Will Eurovision: Australia Decides return?
Don't rule out Australia Decides just yet, with contract negotiations said to have halted a formal announcement this week.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under Eurovision, News, Upfronts
Amongst the SBS announcements yesterday Eurovision: Australia Decides was not mentioned, raising questions about whether it will be mounted in 2023.
Australia is returning to perform in Liverpool, with the event marking 40 years on SBS. Joel Creasey and Myf Warhurst return as Aussie broadcasters -the final year Australia gets an automatic inclusion from the EBU.
Director of Television Kathryn Fink told TV Tonight there was nothing official to announce yesterday.
“Not yet. We’re still working through some details on that,” she said.
SBS is also yet to open a song portal for submissions, which opened last year in August and closed in late September.
Does that mean SBS as host broadcaster may internally decide our entrant -a path it undertook in previous years and which continues with some nations?
“There are different options, so we are kind of working through it. We love Eurovision so it’s exciting to be back.”
TV Tonight understands contracts yet to be finalised prevented its formal announcement yesterday but could come as early as next week. If that happens, expect a song portal to also be opened at the same time.
While Australia Decides was most recently held in late February 2022, it is tipped to be as late as possible in 2023, with speculation around a March 11 event.
Watch this space….
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- Tagged with Eurovision Song Contest, Eurovision: Australia Decides
8 Responses
Please SBS drop Myf and Joel as hosts! Bring back Julia Zamiro and Sam Pang who had humour and class. They provided an excellent commentrary and ensured they were well informed about each contestant! We do not need the crude unfunny rubbish fom Myf and Joel. Australia should decide our contestant in a public only vote – No jury! Last few juuries comprised total unknowns, including some who werent even in the entertainment field, but had a major say in our choice! Eurovision needs to be treated seriously by SBS!!!!
Total unknowns may be your view but their biographies showed a broad range which is what SBS will always go for. All countries have juries for the Contest so it’s not exactly radical.
Eurovision itself determines its winner 50 per cent public vote and 50 per cent jury. I think it maks sense for national finals to adopt the same approach.
I remember when Julia and Sam were commentating that people wanted SBS to bring back Terry Wogan. And when Myf and Joel eventually move on, people will be calling on SBS to bring them back.
Judging by comments on fan sites and social media, most people seem to love Joel and Myf – both in Australia and internationally. But you can never please everyone.
Pretty sure Terry Wogan had retired by the time Julia and Sam started commentating.
However, I do recall calls for Wogan’s reinstatement being made when Des Mangan commentated one year. From memory, SBS repeated that year’s show (I think it was pre-finals) the following Sunday…. with Wogan’s commentary!
Thanks for being on the case David!
I would support a more autocratic approach from SBS, Australian voters have not have not had a good strike rate.
I wouldn’t agree with that. We’ve only had 2 normal years of Australia Decides (2020 I’d argue can’t count as Australia’s choice of song didn’t get to head to Europe). Technicolour – which I personally loved – is the only NQ, and that was arguably the most autocratic approach, asking one artist to make whatever they liked.
We don’t have enough data to say that the public don’t have a great strike rate. Aus Decides has been increasing in quality every year, and if nothing else, it’s a great show and a brilliant initiative to support new musicians and songwriters.