TV review

Published Friday 18 May 2007 at 17:30 by Harry Venning

Scooch, the UK’s entrant at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, didn’t suffer the ignominy of null points, but it was a near run thing. They had made two fundamental errors - first by not coming from a mutually supportive geographical bloc, such as the Balkans, and second, they tried to be ironic.

Oh yes, and the song was cack. I felt a bit sorry for Scooch, because their performance on the night wasn’t altogether too bad. Their ultra camp trolley dolley-themed routine was distinctive, colourful and exuberant. I even detected an element of homage to those former giants of Eurovision, Bucks Fizz. But it was essentially a send up, and send ups of any kind are wasted on a competition whose previous winners were a band of Finnish trolls, and this year featured Ukrainians wrapped in body-hugging BacoFoil.

As always, getting noticed seemed to take priority over any musical considerations, with young, sexy and frequently underdressed females very much apparent. There was also a growing and sycophantic trend amongst contestants to incorporate as many European languages as possible into their song lyrics.

For these, if for no other reason, we should all celebrate the gimmick-free success of Serbia, who hit upon the novel idea of putting its faith in the talents of the singer and the quality of the song. In truth, the song was a bit of a dirge. But songstress Marija, who resembled a slightly less glamorous version of Velma from Scooby Doo, put it across with such conviction that even non-Serbo-Croat speakers in the audience could recognise it as a heartfelt dirge.

Miraculously, Terry Wogan’s cheerfully disparaging commentary remains fresh and funny, but you do sense that the poor man’s tolerance of Euro-kitsch is beginning to fade. Next year he should be still be involved, but as the UK’s representative. This would provide an appropriate platform from which Wogan could bow out, and exact his revenge at the same time. Floral dance anyone?

Forgive me as I gush enthusiasm, but BBC3’s Gavin and Stacey is rather superb. Romantic comedy is notoriously difficult to pull off, but this tale of love along the M4 succeeds triumphantly.

While the eponymous lovers are genuinely endearing, any threat of saccharine overload is immediately neutralised by respective best mates Smiffy and Nessa, permanently on hand to provide some restorative vulgarity and scene stealing comic relief.

What makes Gavin and Stacey so fresh is its lack of cynicism. The writers clearly like their cast of characters, warts and all (genital ones in Nessa’s case, if the script is to be believed) and so do I. This is a charming, funny, engaging show and I strongly recommend it. Besides, any show that brings romance to Billericay and Barry Island has to be something special.

DETAILS

Eurovision Song Contest - BBC1, Saturday, May 12, 8pm

Gavin and Stacey - BBC3, Saturday, May 19, 10.15pm