Network Ten casts second spell

The Great Australian Spelling Bee, from Endemol Shine Australia

Aussie broadcaster Network Ten has commissioned a second season of entertainment show The Great Australian Spelling Bee from Endemol Shine Australia.

The series began airing on Network Ten this month and, targeting a family audience, has since reached more than eight million viewers, the broadcaster said.

The show has also been a hit on social media, trending on Twitter nationally every time it has gone to air, Network Ten added.

The format sees spellers aged between eight and 13 compete to see who can correctly spell increasingly complicated words.
Its second season will air in 2016, with Endemol Shine Australia again on board to produce.

The production outfit, led by brothers Mark and Carl Fennessy, recently made a number of senior appointments – as well as staff cuts, according to a local report.