The BBC has announced that it will be producing 2 shows in the lead up to the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool.

The Eurovision fever has surely hit the United Kingdom as the country is gearing up  in full steam to host the forthcoming Eurovision edition on home soil for the 9th time in the history of our beloved competition.

The British national broadcaster is going to commission 2 special Eurovision shows in order to celebrate the competition and bring Eurovision one step closer to fans at home and abroad:

• The Greatest Show on Earth
• And The Winner Isn’t

Both shows will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlay in May.

Rachel Ashdown (BBC’s Lead Commissioner ESC 2023) says:

As the excitement builds for this year’s Contest, we are looking forward to getting things started with these special programmes. They will remind fans of all their favourite moments and be the ultimate guide for people who want to find out more about what the Eurovision Song Contest is all about. These new shows are just a taster of much more to come.

About the shows

The Greatest Show on Earth will be celebrating the 25 years since the UK hosted the Eurovision Song Contest and how the competition has evolved and become a massive show.

Whilst The Winner Isn’t will be looking back at the acts and artists who didn’t score high or win at Eurovision but their songs went on to become chart toppers leading to massive success in their musical careers.

The BBC press release reads:

The Greatest Show on Earth (w/t)

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The ultimate guide to the Eurovision Song Contest, this entertainment show will celebrate 25 years since the UK last hosted the contest, with 25 reasons why it’s ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’.

Through archive footage and revealing interviews, the documentary will explore how the Contest has become the world’s largest live music event, creating global superstars and changing lives. It will include a sneak peek backstage at this year’s competition in Liverpool to witness the incredible operation behind the biggest party on the planet, as well as exploring the extraordinary legacy of 2022 winners Ukraine.

The Greatest Show on Earth (w/t) is a Little Gem production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The executive producer is Ben Gale. It has been commissioned by BBC Lead Commissioner for Eurovision Song Contest Rachel Ashdown and the commissioning editor for the BBC is Jo Wallace.

And The Winner Isn’t (w/t)

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Packed with Eurovision trivia, this one-off special charts the success of those Eurovision Song Contest entrants who may not have scored enough points to win the iconic competition, but have gone on to score great success in the music industry.

And The Winner Isn’t is a Shearwater Media production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The executive producer is Steve Anderson. It has been commissioned by BBC Lead Commissioner for Eurovision Song Contest Rachel Ashdown, and the commissioning editor for the BBC is Ruby Kuraishe.

Source: BBC
Photo credit: BBC/EBU