Same winning format as RocKwiz returns with new home

It might not have been on TV screens for nearly seven years but, for hosts Julia Zemiro and Brian Nankervis, RocKwiz never really went away.

Host Julia Zemiro on the set of Foxtel's reboot of RockWiz.

It might not have been on TV screens for nearly seven years but, for hosts Julia Zemiro and Brian Nankervis, RocKwiz never really went away.

The final episode of the much-loved music quiz show – then filmed in front of a live audience at Melbourne’s revered rock venue The Espy – went to air in June 2016 after 14 seasons and 177 episodes on SBS. But the format lived on in stage form thanks to the dedication of the hosts and the enthusiasm of audiences who turned up to the regular live tours, the most recent of which was last year.

Hosts Brian Nankervis and Julia Zemiro on the set of Foxtel's reboot of RocKwiz.

So while Nankervis and Zemiro never had time to miss the show themselves, they were constantly bailed up by members of the public wondering when they could get their next TV fix of regular segments such as Who Can It Be Now?, Million Dollar Riff and Whole Lotta Facts.

“I’d be in the foyer before the show trying to find contestants and we’d often hang about afterwards chatting and people just missed it so much,” says Nankervis. “It was constantly ‘when is it coming back?’.”

While the pair recognise that they had a very fair shake on SBS, it wasn’t their choice to call it quits, and so when Foxtel offered to revive the series, it was an easy yes.

Brian Nankervis.

“We were frustrated because we wanted to keep doing it and we also felt that we were really at the top of our game,” says Nankervis. “We’d put together 12 years of experience, we’d gained a lot of knowledge, and we felt that the last run of shows were as good as ever. But we also realised that we’d had a good run, and that was okay.

“So, when the offer came through, yeah, it was pretty much ‘Yep, great – let’s do it.”

As an added bonus, RocKwiz was not only being rebooted – Zemiro estimates about 80 per cent of the original crew came with them – it was also being upgraded. While recording at the Espy in St Kilda brought a certain grungy kudos and manic energy, it was hardly purpose-built for TV. The room they recorded in was so cramped that, in the sweltering summer months, enthusiastic and often well-oiled audience members would literally be fainting and, as Nankervis says, “the backstage facilities were, you know, agricultural”.

Zemiro says that their new home in a South Melbourne studio meant they occasionally had to work a bit harder to build a party vibe, but there were definite advantages in terms of the technical toys and techniques they had at their disposal.

Host Julia Zemiro on the set of Foxtel's reboot of RocKwiz.

“We had a bigger budget, more space, better lighting – and that’s lucky when you’re over 50,” she says with a laugh. “It was an exciting creative experience, considering we’ve all been out with Covid. Instead of coming back and just doing the same thing, we all had to put our creative hats back on and that’s never a bad thing.”

The return of RocKwiz also feels timely in terms of the local music industry, which is still trying to get back on its feet after being battered – and nearly destroyed – by years of Covid-induced lockdowns.

Even before that, Australian TV had been a wasteland for musical acts to showcase their wares and Nankervis and Zemiro always worked hard to assemble an eclectic mix of established artists and rising stars to lead the teams and perform. The new season will feature Aussie greats including Jimmy Barnes, Megan Washington, Tina Arena, Vance Joy, Ella Hooper, Ben Lee, and Chris Cheney – all backed by the fabulously revamped RocKwiz band. Lesser known – but no less impressive – faces include Meg Mac, Thelma Plum, Gretta Ray and Fanny Lumsden.

Guest artists are backed by a revamped RocKwiz band.

“We’ve always prided ourselves – and I think it’s one reason for the show’s longevity – that we have had a mixture,” says Nankervis. “You’re pretty excited when Jimmy Barnes walks through the curtain. Tina Arena got a standing ovation. Chris Cheney from The Living End brought his firepower and guitar wizardry. But also to then have upcoming stars, I think people really love that. They know intrinsically that without having a forum for these new artists, the industry is hampered. People need to be seen because if the industry is to grow, you’ve got to have new artists coming in.

“People also love a sort of sense of ‘I’ve discovered a brand new artist that you’ve never heard about’.”

Expect a mix of new and established musicians in Foxtel's reboot of RocKwiz.

Zemiro says she was thrilled by the recent arts package announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Arts Minister Tony Burke – both fans of the show and past attendees – in the very room where they used to record RocKwiz,

“Arts needs to be front and centre of who we are because it is who we are,” she says. “What are we fighting for if not the beautiful things around us that remind us of why we’re human and why we’re alive – or just to have fun and to relax.”

Zemiro and Nankervis, who both come from theatre backgrounds, also took the recent recording sessions as an opportunity to check in with the performing community that they still feel very connected to.

“We all sat there in the makeup room beforehand, going ‘how’s it been for you? What was the last two years like? What have you lost? How your confidence levels? Are you nervous to go back out?’ and the conversations were fascinating because you really felt the loss,” Zemiro says.

“I’m not a musician – I don’t need to play guitar – but these people do. That’s what they do. They sing, they perform – and if we can be a small part of that and remind people how great it is to be in an audience, then that’s great. It doesn’t have to be a huge arena – it can be a small space where you can fit 100 people.”

RocKwiz, Friday, 7.30pm, Fox8 and on demand

Originally published as Same winning format as RocKwiz returns with new home