!!!
And again, FYR Macedonia's entry is way too grown up - RnB and singing about SMSs is just...terrible! So it's a fine balancing act - songs like "Odelia Ranuni", "Erazanq", "Pisi Mi" and "Salvati Planeta" this year are perfect. The music isn't too grown up or childish and you can see the things these kids are singing are not just empty words put in their mouths by adults!
Euro Sheep
Aaah for me I like grown up songs in JESC And although I really like the Georgian entry, the Armenian one is OK, but not amazing
+ I can't stand Sweden's entry - "Nu eller aldrig" just got on my nerves! (finally, a Swedish entry I don't like! )
Jonny
I have to admit, Belgium 2007 is a very, very good song! But I just don't like it an a JESC entry - it sounds waaaaaaay to serious and grown up (just like their entry this year!) And "Erazanq" was not over rated!!! I love Georgia and Armenia's entries because they tried so hard to put their musical culture into their entries but at the same time they retained that essential child-like quality which is key to a good JESC entry!
Stockholm calling
WAH! Malmö arena looks suuuper!
Mina, what marc meant to say was the only the 1 point to the 5 point (maximum) is likely to be the more accurate representation of the belgian or dutch televotes
In that case the Belgians really loved Russia and Ukraine because they gave them 3 and 1 point respectively..LOL
you seem to be avoiding the real talking point - that diaspora/ex-pat and neighbourly/cultural voting are murdering the contest
I'm not avoiding anything, we've talked about this subject so much on here and I really don't think diaspora and neighbour voting has anything to do with Even If's bad placing. Actually that was my point..that despite diaspora and neighbour voting, some countries did get points...others (like the Uk in this example) didn't..and to me that means the song wasn't popular enough.
Diaspora and neighbour voting in my opinion has become an excuse for any western song that doesn't do well. Sure it exists, sure it's a problem (thus the return of the juries) but a song people like will get at least SOME points...there's no country in Europe where all 10 points are given to diaspora or that has so many neighbours (even Russia didn't have 10 neighbours to vote for in the final..lol) so...the logical assumption is that the rest of the points go to the songs that the natives vote for. Simple
Stockholm
Wow Malmo arena looks really modern
Euro Sheep
What??? Erazang was wayy over rated The best song from 2007 was Belgium closely followed by Sweden blatantly
Jonny
My most played album would have to be the Melodifestivalen 2008 CD - I've adored it, ever since I got it back in April!
And the only two JESC songs I have on my iPod are Georgia and Armenia 2007 - I downloaded "Erazanq" by Arevik last night and I've played it 32 times already, how did it come 2nd to Belarus!?
and I've probably listened to Romania's JESC entry this year loads of times on YouTube!
Euro Sheep/Jonny
I agree with Jonny. I haven't played Lithuania and Romania (I preferred Biondo's "Shine" 
).
If you open the link I posted and click on "Melodifestivalen 2009" you'll find a picture of the Malmö Arena.
I also agree on Belgium Really great songs.
The list of 116 reactions is divided into 5 pages. Choose a page:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
React yourself
This news article is older than one week. Reacting to articles is only possible in the first week after publication.
