Spicks and Specks (2014 TV series)

Last updated

Spicks and Specks
Spicks And Specks (2014).png
Presented by Josh Earl
Starring Ella Hooper
Adam Richard
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes20
Production
Running time27 mins.
Original release
Network ABC TV
Release5 February (2014-02-05) 
19 December 2014 (2014-12-19)

Spicks and Specks was an Australian music-themed comedic television quiz show, a revival [1] of the original Spicks and Specks series that was telecast on ABC1 for seven seasons and 277 episodes. [2]

Contents

The new show started on Wednesday 5 February 2014. [3] [4] It was recorded and produced at the ABC Broadcasting Studios in Elsternwick, Victoria. [4]

On 30 May 2014, ABC programmer Brendan Dahill announced that the show would not be renewed for a second season because it "hasn't resonated with viewers to the degree we had hoped." The show was pulled from the schedule after episode 20 had screened, with the final six shows of the 26 shows recorded airing during late 2014. [5] The reason why this happened was because Josh Earl's second child was born at this point. [6]

Premise of the show

The show was hosted by stand-up comedian Josh Earl, who posed questions to two teams each headed by permanent team captains, singer/songwriter Ella Hooper and radio presenter/comedian Adam Richard. [4] The overall style of the show is a mix of music and comedy. The revival included a refreshed format and new games. [7]

Delayed relaunch

The revival of the show was originally announced in November 2012, during the ABC 2013 program launch but the network decided to delay the relaunch until 2014. [1] [8] ABC executives were reportedly upset when news of the return of the show in 2014 was prematurely leaked before the intended official announcement. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rove McManus</span> Australian comedian and television host

John Henry Michael "Rove" McManus is an Australian triple Gold Logie award-winning comedian, television and radio presenter, producer and media personality. He was the host of the eponymous variety show Rove and was also the host of the comedy talk show Rove LA. He is the co-owner of the production company Roving Enterprises with business partner Craig Campbell. He hosts Whovians on the ABC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Hughes</span> Australian stand-up comedian and a radio and television presenter

David William Hughes is an Australian stand-up comedian, television and radio presenter. He is known for his larrikin personality, drawling Australian accent, and deadpan comedic delivery. Hughes co-hosts Hughesy, Ed & Erin with Ed Kavalee & Erin Molan on 2DayFM and is also a panellist on The Masked Singer Australia with Mel B, Chrissie Swan and Abbie Chatfield on Network 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myf Warhurst</span> Australian broadcaster

Myfanwy Warhurst is an Australian radio announcer and television personality, best known for her work at Triple J radio station and on ABC Television's long-running music-themed quiz show Spicks and Specks. As of 2022 she has an ongoing role as Australia's commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest alongside Joel Creasey, and as co-host of the weekly podcast Bang On. She also provides the voices of Aunt Trixie and Indy's Mum in the Australian animated show Bluey.

<i>Spicks and Specks</i> (TV series) Australian TV series or program

Spicks and Specks is an Australian music-themed comedic television quiz show in which the host, Adam Hills, asks two teams, of three people each, varying music-themed questions in different games. Team leaders are Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough. Members of each team vary from episode to episode; one per team generally comes from the world of music and the other from comedy. Scores are kept, but the prize for the winners is simply personal satisfaction. Many games are named after, or otherwise reference, well known song titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Perfect</span> Australian actor and comedian

Eddie Perfect is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, comedian, writer and actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Hills</span> Australian comedian and radio and television presenter

Adam Christopher Hills is an Australian comedian, radio and television presenter. In Australia, he hosted the music quiz show Spicks and Specks from 2005 to 2011, and again in 2021 onwards, and the talk show Adam Hills Tonight from 2011 to 2013. In the United Kingdom, he has hosted the talk show The Last Leg since 2012. He has been nominated for an Edinburgh Comedy Award, the Gold Logie Award and numerous BAFTA TV Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitty Flanagan</span> Australian comedian

Kitty Flanagan is an Australian comedian, writer and actress who works in Australia and the United Kingdom. She has also performed in France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Japan and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Montreal Just For Laughs festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamish Blake</span> Australian comedian, actor, and author

Hamish Donald Blake is an Australian comedian, television and radio presenter, actor and author. Since 2003, he has worked with Andy Lee as part of the comedy duo Hamish and Andy. The pair have performed live and on television and radio, most notably with their drive-time radio program Hamish & Andy. As a solo performer, Blake has appeared on various Australian television programs, including the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's televised 2008 Great Debate, and has been a regular guest on TV programs such as Spicks and Specks, Rove, and Thank God You're Here.

David O'Neil is an Australian stand-up comedian, actor, bass guitarist, writer, television and radio presenter.

Heath Franklin is an Australian comedic performer, improviser and writer.

<i>Summer Heights High</i> 2007 Australian television mockumentary series

Summer Heights High is an Australian television mockumentary sitcom written by and starring Chris Lilley. Set in the fictional Summer Heights High School in an outer suburb of Sydney, it revolves around high school experiences from the viewpoints of three individuals: "Director of Performing Arts" Mr G; private-school exchange student Ja'mie King; and disobedient, vulgar Tongan-Australian student Jonah Takalua. The series lampoons Australian high-school life and many aspects of the human condition and is filmed as a documentary with non-actors playing supporting characters. As he did in a previous series, We Can Be Heroes: Finding the Australian of the Year, Lilley plays multiple characters, including the aforementioned Mr G, Ja'mie and Jonah. The series premiered on 5 September 2007 at 9:30 pm on ABC TV and ended on 24 October 2007, only lasting eight episodes.

Sleuth 101 was an Australian comedy "improvisatory whodunit game show" television series, broadcast on ABC1 in 2010. The series revolves around a murder-mystery that must be solved by a celebrity guest detective. Each episode features a guest detective, four suspects, a crime scene, evidence and witness accounts - just like real detective work. The show is hosted by comedian Cal Wilson, who occasionally gives subtle hints towards the crime. Each week, the guest detective must solve the murder using their evidence. There are some similarities to the 1970s British series Whodunnit!, the 1990s Australian television game show Cluedo, and the 2010s British series Armchair Detectives. A second series was originally being negotiated by the ABC, but later cancelled.

<i>Adam Hills Tonight</i> Australian TV series or program

Adam Hills Tonight, formerly known as Adam Hills in Gordon Street Tonight, is a comedic Australian television interview show that ran from February 2011 to July 2013 on ABC1. It was hosted by comedian Adam Hills and co-starred Hannah Gadsby and Dave O'Neil. The show featured celebrity guests, comedy, and live music.

Adam Richard is an Australian comedian, actor, radio presenter, writer and media personality, best known co-writing and starring in Outland, an ABC1 comedy series about a group of LGBT sci-fi geeks. Richard was also a team captain on the 2014 revival of music quiz and live music performance show Spicks and Specks, and he was a permanent panel member on the Doctor Who–themed 2017 show Whovians.

<i>Please Like Me</i> Australian comedy television series

Please Like Me is an Australian television comedy-drama series created by and starring Josh Thomas. Thomas also serves as a writer for most episodes. The series premiered on 28 February 2013 on ABC2 in Australia and is on occasion available on Netflix in certain regions. The show explores realistic issues with humorous tones; executive producer Todd Abbott had pitched the show as a drama rather than a sitcom. The show aired later on the United States network Pivot, which then helped to develop the show from its second season onwards. Four seasons of the show have been broadcast, and creator Thomas has stated that he has no plans to make any further episodes. The show has attracted praise from critics and has garnered numerous nominations, winning a number of awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celia Pacquola</span> Australian comedian and actress (born 1983)

Celia Pacquola is an Australian comedian, writer, presenter and actor who performs predominantly in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Josh Earl is an Australian stand-up comedian, television and radio presenter, musician and formerly worked in a school library. He was the presenter of the short-lived revival version of the ABC's musical quiz show Spicks and Specks that ran from 5 February to 19 December 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Okine</span> Australian comedian

Matthew Okine is a stand-up comedian, author and radio presenter from Brisbane, Australia. Okine is of Ghanaian and European descent, born to his father, Mack Okine, and his mother Roslyn, who died of breast cancer when he was 12. Okine attended Brisbane State High School. He was a co-host on the Triple J breakfast show with Alex Dyson from 2014 to 2016.

Black Comedy is an Australian television sketch comedy program produced by Scarlett Pictures which first screened on ABC on 5 November 2014. Black Comedy combines a mix of observational and physical sketches, historical sketches and parodies of TV, film and commercials, looking at Australian culture through the eyes of Indigenous Australians.

Tomorrow Tonight is an Australian comedy panel discussion television show hosted by Annabel Crabb, Charlie Pickering and Adam Liaw. The show features a panel of experts and comedians who discuss a hypothetical news story from tomorrow's headlines. Together they try to solve the world's problems before they even happen.

References

  1. 1 2 "ABC's Spicks and Specks returns minus Adam Hills and Myf Warhurst". News Ltd. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  2. "It's the end for Spicks and Specks". The Age. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  3. Byrnes, Holly (13 January 2014). "New love for old Spicks and Specks". Herald Sun. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 "Spicks and Specks". ABC TV. 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  5. Knox, David (30 May 2014). "ABC to yank Spicks & Specks from schedule". TV Tonight. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  6. "Fitbet with Dilruk Jayasinha and Ben Lomas - Bicep Jearl" (Podcast). Omny. 13 May 2018. Event occurs at 10:15. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  7. Knox, David (10 November 2013). "New Spicks and Specks team tipped". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  8. "ABC TV in 2013… Amazing!". ABC Media Centre. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  9. Ellis, Scott (11 November 2013). "Spicks and Specks is back". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 January 2014.