RocKwiz Returns To Television After Seven Years In 2023

RocKwiz has been revived by Foxtel and will return to television screens in 2023 for an eight-episode reboot on Fox8.

The program ran for 14 seasons on SBS between 2005 - 2016, but its live event, RocKwiz Live!, has continued to sell out shows across the country and become a Bluesfest highlight.

Host Julia Zemiro, adjudicator and co-creator Brian Nankervis, and trusted roadie Dugald McAndrew return with a new-look RocKwiz Orchestra on a fresh set.

The RocKwiz Orchestra will keep the fixtures of Peter Luscombe from The Black Sorrows as Musical Director and drummer, Clio Renner (keyboards, vocals), Bill McDonald (bass guitar), and introduces indie rock artist Olympia to the lineup on lead guitar and backing vocals.

Marshall Heald, the Executive Director Of Entertainment at Foxtel Group, shared, "RocKwiz offers a clever combination of music trivia, comedy and live music that is inherent to its broad and long-lasting appeal. We are thrilled to be working with the team at Renegade to bring this beloved format back to Australian screens."

Zemiro called RocKwiz "the little train that could," saying further, "This is an original Australian idea, the little train that could, and it's coming back for a reboot. I know there are a lot of other rebooty things that exist – maybe we're the new Heartbreak High. We all look at each other and know we wouldn't keep doing it if we weren't making a quality product."

The show has always been about more than trivia; it holds a large space in the hearts of musicians and RocKwiz fans for its "no frills" style and live music. "It's one of the few times that a musician can be on TV, get their face out there, and you can get to know them. They remind people they're around, and we get them to do one of their own songs and then a duet which will surprise you, and that's always the real cherry on the cake for me," Zemiro said.

Nankervis also shared his excitement for the musical talent returning to television and said, "We're delighted to be making brand new episodes of RocKwiz because we miss the excitement, the challenge and the sheer joy of recording new episodes. We've spent the last six years touring our live show, and we've maintained and sharpened our skills, developed as performers and discovered fresh musical talent that we can't wait to bring to our viewers.

"As always, our musical guests will be a wonderful mixture of household names and exciting up-and-coming artists, and our contestants will demonstrate staggering levels of knowledge."

Check out The Music's favourite collaborations from the original run of RocKwiz.