Shaun Micallef's Parents' Evening Brings Family Rivalry to Network 10

Shaun Micallef turns the family quiz into a comedy contest

Shaun Micallef's Parents' Evening brings a deliberately awkward family dynamic to the traditional celebrity quiz show, with three well-known Australians competing alongside a parent or adult child each week.

Rather than simply testing contestants on general knowledge, the format asks their relatives to predict what they know. When a topic is revealed, parents must judge how many correct answers their grown-up children can deliver, putting both their knowledge and their family's faith in them on the line.

Correct predictions move teams towards victory and prize money for charity, while misplaced parental confidence can benefit their rivals. The format incorporates different styles of questions and competitive rounds before the leading pairing gets the opportunity to play for more money for its chosen charity.

Adding another layer to the premise, Micallef is sharing hosting duties with his own adult son, Gabe Micallef. The father-and-son pairing gives the Australian edition the same intergenerational tension being tested among the contestants.

Micallef has joked that the program could either bring generations closer together or widen the divide, while Gabe has described their television partnership as a chance to discover whether viewers find their relationship charming or strange.

Australian adaptation of an award-winning UK format

Shaun Micallef's Parents' Evening is adapted from the British series created by Ranga Bee Productions, the company co-founded by comedian Romesh Ranganathan. The original launched on ITV in 2024 with Ranganathan hosting alongside his mother, Shanthi.

The UK show has since expanded beyond its initial three-episode run. Its second series reached more than two million viewers across devices within seven days and ranked among ITV1's 10 best-performing game shows of 2025. A third series, comprising six episodes and a Christmas special, has also been commissioned.

The format was named Best Studio Based Gameshow Format at the 2025 International Format Awards and was a Rose d'Or finalist for Studio Entertainment. It is also expanding internationally, including a Spanish adaptation commissioned by Atresmedia.

For Australian viewers, the series marks another Network 10 vehicle for Micallef, whose long association with television comedy and game shows has included Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation and Shaun Micallef's Eve of Destruction.

ITV Studios Australia: Shaun Micallef's Parents' Evening

Produced for Network 10 by ITV Studios Australia, Shaun Micallef's Parents' Evening is a 10-part series scheduled to premiere on Monday, 28 September 2026, with Shaun and Gabe overseeing the questions, family judgements and inevitable disagreements as celebrities discover exactly how much their parents think they know.