You may have read the title of this editorial and thought the following:

A. Who the heck are Evan Williams and George Blagden?

B. Why do you want to see Evan and George go to Eurovision?

C. Why are you writing another Eurovision editorial after Das Sound Machine weren’t chosen to represent Germany for this year’s Eurovision?

That third question references my editorial from last year, where I explained why Das Sound Machine should be chosen to represent the German delegation at Eurovision 2023. Though Das Sound Machine weren’t selected, Eurovision’s German delegation did almost everything I wanted; from choosing a “showstopper” to trying something different. With Germany once again receiving a score within the bottom three at this year’s Grand Final, maybe there’s a chance the German delegation could choose Das Sound Machine for Eurovision 2024. Speaking of Eurovision 2024, now comes the part where I explain who George Blagden and Evan Williams are. Evan and George are Canadian and British actors who worked together on the television show, Versailles. They also happen to have musical talents that could make them eligible for Eurovision representation. My editorial is intended to answer the second question; why I want to see George and Evan go to Eurovision next year. Before I begin my explanations, I want to stress how any Eurovision related decisions are up to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the participating Eurovision delegations, and Evan and George themselves.

Several Participating Countries Desperately Need a “Fan Favorite”

At this year’s Eurovision, Sweden won the contest with a total of 583 points. Though receiving more jury votes then televote points, Loreen was, arguably, one of the most popular artists competing in Liverpool. But she wasn’t the only representative people were excited about. Finland’s representative, Käärijä, was beloved among televoters and Eurovision’s audience. People loved him so much, they chanted his name and the title of his song, “Cha Cha Cha”, during the voting portions of the Grand Final. While Finland and Sweden benefitted by sending strong representatives to Eurovision, some participating countries weren’t lucky enough to have a “fan favorite”. A few of them were San Marino, Ireland, Denmark, and the United Kingdom (U.K.). Competing in the semi-finals, Ireland, Denmark, and San Marino didn’t receive enough points to attend the Grand Final. Denmark and San Marino garnered only 6 and 0 points in semi-final two, while Ireland only got ten points in the first semi-final. Even though the U.K. automatically qualified for the Grand Final, as they are one of the “Big Five” countries, they received 25^th place, a far cry from the second place they got in 2022. Participating countries like the aforementioned four need a “fan favorite”, someone the audience is willing to spend money on in order to give them televotes. In my opinion, George and Evan have the potential to become “fan favorites” for reasons I will get to later in this editorial.

The Indefinite Run of the Writers and Actors Strikes

I don’t want to talk too much about the current writers and actors strikes, as I try to make 18 Cinema Lane a place where readers can take a break from the stressing issues of the world. But since these strikes could affect whether Evan and George can compete in Eurovision, I’ll briefly mention the strikes. Since about May, screen-writers in Hollywood have chosen to go on strike, similar to the Writers’ Strike that took place in 2007. A few months later, several actors in Hollywood have chosen to carry on their own strike. Now you’re probably wondering, “How can these strikes affect George and Evan if they’re British and Canadian”? Any project that Evan or George is attached to could be delayed or even cancelled as a result of any of these strikes. According to their filmographies on IMDB, both Evan and George have two upcoming projects. On Evan’s filmography, a movie titled 1 Million Followers and a short film titled Terminally Unique are in post-production. Meanwhile, on George’s filmography, a project called The Chelsea Cowboy is in post-production. Another project on George’s filmography, called Montserrat, is in pre-production. If any of the aforementioned four projects are affected by the strikes and if Evan and George have time on their hands, maybe there would be room in their schedules for Eurovision.

George and Evan’s Musical Talents

Eurovision is a televised musical competition. Since 1956, solo artists, duos, trios, and even bands have shared their talents in the hopes of winning the contest. As I mentioned in the introduction, George and Evan happen to have musical talents that could make them eligible for Eurovision representation. They are not only singers, but guitarists as well. On George’s Youtube channel, simply titled ‘George Blagden’, there are some videos showing George performing song covers. In one of these videos, George performs an acoustic cover of the song, “Hallelujah”. The steady guitar cords pair nicely with George’s vocals, creating a simple melody that is pleasant to listen to. Meanwhile, Evan created a song titled “Lola” for a short film of the same name. Also performed acoustically, Evan’s soulful vocals provide the perfect musical match. George and Evan have even performed a duet together! In a video from the Youtube channel, Fr Conventions, they performed a song titled “Take Me Away”. Both Evan and George’s vocals sound beautiful together, creating a solid acoustic duet.

The Fans of George and Evan

Remember earlier in this editorial, when I said George and Evan have the potential to become “fan favorites” for a participating Eurovision delegation? The reason I believe this is because they already have fans who would be so excited to see them attend Eurovision! Like I said in the introduction, both Evan and George starred on the television show, Versailles. During that show’s three-season run, fans from all over the world tuned in to catch the drama within France’s famed palace. Vikings, another show George starred on, also attracted a fanbase within a three-season run. Evan appeared on the tv program, Degrassi: The Next Generation. Degrassi is a Canadian multi-generational show that has developed a large fan following over the years. If fans of these previously referenced tv shows, plus Eurovision fans and audience members who simply like Evan and George’s talents, were to spend money on televotes for George and Evan, they could garner enough televotes to not only make it to the Grand Final, but also receive a good score.

A Blessing in Disguise for CowHouse Films

Now comes the part of my editorial when you’re likely asking yourself, “What the heck is CowHouse Films and what it does have to do with George and Evan’s chances of going to Eurovision”? If Evan and George were to represent a delegation at Eurovision next year, CowHouse Films could play a key role in their potential success. On Versailles, George and Evan worked alongside their co-star, Alexander Vlahos. Alexander co-created the independent movie company, CowHouse Films. In his Q&A live video on the company’s official Youtube channel, Alexander mentions creating a music video for Evan, titled “So It Goes”. He also mentions needing funding for some upcoming projects, such as “Shoeless Summer” and “The Lord Won’t Mind”. If Evan and George were to go to Eurovision in 2024, they could collaborate with CowHouse Films to not only create a music video, but also bring an on-stage concept to life. With that said, if George and Evan were to make it to the Grand Final and place somewhere in the Top Ten, that good placement could attract more clients to CowHouse Films. More clients would equal more revenue, which would result in more funding for future projects.

Once upon a time, there was a Canadian vocalist named Celine. Eurovision’s Swiss delegation loved Celine’s vocals so much, they selected her as their representative for the contest. The Swiss delegation were not the only ones who adored her musical talents, as she ended up winning Eurovision. Since then, Celine has enjoyed a fruitful career, from performing one of the most famous movie theme songs of all time (“My Heart Will Go On”) to having a residency in Las Vegas. I believe none of these things would have happened had the Swiss delegation not chosen Celine as their representative back in 1988. If they could take a chance on Celine Dion before she became the beloved artist she is today, then I think it’s only fair for a Eurovision delegation to take a chance on Evan Williams and George Blagden. To me, they have what it takes to make Eurovision history, as well as join an ever-growing community of musical artists from all over the world. Now, the question remains: who would like to give George and Evan their “golden ticket” to Malmö?

Have fun at Eurovision!

Sally Silverscreen