Australian musicians looking for opportunities to appear on screens Down Under, let alone perform their music, have struggled lately, an issue that’s worsened since the final broadcast of a certain music quiz TV show from the airwaves of the ABC.

All that is hopefully set to change next year, when three years after its final episode in 2011, Spicks and Specks makes its return to Australian television.

The welcome news first slipped this time last year, until it was reported that Spicks and Specks’ comeback was to be delayed until 2014 while the ABC focussed on other programming and worked on putting together a fresh team of faces to present the flagship music trivia-come-variety show.

It now appears that those fresh faces have been found, with a new host and team captains to fill the shoes of the original Spicks and Specks trio of Adam Hills, Alan Brough, and Myf Warhust now reportedly rumoured to be locked in.

Musical comedian Josh Earl looks set to take on hosting duties, as The Daily Telegraph reports, while former Killing Heidi frontwoman turned solo star Ella Hooper is pegged to take on the captaincy role, while comedian and actor Adam Richard rounds out the trio.

No air date has been locked in yet for the ABC series’ resurrection on the domestic small screen, but its expected that the new look Spicks and Specks will make an appearance at ABC’s 2014 programming launch on Tuesday 26th November. “Its expected that the new look Spicks and Specks will make an appearance at ABC’s 2014 programming launch…”

In addition to the show’s revival and a new regular cast, an ABC Publicist additionally confirms that “the format will be refreshed including new games.”

Ella Hooper will be the most familiar among the news cast to music fans, the former face and voice of Killing Heidi was a previous Spicks regular and the 30 year old singer-songwriter has this year been releasing a string of new solo material, including singles ‘Low High‘ and the darker twists and turns of Häxan, in the lead-up to her solo debut In Tongues.

Self-described “comedian, librarian, cake enthusiast, aging hipster” Josh Earl will be familiar to regulars of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for his award-winning stage performances, while his media appearances include previous guest spots on the Shaun Micallef-hosted Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation, Spicks and Specks, and multiple radio spots.

Adam Richard is another recurring face of the previous Spicks and Specks, and the stand up comedian come media personality has a working history with the ABC, most recently as the co-writer/co-star of ABC1 comedy series Outland.

The delay in production on the new Spicks and Specks for an early 2014 unveiling was to accommodate the new casting and re-boot, as Jennifer Collins, head of ABC Entertainment, confirmed back in June.

“We plan to welcome back some of your favourites as well as testing the musical knowledge of some new and surprising guests,” said Collins at the time.

Spicks and Specks first aired in June 2005, swiftly becoming a fixture of Wednesday night television as well as in the ratings, but after seven seasons and 277 episodes, the team decided to retire the show to pursue other commitments – Adam Hills, his stand-up comedy and On Gordon St Tonight duties, Myf Warhurst her new series Nice, and Alan Brough his comedy, creativity, and all-around niceties.
The original Spicks and Specks did go out on a high however, with the series finale pulling 1.6 million viewers.
The return of the much-loved ABC series is not just a boon for TV fans, but Aussie musicians as well, who have been pretty starved for music television options recently – aside from the Tim Rogers-hosted cabaret variety show.

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