News - Eurovision Countdown aired on YLE2 | Eurovision Song Contest News - 2009 Moscow, Russia 

The first of three Eurovision Countdown programmes was aired last night on YLE2. Jani and Ulrika took us to some nice places in Helsinki while presenting some of this year's entries. We had a look at the contest’s history through a humoristic cartoon and at the results of the most memorable moment poll on Eurovision.tv. So, for all those who didn’t see it here’s a little recap.

The programme started with a welcome (?) return of the male choir Huutajat to grace Eurovision stages after Copenhagen’s 50th anniversary. Who can forget Katrina telling the Finns are very, very angry… and next thing we know is Lordi winning Euroviisut?

Then they moved on straight to present DJ Bobo and Switzerland’s entry tracing back to his glorious chart history, followed by Belarus speculating with Dima being a Princess Diana lookalike. Next was Cyprus with the real motivation for Evridiki taking part this year: her son made her mom to take part so that he can get a chance to meet his all time favourite band. Yep, it’s Lordi! Hungary’s Magda was presented next and the presenters said they hope she can make up for  last year’s absence this year so that the Hungarian TV won’t be wasting their money.

Then off to the history part. In 1951 a British journalist of London Evening Standard invented the word “Eurovision” – great word, they said,  but much like Paris Hilton: no one found any use for it. Until 1955 of course,  when the idea of the song contest was born. A short funny recap in cartoon style took us from Lys Assia to Lordi and it sure has been a long journey!

The show continued with the Finland’s somewhat bizarre past in the contest, all the way to Lordi’s victory, the celebrations that followed the victory, the controversy before the contest in Finland, Lordi merchandise and of course a short interview with the man himself, Mr Lordi.

After that back to this year’s songs with Austria. Reminding about his talent show past and his version of Hard rock hallelujah in it, Eric Papilaya is presented with his Swarowski chrystals, AIDS charity and designer Vivienne Westwood. Next one was Moldova. They told us how Moldova almost didn’t participate this year and how Natalia is besides a sex symbol also a talented violinist who comes from a famous family of musicians.

Eirikur Hauksson from Iceland or Erik Hawk as he is also known, teacher by day and hard rocker by night hasn’t been so lucky with his first two attempts , they reminded us, but will this be the time the hawk takes the flight? He is also a good imitator we are informed before Eirikur himself sends his greetings to the viewers.

Georgia, this year’s debutant is presented longer than the others and Sopho, as well as the president of Georgia, do their best to convince us they are good and worthy. Sopho tells how she has always watched the contest but never believed she could be part of it one day, while the president shares the secret he has been a fan since he was a kid and dreamed his country could participate one day. They also don’t set their goal to qualify for the final but to win the final. Why be modest with a song like that?

After reminding Finns drink more coffee by person a year than any other nation in the world, Jani and Ulrika head to a café while we are presented with Belgium’s Saturday night feverish retro funk style. Denmark follows with her feathers and fancy dresses before Estonia’s Gerli.  Tanel’s big sister or Pink-alike pop princess as she is described has lots to prove if she wants to match her brother’s success in 2001. Slovenia’s Alenka, world famous soprano according to Eurovision Countdown, is next before the Latvian version of Il Divo. May 12 we will see if opera is this year’s hard rock in the Eurovision Song Contest.

After that, we went to the results of Eurovision.tv’s poll of the most memorable moments in the Eurovision Song Contest history. Number five was Vienna in 1967 when the presenter starts to announce the winner when Ireland still needs to vote. Number four was the virtual wonders in Bergen 1986. Number three was the opening sequence in Stockholm 2000 with “less is more”. Number two was Dana International’s fall in Jerusalem 1999 and the clear number one, already legendary Lill Lindfors and her dress trick.

Next week they will have the Top-5 of all time interval acts, more songs to present, gossip and information straight from Hartwall Areena and much more.