The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced that a large number of EBU members have joined forces in order to produce a special ABBA documentary marking the 50th anniversary of the band’s iconic and historial Eurovision victory.
The 1974 Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton saw Sweden storm to victory with ABBA‘s ‘Waterloo‘. ABBA’s Eurovision victory led to the the band’s global international fame, name and glory. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Sweden very first Eurovision victory.
Several EBU members have worked together in order to produce a full length documentary ‘ABBA- Against the Odds‘. The documentary has been directed by James Rogan and produced by Dan Hall. We will see rare archival footage, ABBA’s rise to fame and success, the band’s musical trajectory and exclusive interviews. The said documentary will be premiered at CPH:DOX on 23 March and is set to be broadcaster in circa 15 countries in the lead up to the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden.
The idea of this documentary was developed by SVT and DR whilst the concept originated from the EBU Documentary Group with the EBU playing a key role in gathering a large number of its members in order to accomplish this task.
The following EBU members have partaken in the collaboration of the documentary:
- DR (Denmark)
- SVT (Sweden)
- BBC (United Kingdom)
- ARD/WDR (Germnay)
- France Télévisions (France)
- NTR (The Netherlands)
- NRK (Norway)
- YLE (Finland)
- RUV (Iceland)
- VRT (Belgium)
- EER (Estonia)
- CT (Czechia)
Matthew Trustram (Head of Television/EBU) says;
This is something of a landmark production for European public-service broadcasters, who have pulled together their biggest collaboration to date in the documentary space, to celebrate the music and influence of ABBA, a true European cultural phenomenon. By working together, the broadcasters have been able to deliver truly ambitious and impactful storytelling to their audiences.
Anders Bruus Commisioning Editor /DR) says:
Never have so many TV stations collaborated to unfold the story of ABBA and their cultural significance. And when an idea from DR and SVT ends up engaging so many European TV stations in telling the story of a Swedish pop group, it shows the significance of ABBA over 50 years.
Axel Arnö (Head of Documentary/SVT) says:
The documentary is not only a celebration of ABBA’s iconic music but also showcases the importance of our shared cultural heritage. The collaboration between so many European TV stations demonstrates how we can be united through music, art, and storytelling. ABBA’s breakthrough in the Eurovision Sng Contest 50 years ago and the current collaboration between TV stations are pivotal in bringing nations together then and now.
Source: EBU
Photo credit: EBU
