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Abba star on this week's Radio Times cover

Abba star on this week's Radio Times cover

From nul points to pop idols, the night Britain fell for Sweden's Fab Four – and why we still love them 50 years on.

Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog, Frida Lyngstad and Bjorn Ulvaeus standing in a row and looking at the camera.

BBC

Shem Law
, Tom Loxley

Published: Tuesday, 9 April 2024 at 1:57 pm

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Back in the days when there were just three television channels, the biggest star of Saturday-night TV was an impersonator and a novelty band inspired by a children’s animation could top the singles charts, the Eurovision Song Contest was a very serious competition indeed.

In 1974, Britain had the honour of hosting the event, not because we’d won the previous year (Cliff Richard came third), but because the actual winners, Luxembourg, were not prepared to host it. So it was that on 6 April, Abba took to the stage in Brighton to announce themselves to the world.

Not that the British jurors were impressed at the time. In fact, they gave the Swedes nul points – unlike the millions watching all over Europe, in particular the other Eurovision juries, who quickly installed Abba and their song Waterloo as the winners.

In the latest issue of Radio Times magazine – out now – we remember that night and hear from those who were there, from Benny Andersson of Abba to Mike Batt of the Wombles, who had donned his furry suit to provide the half-time entertainment.

All this nostalgia is good clean fun, but of course Abba, who have long resisted demands to reform, remain part of our pop-cultural world. Their songs top playlists, inspire musicals and Hollywood movies and indeed their avatars still sell out shows half a century later. We explore all this and more in our feature.

ABBA Radio Times cover

Also in this week's Radio Times:

Molly Ringwald and Chloë Sevigny discuss Ryan Murphy's Feud: Capote vs the Swans, playing the original housewives, showbiz fallouts and navigating a male-dominated industry

Siân Brooke chats about the new series of Blue Lights, support from Northern Ireland and dealing with fame

Sian Gibson on nearly quitting her acting career, her interest in 1970s style, and signing with new agents

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast

Authors

Radio Times editor Shem Law wears a shirt, tie and grey jumper. He is sitting at a wooden desk behind a sign saying "Editor" clasping his hands. There are other items on the desk, including a dial telephone and typewriter.

Shem Law

Shem Law is the brand editor of Radio Times, and the 20th person to hold that esteemed position in over 100 years. He wasn't allowed a television growing up, but over the years he has rather overcompensated for that fact.

Tom Loxley

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