Spicks & Specks returns with 691k viewers for Sunday night special

Australian music-themed quiz show Spicks & Specks returned to ABC TV on Sunday night with its 2000s special, drawing 691,000 overnight metro viewers.

Panellists included Ella Hooper, Jet singer Nic Cester and a set from Thirsty Merc.

They were strong figures, especially given the competition from Nine’s Lego Masters, which pulled 1.23 million metros, and Ten’s Master Chef, which attracted 1.01 million metro watchers.

The viewership response will no doubt intensify plans by the show’s cast and crew that they should go ahead with a short series of 10 episodes.

They first started thinking along those lines after they had such a good time filming the special.

Initially, the stumbling block was host Adam Hills’ other commitments including the Comedy Festival and Paralympics for British TV. “But now there’s a big hole in the schedule,” Hills says.

The Lady Gaga-curated TV special One World: Together At Home also had Aussies tune in.

Many would have watched online, it was simulcast on Ten, MTV all social platforms and ARN’s radio stations, but the Seven telecast drew 419,999 overnight metro metros.

The special was not so much a fundraiser, but a show of solidarity and a tribute to health workers on the frontline, said Gaga. The effort raised a total of US $127.9 million for Global Citizen.

Keith Urban and Delta Goodrem were among the Aussie contingent of performers, which also includes Paul McCartney, Elton John, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Stevie Wonder and John Legend.