The Eleventh Hour - Doctor Who: Season 5, Episode 1

A Classic Matt Smith episode, where Dr Who first met Amy Pond - and where he enjoyed Fish Fingers and Custard :)

With his TARDIS in ruins, the newly-regenerated Doctor with the help of Amy Pond must save the world in less than twenty minutes from galactic policemen known as the Atraxi.

Director:

Adam Smith

Writer:

Steven Moffat

Stars:

Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill | See full cast and crew

 

Steven Davies is famous

Steven Davies is a suspect CSI: Miami episode invasion :) lol.

CSI: Miami: Season 2, Episode 16

Invasion (23 Feb. 2004)

A masked man breaks in and trashes a house before shooting the father. The son is later found by the CSI team in a freezer.

	David Caruso	...	Lieutenant Horatio Caine
	Emily Procter	...	Calleigh Duquesne
	Adam Rodriguez	...	Eric Delko
	Khandi Alexander	...	Dr. Alexx Woods
	Rory Cochrane	...	Tim Speedle
	Sofia Milos	...	Detective Yelina Salas
	Lindsay Frost	...	Joanne Henderson
	Vincent Ventresca	...	Joseph Zellar
	Douglas Smith	...	Jason Henderson
	Todd Stashwick	...	Steve Davis

 

 

Inspector George Gently

Series 5 - 3. The Lost Child

3/4. A middle-class couple's adopted child is kidnapped, a case that takes Gently and Bacchus to a home where unmarried mothers are forced to give up their babies. Suspicion initially falls upon the natural mother, who is thought to have `stolen' her baby back. But further investigations reveal a much darker side to the adoption home itself and raise questions as to how far this seemingly perfect couple were prepared to go to become parents. Martin Shaw and Lee Ingleby star, with Mark Gatiss, Helen Baxendale and Alison Steadman.

Computer Troubles

For months i have periodically tried to get BBC IPlayer, but it just wouldn't download, so in desperation decided to go on a Forum, several people had the problem using Chrome, and the advice was to use Internet Explorer, so i decided it was worth a try, as I use Firefox.

I then couldn't find Internet Explorer on my computer, so with Andy's advice decided to download it, but when trying to download it, was told it couldn't be downloaded as i already had it on my computer, i went round the houses trying this several times unsuccessfully.

I then eventually, left it and asked Bob when he got home from work, eventually he sorted it out, i then installed BBC IPlayer successfully.

Latest News

Yesterday when visiting Steven, he was bubbling and cantankerous and being a nuisance, up to his usual self, trying to escape.

We had Miles overnight whild Jude worked and he was very good.  This morning i ran Junior Church and we worked on Night and Day and the creation. Then we all had a Roast Dinner, and while mum had the children, me and Jude went to the hospital.

Steven was not quite as bright today, he looked and felt weary, however, he is now eating which is good.

This evening Steven's INR was very low, so he has to be on Clexne tonight.

Clexane injection contains the active ingredient enoxaparin, which is a type of medicine called a low molecular weight heparin. It is used to stop blood clots forming within the blood vessels.

Tonight i watched

X Factor

Series 9 - Episode 3

Gary Barlow, Nicole Scherzinger, Tulisa and Louis Walsh continue their tour of six major cities, giving their verdicts on another line-up of would-be chart stars, from genuine hopefuls to the completely hopeless. Mel B joins the panel in Manchester and Anastacia is a guest judge in Glasgow as hundreds of hopefuls try to prove they have what it takes to be the next pop sensation. The judges have already spotted some great potential this year, such as songwriter Ella Henderson and shy supermarket worker Jahmene Douglas, while other contestants have entertained for all the wrong reasons. Dermot O'Leary offers words of encouragement backstage as well as a shoulder to cry on for those who fail to impress.

Inspector George Gently

Series 5 - 2. Gently with Class

2/4. Ellen Mallam is left to drown in an upturned car by its driver, but the young woman's connection to James Blackstone, an aristocratic family's heir apparent, impedes Gently and Bacchus's investigation. The chief inspector discovers that the son's future has been carefully mapped out since birth by his implacable mother Alethea, and she will not countenance any interference in her plans. However, an astonishing twist causes the detectives to reconsider the case in its entirety. Sixties-set detective drama, starring Martin Shaw and Lee Ingleby, with Geraldine Somerville, James Norton, Roger Lloyd Pack, Christopher Fairbank and Ebony Buckle.

Busy Busy Day

Well Miles, went to sleep about 11pm and woke up about 7.20pm, that is acceptable.

This morning when Jude came home from work she stayed at our had a couple of hours sleep while i was at church, then we had a roast dinner, Jude and Jenny washed up,  we went to leave the children with mum and wish Dad a Happy Birthday.

Then we went to see Steven, not too good to day, this morning he passed out in the toilet, he also threw up, and then he slept most of the day.

Then i went home to tea made by Andy and Jenny.  As we went to the hospital this afternoon i was able to watch some TV this evening.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Series 6 - 20. Poppin' Tags

20/24. Grissom and Stokes are called in to investigate the fatal shooting of three teenagers, and discover they were murdered while putting up posters to promote hip-hop star Dollar - who is later found bound and gagged in the boot of his car. Evidence initially suggests that competition between rival rappers has taken on a deadly dimension, but inquiries soon take the team in a new direction.

Volcano

Disaster thriller starring Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche. When an underground explosion kills several construction workers who are building a tunnel in Los Angeles, a team of seismologists investigates and discovers that volcanic activity is threatening to destroy the city.

 

Lets go fly a kite

This morning we headed off to Hunstanton Kite Festival, as i have a stall booked in the craft fair for my cross stitch kits.

It was another hot hot day, but trade was disappointing only sold 1 kit, but quite a few people looked and leaflets went.  However, we did design, sew and made a cross stitch key ring, during the day.

It was a pleasant day till they end. when Sophie refused to take Dylan to his mum, he got upset, then she got angry and violent, Andy and Jenny ended up packing up the Rainbow Stall earlier than they would have.

Jude went to see steven on the bus with charlotte while mum had Miles. This seemed to go ok, Jude says steven is ok and in good spirits.  Having spoken to mum, she is struggling with Miles he has grizzled and cried all afternoon.

On speaking to steven this evening he is fed up and the day has been very long.

This evening I watched

 X-Factor

Series 9 - Episode 1

 It’s the first of several weeks of auditions and the press has already run stories of diva-ish behaviour from a few contestants, despite the change in rules that is presumably aimed at turning The X Factor into a more serious singing contest like The Voice. This time anyone over the age of 16 can enter, even if he or she is already an amateur artist and currently has (or has had) a management deal.

New girl joining Gary Barlow, Tulisa and Louis Walsh on the judging panel
is gorgeous Nicole Scherzinger, onetime Pussycat Doll, although in the pre-boot camp stages there is a succession of guests including Geri Halliwell. 

 Countryfile

On a visit to Grizedale Forest in the Lake District, Julia Bradbury discovers why the area is a haven for mountain bikers and John Craven witnesses the end of a project to release red kites into the countryside. He also explores the legacy of artist and social commentator John Ruskin, while Tom Heap assesses the future of dairy farmers and Adam Henson learns whether he stands to make a profit on his harvest. 

Silent Witness

Series 15 - 11. And Then I Fell in Love - Part One

11/12. Part one of two. Nikki sees a barefoot girl being knocked over by a car, marking the beginning of a case that takes the team into the harrowing world of sex grooming and teenage prostitution. The police know the girl has been abused and suspicion soon falls on her stepfather. Meanwhile, an early-morning bath saves Harry's life, and two puzzling corpses are brought in to the centre - a heavily tattooed man and a decomposed body found at the airport. Guest starring Sanjeev Bhaskar (The Indian Doctor), Elyes Gabel (Casualty) and Madeline Duggan (EastEnders). 

 

This morning i woke so shattered, mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted.  I struggled into work, and it really was a struggle today.

When i got home i showered and went to bed for about 2 hours, i did then feel slightly better.

Unfortunately while i slept i had a call about my new job at AgeUK i was gutted i had been waiting for the call.

This evening i packed and listed some cross stitch kits and watched

CSI: Miami

Series 1 - 22. Tinder Box

22/24. Delko and Speedle enjoy an evening at a nightclub - which suddenly bursts into flames. Horatio arrives on the scene as the body count rises, and notices the doors were chained up and there was no sprinkler system installed. It emerges that the establishment's crooked owner could be behind the incident, but suspicion later falls on a bartender.

Cast

Horatio Caine

David Caruso

Alexx Woods

Khandi Alexander

Calleigh Duquesne

Emily Procter

CSI: Miami

Series 1 - 3. Wet Foot, Dry Foot

About this programme

3/24. A shark caught off the Miami coast is found to contain a human torso bearing a bullet wound. A tattoo leads the team to suspect the victim was a political refugee from Cuba - and the discovery of a second victim, fatally shot in the thigh, confirms the theory. David Caruso stars.

Horatio Caine

David Caruso

Megan Donner

Kim Delaney

Alexx Woods

Khandi Alexander

  

Ruth Rendell's Thirteen Steps Down

Episode 1

Rendell’s psychological thriller isn’t a comfortable fit with the demands of a two-part drama. What was allowed to unfold with almost leisurely slowness in the novel is hastily cut and pasted onto the screen. Which is jarring, because it’s about a descent into madness; Michael “Mix” Cellini (Luke Treadaway) is a troubled young man, the product of an abusive childhood, who is unhealthily obsessed by infamous mass murderer John Reginald Christie.

Cellini haunts Christie’s former neighbourhood in west London and lives close to the site of what was once Christie’s home at 10 Rillington Place in Notting Hill. Here he stalks a vapid model, Nerissa Nash, while concocting an elaborate fantasy world in his ultra-tidy room in his landlady’s (Geraldine James) dusty house. It’s all deeply odd. Thirteen Steps Down concludes next week.

Poirot

Still extremely worried about Steven and embarrassed myself by falling apart in Church and i was doing Junior Church as well.

After Church me and Bob had a carvery.

This evening i watched

Agatha Christie's Poirot

Series 12 - 2. Three Act Tragedy

The detective's friend Sir Charles Cartwright (guest star Martin Shaw) hosts a cocktail party at his home in Cornwall, where an amiable local priest chokes to death on his drink. There seems to be no motive for murder, and no trace of poison found in the victim's glass, but weeks later, when Sir Charles's doctor friend Sir Bartholomew Strange dies in similar circumstances, he and Poirot team up to investigate. Drama, with Art Malik, Jane Asher and Anna Carteret, and David Suchet in the title role.

Cast and crew

Cast

Hercule Poirot

David Suchet

Sir Charles Cartwright

Martin Shaw

Sir Bartholomew Strange

Art Malik

Lady Mary Lytton Gore

Jane Asher

Then i watched the Olympics Closing Ceremony which finished at 12.30am

Olympics 2012

Olympics 2012 Closing Ceremony

The 30th Olympiad reaches a spectacular conclusion in the traditional closing ceremony, live from the Olympic Stadium in the East End of London. After 16 days of tense and exciting competition that will live long in the memory, the athletes can now relax as their achievements are recognised and celebrated in spectacular fashion. Beginning at 9.00pm, and featuring more than 4,000 performers - including 3,500 volunteers - the show is entitled A Symphony of British Music, and celebrates one of the nation's greatest cultural exports over the past 50 years. Produced by artistic designer Kim Gavin, with music direction by 007 composer David Arnold, the performance is rumoured to feature appearances by chart stars past and present, and although specific details are being kept strictly under wraps, names being mentioned include Adele, Take That, the Who, One Direction and the Spice Girls. The concert is followed by the appearance of the athletes who say their farewells en masse, not divided by country, a way of bringing the competitors together as `one nation'. London mayor Boris Johnson then takes the stage for the official handover to Rio de Janeiro, hosts of the 2016 Olympic Games, before the chairman of the International Olympic Committee declares the Games closed and the flame is extinguished. Presented by Gary Lineker and Sue Barker, with commentary by Huw Edwards, Hazel Irvine and Trevor Nelson.

Team GB got

29 Gold Medals
17 Silver Medals
19 Bronze Medals

Total 65 Medals

3rd Place in the games

Marple

This morning i went to work, it was very hard, and my bruised knees were really sore.  When i left Emma thanked me for helping out.

When i got home i was shattered, my CRB for AgeUK job arrived today, so i should hear something soon:)

I am very worried about Steven, after trying to get hold of him for a couple of days, i eventually did, he is still stressed and depressed, and has a bad headache, i am most concerned.

This evening i watched

Agatha Christie's Marple

The Secret of Chimneys

Agatha Christie's Marple

The Secret of Chimneys 

 Lady Virginia Revel receives a marriage proposal from an ambitious politician, but is reluctant to accept it, especially as she is also being courted by a dashing young suitor. Accompanied by Miss Marple, she travels to a weekend party at her family home Chimneys, hoping to reach a decision. Negotiations for the sale of the country house are taking place during the gathering, but when new owner Count Ludwig of Austria is found murdered, St Mary Mead's elderly spinster must identify the culprit. Whodunit, starring Julia McKenzie, with a supporting cast including Gavin & Stacey stars Ruth Jones and Mathew Horne, plus Dervla Kirwan, Charlotte Salt, Michelle Collins, Jonas Armstrong and Edward Fox.

Cast and crew

Cast

Miss Marple

Julia McKenzie

Count Ludwig Von Stainach

Anthony Higgins

Lady Virginia Revel

Charlotte Salt

Followed by

Midsomer Murders

Series 14 - 8. A Rare Bird

Members of the Midsomer-in-the-Marsh Ornithological Society fall out when Ralph Ford claims to have spotted a blue-crested hoopoe, meaning he wins the group's year-listing competition. However, their president, Patrick Morgan, says the rare species could never have been seen so far away from its native Uganda and brands him a cheat. The next day, Barnaby and Jones have a murder case on their hands when Patrick is found dead at the scene of the reported sighting. Guest starring Paul Nicholls and James Dreyfus.

Cast and crew

Cast

DCI John Barnaby

Neil Dudgeon

DS Ben Jones

Jason Hughes

Sarah Barnaby

Fiona Dolman

Kate Wilding

Tamzin Malleson

Dana

I just saw a Dana special on Songs of Praise it was so moving, what a lovely lady.

Irish singer Dana talks to Sally Magnusson about her remarkable life, and joins a congregation in London for hymns and songs that are important to her.

 http://www.dana-music.com/index.html

She opened with a wonderful hymn i had never heard before, tried to find a copy unsuccessfully but i found the words.

" I Will Sing The Wondrous Story "

I will sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me;
How He left His home in glory
For the cross of calvary.
I was lost, but Jesus found me,
Found the sheep that went astray,
Threw His loving arms around me,
Drew me back in to His way.

I was bruised, but Jesus healed me;
Faint was I from many a fall;
Sight was gone, and fears possessed
me,
But He freed me from them all.
Days of darkness still come o'er me,
Sorrow's paths I often tread;
But the Saviour still is with me;
By His hand I'm safely led.

He will keep me till the river
Rolls its waters at my feet;
Then he'll bear me safely over.
Where the loved ones I shall meet.
Yes, I'll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me,
Sing it with the saints in glory,
gathered by the crystal sea.

Castle (TV Series 2009– )

After a serial killer imitates the plots of his novels, successful mystery novelist Richard "Rick" Castle gets permission from the Mayor of New York City to tag along with an NYPD homicide investigation team for research purposes. A "guy's guy", he proves popular with the male team members, but immediately offends the sensibilities of the team leader, Detective Kate Beckett. Though she'll never admit it, he slowly wins her over with his innovative approach to crime solving. He brings to the table skills the others don't have: contacts in Manhattan high society, free-form creative thinking, and years of developing believable fictional characters that have inadvertently molded him into a natural criminal profiler. But life is not all crime fighting adventure for this wealthy playboy: his relationship with Beckett becomes even more strained when he unveils a new series of detective novels featuring a racy character based on her...

	Nathan Fillion	...	Richard Castle (58 episodes, 2009-2011)
	Stana Katic	...	Kate Beckett (58 episodes, 2009-2011)
	Susan Sullivan	...	Martha Rodgers (58 episodes, 2009-2011)
	Ruben Santiago-Hudson	...	Captain Roy Montgomery (58 episodes, 2009-2011)
	Molly C. Quinn	...	Alexis Castle (58 episodes, 2009-2011)

Case Histories

Jason Isaacs and Natasha Little star in BBC1's Sunday evening detective drama Case Histories. Photograph: BBC/Ruby Films/Steffan Hill
Jackson Brodie, played by Jason Isaacs in this adaptation of Kate Atkinson's Case Histories (BBC1), is not the kind of detective you normally find on television. He's not a misanthrope with a murky past, a cupboard full of skeletons and a secret drawer or bathroom cabinet full of bad habits. Well there was some trouble at work, with the Lothian and Borders police, which means he doesn't work there any more, he's now a private investigator. And he is divorced. Oh, and he smokes cigarettes. But he also does plenty of exercise, running and the gym as well by the look of his upper body, which he gets out at every opportunity. Phwoar, pecs and tattoos. He's also a nice guy, good humoured, sympathetic, empathetic. All of which means he's a big hit with the ladies. They try to seduce him and exploit him. He's basically totty. If he was a woman, it would be an outrage; but he's not, so it's quite good fun. As well as being chased by women, he looks for them – missing women. And for the killers of dead women. He even looks for the missing cats of women, which he does for free, because he feels he should. He's like the answer to all the prayers of all the women in the world. Apart from his ex-wife, who hates him, but including his daughter, who he has a lovely relationship with. So in this first one, which concludes tonight, there are these two posh birds, like Trinny and Susannah except they're sisters. They want Jackson to find their other sister who went missing. He's not keen initially, thinks the trail may have gone a little cold, given that it happened 30 years ago. But they pour him a glass of wine, and flirt with him, he gets his top off, Trinny gives him a kiss, and he's theirs, putty in their hands. Jackson's got his hands full at the moment, of cases, and of women. There's also Laura, an innocent 18-year-old though not quite as innocent as her father thought she was, and now sadly deceased, her jugular severed and blood spurting all up the walls of daddy's office. And Jackson's own sister, Neve, whose body was pulled out of the canal round about the same time as T&S's sister went missing. Are the two, the three, connected? On the live, non-missing women front, there are all the mums at Jackson's daughter school who letch after him when he comes to pick her up. And a lady policeman he used to work with, who pretends she's not interested but is really. Another woman in a bar beats her to it, gets to go home with Jackson, but it turns out she really only want him for his work. She's just using him, but still, it's a chance for him to get his top off again, and run into the street, all rippling pecs. Oh, and what about the pretty homeless girl with the dog in the park, does she have something to do with anything? There are a lot of animals around, I think they're important. Trinny and Susannah have a dog, Sammy, until he dies, or is murdered. Very realistic – is Sammy a real dog, and if so is he acting, or really dead? Then there's all the cats, and a flock of sheep that delays Laura's dad's train and mean she gets killed instead of him. There are cuddly toy animals too, and I think they could be even more significant: a blue mouse, a pink teddy bear, plus a pair of rabbit slippers. It's all very baffling, but hey, it's a detective drama, it's supposed to be. It's certainly intriguing. Fun, fast, nice to look at – and not just Jackson's torso but the Scottish backdrop too. Phwoar, Edinburgh. Case Histories is not too demanding, even if I'm not sure what exactly's going on – to the right of Midsomer and Lewis, a little to the left of Wallander, on a low-to highbrow TV detective scale. Just right for a Sunday evening. What I really want to know is if it's true that people look up to the left when they're remembering, and up to the right when they're lying. I'm going to do some research.

Doctor Who stories

A Dereham writer who penned a series of four-part stories for Tom Baker’s Doctor Who says interest in the classic series is increasing thanks to the show’s revivial.
 More than 30 years ago, David Fisher was responsible for the enthralling and sometimes downright frightening escapades of Tom Baker’s Doctor Who and his very stripey scarf.

David Fisher of Dereham who used to write TV scripts for Doctor Who, and now has had his work turned into an audio book. 

 And now, as he brings the Ogri back to life with a new audio book of The Stones of Blood, the Dereham-based script writer has found interest in the classic tales is growing once again.
Mr Fisher was first asked to have a go at penning a Doctor Who adventure by the then script editor Tony Read.
A fan of the series himself, the request went down particularly well with his son and two daughters.
“My children thought it was marvellous,” he said. “The way we all watched Doctor Who was from behind the sofa.”
The 82-year-old wrote his first adventure – The Stones of Blood – for the 16th series of the drama featuring Tom Baker and went on to write two more four-part stories, The Androids of Tara and The Creature From the Pit.
He also co-wrote a fourth with Douglas Adams called City of Death, which aired as part of the 17th series.
Mr Fisher said he enjoyed his time with the show which gave his imagination free rein – to a certain extent.
“I remember being called in once,” he said. “The producer said, ‘We’ve got a major problem. We’ve had letters from 12-year-old boys saying the physics couldn’t work. In the future, can you guarantee the physics will work’?”
Mr Fisher decided to get in touch with scientists working at a Cambridge astronomy centre, near where he lived, and asked if he could talk some ideas through with them.
“It turned out they were Doctor Who mad,” he said.
The experts helped him not only come up with a way for the Creature in the Pit to threaten an entire planet with a neutron star but also a way to stop it. Mr Fisher said: “They said ‘that’s perfectly simple too. Just wrap it in tin foil’.”
The writer’s episodes aired between 1978 and 1980, with Mr Fisher joining actors and crew on set for the rehearsals and filming of each one.
But he then decided to move on and try his hand at other television series, as well as writing books and even a musical.
Mr Fisher, who moved to Dereham in 2001 with his second wife Barbara Weller, said: “Doctor Who became much more serious. They lost the comedy element which I thought was a pity. When it was light I was happy to write but it became a bit heavy – the last thing you want to do is bore yourself when you’re writing.”
Despite no longer writing for the television shows, the grandfather-of-seven has certainly not left the series behind. As well as adapting his own stories into novels, the writer has recently had the task of turning his first-ever Doctor Who tale into an audio book.
He said interest in the older stories seemed to be increasing thanks to the revival of the series, which currently features former UEA student Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor.
“Doctor Who seems to be having another lease of life. I’ve just had to do an interview for someone who’s writing for an American Doctor Who magazine.
“It seems to have taken off again.”
Mr Fisher’s other writing credits include Dixon of Dock Green, Hammer House of Horror and Crown Court for Granada Television.
But his CV could have included one or two other high profile programmes.
“I foolishly once turned down Coronation Street because it meant going up to Manchester a lot,” he said. “I was also approached very early on by Not the Nine O’Clock news. I said no, I was trying to write a sit com. Who knows what would have happened if I had said yes?”
The Doctor Who: The Stones of Blood audio book is available now as both a digital download and four-CD set.

Doctor Who facts

The first episode of Doctor Who was broadcast on the BBC on November 23, 1963.
Called An Unearthly Child, it featured William Hartnell as the first Doctor.
Tom Baker, right, was the fourth Doctor and played him from 1974 until 1981 when Peter Davidson took over.
After 26 series and seven Doctors, the sci-fi drama disappeared from television screens in 1989.
A Doctor Who film, starring Paul McGann, came out in May 1996.
The television series was revived in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston taking on the main role.
Former UEA student Matt Smith, right, currently stars as the 11th incarnation of the Doctor.
Filmmaker Ridley Scott was the BBC designer originally allocated to design the Daleks. He never carried out the task as Raymond P Cusick, who was able to commit for a longer period, replaced him.
TARDIS stands for Time and Relative Dimension In Space – and it’s bigger on the inside that the outside.

His imagination created the Creature in the Pit, the Androids of Tara and the Argolin.

Dr Who - The Doctors Wife

Written by Neil Gaiman
Directed by Richard Clark

Starring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill

Doctor Who Story Code: 11.2.3 Story Number: 216
1 epsiode: Broadcast on Sat 14 May 2011
Total Running time: 45 minutes 46 seconds

5.90 Million average audience

The Doctor receives a distress signal from an old friend. Could there really be another living Time Lord out there? Hopes raised, he follows the signal to a junkyard planet sitting upon a mysterious asteroid in a Bubble universe, populated by a very strange family.

The Doctor, Amy and Rory are given the warmest of welcomes by Auntie, Uncle and Nephew. But the beautiful and insane Idris greets them in a more unusual fashion – what is she trying to tell the Doctor? As the Doctor investigates, he unwittingly puts his friends in the gravest danger.

The Doctor is played by Matt Smith, Amy by Karen Gillan, Rory by Arthur Darvill and Idris by Suranne Jones.

History of Eurovision Contest

The history of the Eurovision Song Contest began with the brainchild of Marcel Bezençon of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The contest was based on the Italian Sanremo Music Festival and was designed to test the limits of live television broadcast technology.
The first contest took place on 24 May 1956, where seven nations participated. As the Contest progressed, the rules grew increasingly complex and participation levels rose to pass forty nations at the end of the 20th Century. As more countries came on board over subsequent decades and technology advanced, the EBU attempted to keep up with national and international trends.
The end of the Cold War in the early 1990s led to a sudden increase in numbers, with many former Eastern Bloc countries queuing up to compete for the first time. This process continued into the 2005 contest, in which both Bulgaria and Moldova made their debut.
Liechtenstein, Vatican City, and Kosovo are the only European countries not to have participated; the last major European country to take part was the Czech Republic which made its debut in the 2007 contest. San Marino took part in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, Serbia, together with Azerbaijan.

London. Royal Albert Hall, venue of 1968 contest.

Jerusalem. International Convention Centre, venue of 1979 and 1999 contests.

Malmö. Malmö Entertainment Centre, venue of 1992 contest.

Oslo. Oslo Spektrum, venue of 1996 contest.

Stockholm. Globen Arena, venue of 2000 contest.

Istanbul. Abdi İpekçi Arena, venue of 2004 contest.

Belgrade. Belgrade Arena, venue of 2008 contest.

Contents Competition history

Edition	Finals date	Year	Broad- caster	Venue	City	Countries	Winner
1st	24 May	1956	SSR	Teatro Kursaal	Lugano	7	Switzerland
2nd	3 March	1957	ARD	Großer Sendesaal	Frankfurt	10	Netherlands
3rd	12 March	1958	NTS	AVRO Studio	Hilversum	10	France
4th	11 March	1959	RTF	Palais des Festivals	Cannes	11	Netherlands
5th	25 March	1960	BBC	Royal Festival Hall	London	13	France
6th	18 March	1961	RTF	Palais des Festivals	Cannes	16	Luxembourg
7th	18 March	1962	CLT	Villa Louvigny	Luxembourg	16	France
8th	23 March	1963	BBC	BBC Television Centre	London	16	Denmark
9th	21 March	1964	DR	Tivoli Concert Hall	Copenhagen	16	Italy
10th	20 March	1965	RAI	RAI Television Centre	Naples	18	Luxembourg
11th	5 March	1966	CLT	Villa Louvigny	Luxembourg	18	Austria
12th	8 April	1967	ORF	Hofburg Imperial Palace	Vienna	17	United Kingdom
13th	6 April	1968	BBC	Royal Albert Hall	London	17	Spain
14th	29 March	1969	TVE	Teatro Real	Madrid	16	France  Netherlands  Spain  United Kingdom
15th	21 March	1970	NOS	RAI Congrescentrum	Amsterdam	12	Ireland
16th	3 April	1971	RTÉ	Gaiety Theatre	Dublin	18	Monaco
17th	25 March	1972	BBC	Usher Hall	Edinburgh	18	Luxembourg
18th	7 April	1973	CLT	Nouveau Théâtre Luxembourg	Luxembourg	17	Luxembourg
19th	6 April	1974	BBC	Brighton Dome	Brighton	17	Sweden
20th	22 March	1975	SR	Stockholm International Fairs	Stockholm	19	Netherlands
21st	3 April	1976	NOS	Congresgebouw	The Hague	18	United Kingdom
22nd	7 May	1977	BBC	Wembley Conference Centre	London	18	France
23rd	22 April	1978	TF1	Palais des Congrès	Paris	20	Israel
24th	31 March	1979	IBA	International Convention Centre	Jerusalem	19	Israel
25th	19 April	1980	NOS	Congresgebouw	The Hague	19	Ireland
26th	4 April	1981	RTÉ	Royal Dublin Society	Dublin	20	United Kingdom
27th	24 April	1982	BBC	Harrogate International Centre	Harrogate	18	Germany
28th	23 April	1983	ARD	Rudi Sedlmayer Halle	Munich	20	Luxembourg
29th	5 May	1984	CLT	Théâtre Municipal	Luxembourg	19	Sweden
30th	4 May	1985	SVT	Scandinavium	Gothenburg	19	Norway
31st	3 May	1986	NRK	Grieg Hall	Bergen	20	Belgium
32nd	9 May	1987	RTBF	Centenary Palace	Brussels	22	Ireland
33rd	30 April	1988	RTÉ	Royal Dublin Society	Dublin	21	Switzerland
34th	6 May	1989	SSR	Palais de Beaulieu	Lausanne	22	Yugoslavia
35th	5 May	1990	JRT	Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall	Zagreb	22	Italy
36th	4 May	1991	RAI	Studio 15 di Cinecittà	Rome	22	Sweden
37th	9 May	1992	SVT	Malmö Entertainment Centre	Malmö	23	Ireland
38th	15 May	1993	RTÉ	Green Glens Arena	Millstreet	25	Ireland
39th	1 May	1994	RTÉ	Point Depot	Dublin	25	Ireland
40th	13 May	1995	RTÉ	Point Depot	Dublin	23	Norway
41st	18 May	1996	NRK	Oslo Spektrum	Oslo	23	Ireland
42nd	3 May	1997	RTÉ	Point Depot	Dublin	25	United Kingdom
43rd	9 May	1998	BBC	National Indoor Arena	Birmingham	25	Israel
44th	29 May	1999	IBA	International Convention Centre	Jerusalem	23	Sweden
45th	13 May	2000	SVT	Stockholm Globen Arena	Stockholm	24	Denmark
46th	12 May	2001	DR	Parken Stadium	Copenhagen	23	Estonia
47th	25 May	2002	ETV	Saku Suurhall	Tallinn	24	Latvia
48th	24 May	2003	LTV	Skonto Hall	Riga	26	Turkey
49th	15 May	2004	TRT	Abdi İpekçi Arena	İstanbul	36	Ukraine
50th	21 May	2005	NTU	Kiev Sports Palace	Kiev	39	Greece
51st	20 May	2006	ERT	Olympic Indoor Hall	Athens	37	Finland
52nd	12 May	2007	YLE	Hartwall Arena	Helsinki	42	Serbia
53rd	24 May	2008	RTS	Belgrade Arena	Belgrade	43	Russia
54th	16 May	2009	C1R	Olimpiyskiy Arena	Moscow	42	Norway
55th	29 May	2010	NRK	Telenor Arena	Oslo	39	Germany
56th	14 May	2011	NDR	Esprit Arena	Düsseldorf	43	TBA

[edit] The songs

The earliest period in the Eurovision history is marked by the style of songs which participated and the manner in which the show itself was presented. Famous musical and film stars would participate without prejudice, with Italian winners of the Sanremo Festival and such British names as Patricia Bredin and Bryan Johnson. With a live orchestra the norm in the early years, and simple sing-a-long songs on every radio station, the Contest grew into a favourite amongst almost all age groups across the continent. Iconic songs such as Volare and Serge Gainsbourg's Poupée de cire, poupée de son hit the sales charts in many countries after their Eurovision performance.
In the beginning, it was obvious for the participants that they should sing in their country's national language. However, as the Swedish entry in 1965, "Absent Friend" was sung in English, the EBU set very strict rules on the language in which the songs could be performed. National languages had to be used in all lyrics, with even the obscure Maltese insisted upon when the island nation made its debut. Song writers across Europe soon tagged onto the notion that success would only come if the judges could understand the content, resulting in such entries as Boom-Bang-A-Bang and La La La. The lyrics were allowed to contain occasional phrases in other languages, which was utilized for example by the Yugoslavian song in 1969. In 1973, the rules on language use was relaxed, and in the following year ABBA would win with Waterloo.
Those "freedom of language" rules would be soon reversed in 1977, to return with apparent permanent status in the 1999 contest, with the intervening years waning from highlights to dead-weight years. The "swinging sixties" and punk scenes were all but missed by the contemporary Eurovision periods, whilst the 1980s saw an increase in balladry with an almost blanket disregard for electronica or guitar-based pop. Other than heavily infused pop versions, rap has been next to completely ignored.
One result of the attempt to modernise the songs in the Contest was the abolition of the obligatory use of the live orchestra, to which all songs had to perform. This decision was made in 1997 and removed the automatic requirement for songs to be re-composed for playback with a live orchestra. As of 1999, the host country hasn't been obliged to provide a live orchestra, and there hasn't been one since. No attempt has been made to return the Contest to the days of live bands and violins. In fact all instruments must be mimed by reglement, live music is not allowed. This rule most likely exists because there isn't enough time to wire the instruments during the short break between the songs. On the other hand a backing tape may have no voices on it, singing still must be done live. Before 1997 backing tracks were allowed, but only if all instruments on tape were featured on stage. This explains the odd situation in 1996, when Gina G, entrant for the United Kingdom, had two computer screens on stage.
Other than the earliest contests, each and every entry has been fixed at a maximum three minutes in length.
The measuring the success of the modern day Eurovision in keeping up with modern trends has been difficult to determine. The Ukrainian winner's (Ruslana) Wild Dances won with national motives and wild song, but the Estonian hit Everybody was something of an outdated upbeat pop song.

Competitors

Performers to have graced the Eurovision stage include:

• ABBA
• Patricia Kaas
• Hadise
• Aqua (as an interlude act)
• Baccara
• Dima Bilan
• Brotherhood of Man
• Céline Dion
• David Civera
• Mélanie Cohl
• Toto Cutugno

• Edyta Górniak
• Sergio Dalma
• Dana International
• Kenan Doğulu
• DJ Bobo
• Dschinghis Khan
• Sertab Erener
• Lara Fabian
• Gina G
• Karel Gott
• Carola Häggkvist
• Mary Hopkin
• Hothouse Flowers (as an interlude act)
• Julio Iglesias
• Kalomoira
• Katrina and the Waves
• Las Ketchup
• Vicky Leandros
• Ani Lorak
• Lordi
• Lulu
• Mocedades
• Domenico Modugno
• Nana Mouskouri
• Marie Myriam
• New Seekers
• Olivia Newton-John
• No Angels
• Helena Paparizou
• Ajda Pekkan
• Charlotte Perrelli
• Alla Pugacheva
• Anna Maria Jopek
• Sir Cliff Richard
• Sakis Rouvas
• Kate Ryan
• Azucar Moreno
• Ruslana
• Sandie Shaw
• The Shadows
• t.A.T.u.
• Sébastien Tellier
• Amina Annabi
• Anna Vissi
• Tose Proeski
• Alexander Rybak
• Apocalyptica (as an interlude act)
• maNga
• Paul Oscar
• Gigliola Cinquetti
• Al Bano & Romina Power
• Udo Jürgens
• Dulce Pontes
• Noa
• Shiri Maimon
• Natasha St-Pier