The one hundred thirty-seventh TV show: #29 Eurovision Song Contest

With the proper Eurovision Song Contest cancelled this year - appointment viewing for us - we've been following along with the recent live rewatches that have been happening on Saturday evenings. Most of these have been reposted on Youtube as well, and so since it's not on tomorrow, we used today to watch an old one that won't be shared as much - just to get that full coverage. And because we were curious about Abba's competition, we thought 1974 would work as a nice option.

It feels like, at times, you are either into the contest or don't care for it at all. We have been faithful viewers for years now and so most of the repeats were familiar. These days, it does feel like a spectacle, with a variation of styles and attempts, with the smaller songs sometimes working better to win than the ones that go huge. And despite the controversies and arguments, for the most part these are friendly arguments, in a friendly competition. Most countries try, and while there are some bloc voting accusations, rewatching these show that, at the very least, it's normally a top three song that wins, as well as the stand out at times. It's best to get into the spirit, embrace the campiness - that wasn't quite there in the seventies, and has been reduced a bit lately, but is also what makes the whole thing just a lot of fun.