0/5

Eurovision: One month and counting

The wonderful Julia Zemiro will front SBS’ three Eurovision telecasts, due in four weeks time.

The RocKwiz host will bookend two Semi-Finals and Eurovision Final giving Aussie viewers a uniquely Australian perspective. Die-hard EV fans can also look forward to the acerbic humour of British broadcaster Terry Wogan once more.

Viewers can also look forward to a television appearance by ‘Bronya,’ Zemiro’s self-devised host from the stage parody Eurovision: The Musical.

The semi-finals air on SBS May 23 and 24, with the final from Belgrade at 7:30pm Sunday May 25.

Press Release:
SEMI FINAL #1
Friday 23 May
7.30pm

SEMI FINAL #2
Saturday 24 May
7.30pm

FINAL
Sunday 25 May
7.30pm

All the glitz, glamour, and passion of the world’s largest and most watched song festival are back, and it promises to be bigger than ever! For the first time in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, two Semi-Finals will be held to decide which 25 countries will be represented in the Final.

Join SBS Eurovision Presenter Julia Zemiro over three huge nights on SBS Television, kicking off with round one of Semi-Finals on Friday 23 May at 7.30pm, followed by round two on Saturday 24 May at 7.30pm and concluding with the Final on Sunday 25 May at 7.30pm.

Beginning in 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest is today viewed by more than 100 million people around the globe and in most European countries, the contest holds the record for the longest running program on television. Now one of the network’s most popular annual events, SBS Television will receive the United Kingdom’s broadcast of this cult event, complete with commentary from Terry Wogan.

This year, Eurovision fever is at an all time high, with a record breaking 43 countries taking part and a whopping seven hours of coverage over three consecutive nights. Now in its 53rd year, the 2008 contest will be held in Belgrade, Serbia and will be hosted by Jovana Janković and Željko Joksimović.

Much more than just a song contest, Eurovision has given rise to legendary names and icons of kitsch such as ABBA, Bucks Fizz, Sandie Shaw, Brotherhood of Man, Dana International, Celine Dion, Katrina and the Waves, Lulu and Australia’s Gina G.

For more Eurovision facts please visit http://www.eurovision.tv/

11 Responses

  1. You’re all on drugs..
    Julia would leave Wogan in the dust.’
    She rules.
    With his sexist, ageist, and insulting (not ‘mocking’) language, Wogan is a tired, old, cynical man who is past his use by date.
    He spoils it every year.
    Julia would make it even better.

  2. Jpod, i gotta hand it to you, I thought I was a Eurovision Tragic, but you base your whole life around it, your living in the wrong country, lol, I think we all just have bad memories of when SBS fiddled with it with the whole Effie fiasco and the few years they sent their own commentator to the event, only to bow to public pressure to replay it the following week with Wogans commentary! As long as Julia Zemiro opens and closes it with maybe the odd comment after an ad break, I think we will be fine, I cant wait..and ej mckenna, the french song is certainly original but I fear the dodgy voting will ge in them way of it winning!

  3. Given that Wogan hasn’t done any of the prelim shows in the past, I think next year SBS should send Julia over to do our own commentary on the prelims (but leave the final for the big man) in character as Bronya. Especially if Bosnia wins this year (hey, stranger things have happened, haven’t they, Finland?)

    I found Wogan-by-Proxy incredibly boring, so frankly even Effie would be an improvement.

  4. I agree with craigiej

    SBS just play the broadcast – without a host – without wasting time – and without removing Interval Act…

    Wogan is quite clever with his words cause hes EXPERIENCED (Even though last year he was in some stife after commenting on the Russians having moustaches???! lol)

    Julia – I like her alot and respect that she makes Eurobeat parody of Eurovision – but hey I will not listen to any racial comments about ESC or any stupid jokes…

    You can have a laugh but some people really just want to watch the show, enjoy it or laugh – just please without the unwanted sarcasm…

    I have my money on Ireland, Armenia or Russia!!!

    Irlande douze pointe!

  5. wait… I must have mis-understood what I read…. omg I apologise… I definitely was out of hand… hahahahahaha… delete the comment I first posted and delete this one too.. I’m more embarassed than Ashley Simpson when she got caught lip-syncing… oh dear hahaha

  6. Julia would so not trash Eurovision, if you watched Eurobeat- the exceptionally FANTASTIC stage show that played in Sydney a couple of years ago- you would know how much of a fan she is- she was really nice to me at the end of the show as well and signed my program.

    Meanwhile, I cannot wait for Eurovision, i became a fan during Year 8 in high school six years ago. Terry Wogan was my hero back then.

  7. jpod if you’ve seen Julia as Bronya in Eurobeat you would know the respect she gives the competition. Sure she mocks it (like a lot of us do) but it is with affection.

    I hope though that SBS will allow Julia’s contribution not to interfere with the actual contest telecast itself (a la Effie) and that SBS will not be so brutal as to slice out whole segments of the show so they can fit in commercial breaks as they’ve done in previous years (interval acts, who needs ’em?? Slice!)

  8. EV is commentated by Terry Wogan, as indicated in my original post. When I last checked he was European.

    I think you will find most of us actually LOVE EV! Julia Zemiro will introduce the SBS telecast and last I checked she loved it too.

    JPod please watch use of language or comments will not be approved. Thanks.

  9. I’m quite disappointed… I don’t know if Julia will trash or praise the contest. I’m quite sick of how many Australians trash and poke fun of the contest for being different. What they don’t understand is that Eurovision is a huge event in Europe. It’s very important to the Europeans. It’s the only time it brings Europe together: all nationalities; all genders; all sexualities. The contest has it’s own quality music style. The commentators should be European… not Australian. It’s in Europe. Australia doesn’t respect the contest… well majority of Australians. I’m not being racist… but it just pisses me off when people trash something they don’t understand. It’s the biggest song contest in the world… it’s the only event that has music that isn’t full of crap like today’s music. I’m a huge fan of the contest. I base my entire life around… it’s my passion… my obsession. It’s my life. I just get pissed off when people trash it and then they get angry at you for trashing theirs. What are you afraid that the world doesn’t revolve around you? Are you afraid of a change? of something different? These people put so much hard work into their performances and music… while most people out there have their heads shoved up their ass to realize the shit coming out of their mouth… All I can say is… give the contest a chance… watch the 2007 contest… you’ll be amazed on the quality of songs and performances… it put Eurovision to a whole never level… for once it wasn’t the butt of every joke.

  10. Oh bless your cotton socks! I was thinking of sending you an email asking if you’d heard anything…

    This is a big year. I love me some Eurovision. I am going out on a limb to say France are going to cause the big upset. Or Le Grande Boufe! (or something. I hope I haven’t just sworn in French???)

    Can’t wait. We’ll get Wogan’s words of wit on the big night too (note, he likes to keep his powder dry and sends the understudy in for the semis).

    Ahhhhh. me so happy.

  11. Nothing against Julia Zemiro, but i really do wish SMS would just play the bloody BBC coverage of this and not try to localise it, its one of the highlights of my year but some of the things SBS have done to it over the yeas (the year Effie fronted it – yeuch!)have been woeful, time to realise SBS theres no point trying to camp up something thats already high camp! Saying that, i cant wait, my monies on Ireland with the novelty value of the puppett!

Leave a Reply