Spicks and Specks

8:30pm – Thursday, 29 March 2012 on ABC2

On the panel, Adam, Myf and Alan will be joined by the dapper Stephen K Amos, king of the miniature keyboard David O’Doherty, the dazzling Kitty Flanagan and 24 carat hip hop comedian Doc Brown. The boys from Tripod have their way with everyone’s favourite segment ‘Look What They’ve Done to Our Song Ma’.

Plus there’ll be plenty more fun and games with special guests Dave O’Neil, Pete Helliar, Felicity Ward, Tom Ballard, Adam Rozenbachs, jazzy Brits The Horne Section, plus many more…

Australia’s favourite music quiz show Spicks and Specks went out with a bang last night on ABC1.

The one-hour special Spicks and Specks: The Finale attracted an audience of 1.6 million viewers, with a total TV share of 28% – making it the most watched program across all networks last night.

Based on overnight data Spicks and Specks: The Finale is also the top ABC TV program of the year!

Last night was also ABC1’s most successful Wednesday evening of the year.

ABC1 achieved a prime-time share of 15.1% placing it in 2nd position behind Channel 9 with a share of 15.7%.

Spicks and Specks: The Finale will be repeated on ABC2 this Sunday at 7.30pm, and is available to watch on iview.

8:30pm – Wednesday, November 23 on ABC1

After seven years, 277 episodes, more than 150 special guests, and thousands of questions, the purple velvet curtain will close for the last time on Australia’s favourite music quiz show Spicks and Specks.

But don’t think we’re going out without a party. Adam, Alan and Myf have invited a cast of more than 20 special guests to celebrate with a raft of their favourite games in an hour-long grand finale.

Guests include: Geoffrey Rush, Ella Hooper, Dave O’Neil, Darren Hayes, Rhonda Burchmore, Brian Cadd, Jimeoin, Shane Bourne, Tommy Dean, Dan Sultan, plus many more.

And yes, Barry Morgan will be back with one last round of ‘Look Ma’, and Brian Mannix regroups with The Uncanny X-Men to close the show with a performance filled with excitement and pyrotechnics like never seen before.

This Wednesday at 8.30pm the ABC will kick off a two-part special The Best of Spicks and Specks.

The Best of Spicks and Specks – Part 1
Screens Wednesday November 9 at 8.30pm ABC1
Join Adam, Alan and Myf as they revisit some of their favourite Spicks and Specks moments from the past 7 years. We kick off the show by travelling right back to the start, with Adam’s very first opening monologue. You’ll also see the Myf and Alan intros from the pilot episode, which have never been seen before. We celebrate ‘The Warhurst Method’ – Myf’s way of remember song names by singing out the entire song. Take a look back at the diverse range of artists who have featured in ‘Look Ma’, and the great comedian guests such as Dame Edna Everage, Magda Szubanksi, and who could forget Frank Woodley doing his version of Nell Campbell’s the swim. Myf hasn’t been the same since. We finish the show with one of our most popular closers ever – magician Raymond Crow performing ‘It’s a Wonderful World’ with hand shadows.

The Best of Spicks and Specks – Part 2
Screens Wednesday November 16 at 8.30pm ABC1
Join Adam, Alan and Myf as they revisit some of their favourite Spicks and Specks moments from the past 7 years. We reflect on some of the most memorable guests including Geoffrey Rush, Guy Pearce and Meat Loaf. And remember the time Myf, Pete Murray and Rhys Darby won the game… and lost their clothes. We look back at the best and worst singers of ‘Substitute’, and some of the incredible closing acts over the years including Tim Minchin, Eddie Perfect, Casey Benetto, Kate Miller-Heidke, and who could forget the Spicks and Specks cast recreating The Time Warp.

And then it’s time for…

Spicks and Specks: The Finale on Wednesday November 23 at 8.30.pm, ABC1
After seven years, 277 episodes, more than 150 special guests, and thousands of questions, the purple velvet curtain will close for the last time on Australia’s favourite music quiz show.

But don’t think we’re going out without a party. Adam, Alan and Myf have invited a cast of more than 20 special guests to celebrate with a raft of their favourite games in an hour-long grand finale.

Guests include: Geoffrey Rush, Ella Hooper, Dave O’Neil, Darren Hayes, Rhonda Burchmore, Brian Cadd, Jimeoin, Shane Bourne, Tommy Dean, Dan Sultan, plus many more.  And yes, Barry Morgan will be back with one last round of ‘Look Ma’, and Brian Mannix regroups with The Uncanny X-Men to close the show with a performance filled with excitement and pyrotechnics like never seen before.

The curtain may be closing on Australia’s much-loved music trivia show, Spicks and Specks, but the more than million-strong fans can now keep the beat alive with the Spicks and Specks Quiz application for iPhone.

Based on the hugely popular ABC TV program, the Spicks and Specks Quiz app includes favourite games from the show such as ‘Know Your Product’, ‘Would I Lie To You’ and the ever-disconcerting ‘Musician or Serial Killer’, with a few new ones thrown in.

Spicks and Specks host extraordinaire, comedian Adam Hills, says the app will give fans the chance to keep a little piece of the show with them wherever they go.

“We know all our fans have watched Spicks and Specks in their living room each week shouting answers at the TV screen,” Hills said.  “Now they can play on the bus each day and shout answers at their phones.”

The app features a career challenge mode that sees players embark on a music career and accumulate points to rise through the ranks from regular punter to rock god status, as well as a quick play mode for those all-important practice sessions.   Players can also share their scores and challenge friends via Facebook.

ABC Digital Product Development Manager, Melissa Firth, said the app was developed with a commitment to maintaining the style and format that has made the TV show an enduring success.

“Spicks and Specks has such a strong and passionate fan-base and we’re really excited to be able to extend the show that Australians love into a format they can engage with directly,” she said.

The Spicks and Specks Quiz app is available on the App Store for $1.99.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/s-ks-and-specks-quiz/id447552469?mt=8

Fans of the Angry Boys TV show can now carry their favourite of Chris Lilley’s controversial cult characters in their pockets, with the app of the same name released for iPhone. 

Inspired by the storylines of the show, the Angry Boys app features a series of games dedicated to individual characters including ‘Sneaky Nuts’, ‘Blake’s Ball Shot’ and the headline feature ‘Mainies’ – based on character Daniel Sims’ practice of driving up and down the main street of fictional country town Dunt in his mum’s hotted-up Pulsar – ‘The Pulsie’.

Since appearing in the first episode earlier this year, the term ‘Mainies’ has become an Australian cultural phenomenon with over 100 Facebook fan pages created in honour of the activity, with names such as “Doing mainies in your Pulsar” which boasts over 20,000 fans.

Designed to be played in the car, the ‘Mainies’ feature uses the iPhone’s accelerometer to detect when the vehicle is accelerating, breaking and changing gears to bring to life the experience of doing ‘Mainies’ with Daniel.  The app then creates sound effects like those of ‘The Pulsie’ and includes sound-bites from Daniel such as “Ooh champion! Yes! Well done” or “Geez you’re a shit driver.”

Developers say the feature will work for ‘Basic Mainies’, ‘Music Mainies’ and ‘BMX Mainies’, but unfortunately is not yet optimised for ‘Walking Mainies’.

Overview of other app features:

· ‘Sneaky Nuts’ – Do a Nath and sneak some nuts into your favourite happy snaps with the Sneaky Nuts feature.  Take a photo or choose one from your library, and you’ll get a pair of nuts to place on the photo.  Sneak some nuts in over the top, through the fly or anywhere else and share with mates on Facebook, Twitter and email.

· ‘Blakes Ball Shot’ – Inspired by Angry Boys character Blake Oakfield, an aging former world champion surfer and part-time gang member who lost his testicles to a bullet wound, the game allows you to play as Blake who is about to be shot in the balls and test your reflexes by tapping the screen as soon as the gun fires to dodge the bullet.  Your score is based on how many milliseconds it took you to react, and also how big the remaining distance was between the bullet and Blake’s balls.

· Wallpapers – Having an Angry Boys wallpaper is pretty much like having a wall of legends on your phone. Choose from Nathan in the orange beanbag, Gran and Kerri-Anne, S.mouse slappin his elbow, Jen Okazaki’s glamour shots and many more.

· Youtube Clips  - For when you’re bored in between doing Mainies and chatting to your Gran on Skype and that, you can watch all your favourite bits from Angry Boys. The app updates with the all the latest YouTube clips each time it loads.

Planned updates to the app include features for popular characters S.mouse, Jen Okazaki and Ruth ‘Gran’ Sims.

Music Night!

Take 40 Live Presents…Gaga Live at Sydney Monster Hall, GO!, 6pm and 11pm, Channel [V] at 9pm
The excitement is building to fever pitch as thousands of Lady Gaga fans prepare to descend on Sydney Monster Hall for the music event of the year, GAGA LIVE, hosted by Kyle and Jackie O.

Lady Gaga – Inside the Outside – MTV Hits, 9.30pm
Exclusive to MTV, is there intimate conversation with the Lady herself. Gaga shares stories of her childhood, her music and love affair with New York
MTV Hits has a Lady Gaga night from 5.30pm until 11pm

Shine a Light, ONE, 8.30pm
A career-spanning documentary on the Rolling Stones, with concert footage from their A Bigger Bang tour.

The Glee Project, ELEVEN, 7.30pm
The contestants must tap into their vulnerable sides in order to perform a memorable rendition of Mad World. 

Guitar Gods and Masterpieces, TVS, 8.30pm Sydney Only
Hosted by Jasmine Young, Guitar Gods and Masterpieces is a show for guitar players and fans of guitar. Live performances, interviews, instructional licks and guitar health with Dr Jim James Cargil.

Spicks & Specks, ABC2, 7.02pm
Comedian Adam Hills leads two teams through different rounds of music-related riddles and games.

ABC’s long-running quiz show Spicks and Specks has filmed its final ever episode this week.

The popular music quiz show wrapped filming last night on the 276th and final episode in Melbourne.

“It feels very weird,” Host Adam Hills said.

“We were always conscious of not staying on too long and getting to the point where the audience is sick of us or we’re sick of the show.”

The series has proved popular for ABC since its debut back in 2005 and has averaged around 1 million this year.

“At the beginning of every year, Alan and Myf and I got together and said, ‘What do you reckon (about continuing)?’,” Hills said.

“The past few years it was, ‘I don’t know how much longer we’ve got in us’ and, ‘I don’t know how long we can keep this fresh’.

“This year, we decided we had one more season in us and at the end it would be time to say goodbye.”

Hills will now focus on the second season of his Adam Hills In Gordon Street Tonight series as well as other TV and comedy work.

Source: Herald Sun

8:30pm – Wednesday, June 15 on ABC1

It’s time for the second stop on the Spicks and Specks world tour. This time it’s Americana… music of the USA.

Your host, Adam ‘Elvis’ Hills, is joined by team captains Myf ‘Dolly’ Warhurst, and Alan ‘Rat Pack’ Brough.

Special guests on the road trip are Australian-born American music star Diana ‘Patsy Kline’ Trask; comedian Denise ‘Liza Minelli’ Scott; American jazz singer Barbara ‘Diana Ross’ Morrison; and ex-pat American Tommy ‘Slash’ Dean.

Our two teams will have their knowledge of all-things Americana put to the test.

Music will be provided by the fantastic Dixieland jazz band, Dave Hetherington’s Jazzbos.

8:30pm – Wednesday, June 1 on ABC1

Joining Adam, Myf and Alan this week are lead star of Xanadu the Musical, singer and actress Christie Whelan, comedian Tommy Dean, rock ‘n roller Brian Mannix, and show favourite Dave O’Neil.

In ‘Know Your Product’, teams are tested on their knowledge of the topics ‘Entertainment’ and ‘OZ Rock’, while a round of Mondegreens sees the teams guess song titles from mistaken lyrics.

In the game ‘One Out Of Three Aint Bad’, teams are given a relatively obscure musical story and are presented with three possible endings. Teams must select the true ending to the story.

Christie Whelan is first to tackle tonight’s game of ‘Substitute’, where she attempts to sing three well-known songs, substituting the lyrics with words from the book Mountain Footsteps: Selected Hikes to the East Kootenay of Southeastern British Columbia. Brian Mannix takes his lyrics from The Dole Cookbook.

Finally, Christie Whelan closes the show with her version of the Britney Spears pop hit ‘Toxic’.

8:30pm – Wednesday, May 25 on ABC1

Joining Adam, Myf and Alan this week are one of Australia’s finest jazz musicians Vince Jones, singer, dancer and choreographer Matt Lee, comedian and radio presenter Meshel Laurie, and guitarist from ARIA Award-winning comedy group Tripod, Scott Edgar.

In the game ‘Know Your Product’, Alan’s team are tested on their knowledge of ‘Bebop’, while Myf and her team show us what they know about ‘Noughties Pop Tarts’.

In ‘Sir Mix’n'Matchalot’, each team is given three famous people and three facts about them. They have to match the fact with the correct person.

Vince Jones is first to tackle tonight’s game of ‘Substitute’, where he attempts to sing three well-known songs, substituting the lyrics with words from the book I’ve Got Nits. Matt Lee takes his lyrics from The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942.

To close the show, Matt Lee proves that you can tap dance to anything, in a performance not to be missed!