With Australian states, territories and regions going in and out of lockdown continuously over the last 18 months (and more than half of the entire Australian population currently in a lockdown), we’ve decided to take a look at five Eurovision (or Eurovision-inspired) programs that you should watch while you wait for lockdown to end.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Length: 2 hours, 3 minutes
It’s the Netflix Original film based on the contest that featured Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams, and was nominated for Best Original Song at the 93rd Academy Awards, and upon its release was either loved or hated by fans.
But whether you liked the movie or not, the film essentially acted as a replacement to the 2020 contest, and brought a massive amount of international interest along with it. The soundtrack was also simply amazing, receiving an Oscar nod for its powerful ballad ‘Husavik’.
At just over two hours in length, ‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga’ would make for a great movie night with some popcorn and snacks to fill in one of your lockdown nights. The movie does require a Netflix subscription to watch, however. You can read more about the movie here.
Father Ted’s ‘A Song for Europe’
Length: 25 minutes
The most popular episode of ‘Father Ted’ by far sees the show’s main characters compete to win the right to represent Ireland at the world famous ‘Eurosong’ contest. The episode – which never explicitly calls out the Eurovision Song Contest by name – showcases some Eurovision stereotypes, such as over-the-top performances (‘The Miracle is Mine’), nonsense lyrics (‘My Lovely Horse’), and song titles that are just sounds and not words (‘Sha La La La La La La La La La La La La’).
At a quick twenty-five minutes in length, ‘A Song for Europe’ could easily be watched even by those working from home during their lunch breaks and looking for a quick and funny Eurovision fix. The episode is also available in full on YouTube, as shown above. You can read more about the episode here.
Eurovision Song Contest’s Greatest Hits
Length: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Hosted by long-running Eurovision commentator for the United Kingdom Graham Norton, and fan favourite Eurovision host from powerhouse Sweden Petra Mede, ‘Eurovision’s Greatest Hits’ served as the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) official special programming for the sixtieth anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Co-produced by the EBU and the BBC, this special concert filmed from the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, fifteen songs from thirteen countries from throughout the history of the Eurovision were performed, with no voting or winners.
Most countries who broadcast the show did so on delay, and many without commentary. At ninety minutes in length, the show is a great way for fans to relive some of their favourite moments from Eurovision history without needing to track down individual performances or watch multiple previous contests. The show is also available on YouTube, as shown above.
How to Win Eurovision
Length: 1 hour, 58 minutes
Hosted by radio presenter Greg James and comedian Russell Kane, this nearly two-hour comedy piece on BBC Three was a lighthearted look back at the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, and specifically the United Kingdom’s struggle throughout the twenty-first century.
For Eurovision fans looking to poke a little fun at the contest and have a laugh, particularly at the United Kingdom’s expense, this will be the perfect show to watch. At almost two hours in length, the show would work to be seen at any time you have a few hours free (which most of us in lockdown have). The show is also available on YouTube, as seen above.
Eurovision Song Contest 2015 – Grand Final
Length: 4 hours
If you’re unable to work from home, and are spending your days bored out of your mind, why not give yourself a treat and throwback all the way to the first time Australia competed at the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2015.
The four-hour show, which was the longest contest at the time, featured the most countries in a grand final ever (with 27 instead of the usual 26), Australia’s debut at the contest (with Guy Sebastian’s ‘Tonight Again’), and one of the most popular winning Eurovision songs of all time (with Måns Zelmerlöw’s ‘Heroes’).
The show is also available in full on the official Eurovision YouTube channel, and can be seen above.
With these five shows listed above, there is a total of almost ten hours of content, which should be enough to fill a little bit of your spare time in lockdown with some Eurovision fun.