view
WANTED: cheap second-hand Freeview box - 15 quid max, because:
- I like watching the Eurovision Song Contest.
- Dr B. could not care less about it, no, that's not right, what did he say the other day? Oh yes, he is "actively against it".
- I go to the Retro Bar on the first Thursday of the month and sing along to past and current entries with fellow fans.
- Dr B. popped in last week to see what the fuss was all about, looked around at people singing along in mock-Albanian, mubmled "Freaks…" and left.
- Two of our friends have birthdays mid-may, so I shall miss the live final every year - a party is inevitably bound to be organised on the second Saturday in May.
- For the first time this year there also is a qualifying round on May 12th.
- I usually have dinner with Dr B. on a Wednesday, when he drives back to spend the night in London from his working week on location.
- May 12th is a Wednesday.
- The qualifying round is only shown on BBC three.
- I do not get BBC three.
- DrB. does. However, he is going to be "actively against" tuning his TV on it on that particular night.
WANTED: new best friend with access to BBC three - and a penchant for cheesy Euro crap pop.
Friday 16 April 2004 at 3:24 pm
Well you know people who work on BBC3!!!
Friday 16 April 2004 at 3:34 pm
Thanks Guy, but that is not the point. Of course I can ask people to tape it for me, and through my contacts at the BBC I'm sure I could even get hold of a pristine copy of the whole evening on tape.
It's the live action I'm going to miss. The scorecards and voting. The tears of joy in the Green Room. And, last but not least, the traditional bitching about the costumes and choreography.
Friday 16 April 2004 at 10:02 pm
1) I think I fit all of the criteria above AND I have a birthday in May - the 6th, in fact; the very night that Retro Bar is holding its own final.
2) I won't be there as I'm getting a flight early the next morning….to Istanbul! Apparently, there's some musical event on there…
3) It's nnot the second Saturday that you want to worry about - it's the 3rd - Saturday 15th.
4) I have a Freeview box and BBC3.
5) You can't have it though - I quite like having it.
And finally, the really important bit, re your comment above…
6) There IS NO VOTING to see on the Wednesday, in the semi. All 33 countries who are showing it (France, Belarus and Ukraine can't be bothered) will televote and send their results in, in secret, to the EBU. Then, at the end of the show, they'll announce, in no particular order, which 10 countries are through to Saturday. They have to do it like that, or it would be unfair on Sat. (If we knew which country had qualified in 10th place, we probably wouldn't vote for them on Saturday.) They will also show clips of the 14 songs which have ALREADY qualified, without the semi, so that all the songs get some screen time. All the figures for the semi voting will be announced AFTER the Saturday final.
So, it'll be good, but the real excitement will be on Saturday night, as usual. Go Belarus!
Saturday 17 April 2004 at 11:08 am
I stand corrected.
Still, there's the costume and choreography bitching.
Unless all contestants are now required to perform motionless, wearing regulation white overalls, so that everyone stands an equal chance.
Sunday 18 April 2004 at 2:00 pm
You're more than welcome to come and watch it at our place (we have Sky Plus). OK, so we're in Nottingham… details, details!