diff --git a/hspec-core.cabal b/hspec-core.cabal
--- a/hspec-core.cabal
+++ b/hspec-core.cabal
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 cabal-version: 1.12
 
--- This file has been generated from package.yaml by hpack version 0.34.3.
+-- This file has been generated from package.yaml by hpack version 0.34.4.
 --
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 
 name:             hspec-core
-version:          2.7.9
+version:          2.7.10
 license:          MIT
 license-file:     LICENSE
 copyright:        (c) 2011-2021 Simon Hengel,
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Config/Options.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Config/Options.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Config/Options.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Config/Options.hs
@@ -159,7 +159,8 @@
   where
     formatters :: [(String, Formatter)]
     formatters = [
-        ("specdoc", specdoc)
+        ("checks", checks)
+      , ("specdoc", specdoc)
       , ("progress", progress)
       , ("failed-examples", failed_examples)
       , ("silent", silent)
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Format.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Format.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Format.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Format.hs
@@ -33,5 +33,6 @@
 , formatGroupStarted :: Path -> m ()
 , formatGroupDone :: Path -> m ()
 , formatProgress :: Path -> Progress -> m ()
-, formatItem :: Path -> Item -> m ()
+, formatItemStarted :: Path -> m ()
+, formatItemDone :: Path -> Item -> m ()
 }
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Formatters.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Formatters.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Formatters.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Formatters.hs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 -- * Formatters
   silent
+, checks
 , specdoc
 , progress
 , failed_examples
@@ -110,6 +111,7 @@
   headerFormatter     = return ()
 , exampleGroupStarted = \_ _ -> return ()
 , exampleGroupDone    = return ()
+, exampleStarted      = \_ -> return ()
 , exampleProgress     = \_ _ -> return ()
 , exampleSucceeded    = \ _ _ -> return ()
 , exampleFailed       = \_ _ _ -> return ()
@@ -117,6 +119,40 @@
 , failedFormatter     = return ()
 , footerFormatter     = return ()
 }
+
+checks :: Formatter
+checks = specdoc {
+  exampleStarted = \(nesting, requirement) -> do
+    writeTransient $ indentationFor nesting ++ requirement ++ " [ ]"
+
+, exampleProgress = \(nesting, requirement) p -> do
+    writeTransient $ indentationFor nesting ++ requirement ++ " [" ++ (formatProgress p) ++ "]"
+
+, exampleSucceeded = \(nesting, requirement) info -> do
+    writeResult nesting requirement info $ withSuccessColor $ write "✔"
+
+, exampleFailed = \(nesting, requirement) info _ -> do
+    writeResult nesting requirement info $ withFailColor $ write "✘"
+
+, examplePending = \(nesting, requirement) info reason -> do
+    writeResult nesting requirement info $ withPendingColor $ write "‐"
+
+    withPendingColor $ do
+      writeLine $ indentationFor ("" : nesting) ++ "# PENDING: " ++ fromMaybe "No reason given" reason
+} where
+    indentationFor nesting = replicate (length nesting * 2) ' '
+
+    writeResult :: [String] -> String -> String -> FormatM () -> FormatM ()
+    writeResult nesting requirement info action = do
+      write $ indentationFor nesting ++ requirement ++ " ["
+      action
+      writeLine "]"
+      forM_ (lines info) $ \ s ->
+        writeLine $ indentationFor ("" : nesting) ++ s
+
+    formatProgress (current, total)
+      | total == 0 = show current
+      | otherwise  = show current ++ "/" ++ show total
 
 specdoc :: Formatter
 specdoc = silent {
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Formatters/Internal.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Formatters/Internal.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Formatters/Internal.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Formatters/Internal.hs
@@ -40,9 +40,14 @@
     return a
 , formatGroupStarted = \ (nesting, name) -> interpret $ M.exampleGroupStarted formatter nesting name
 , formatGroupDone = \ _ -> interpret (M.exampleGroupDone formatter)
-, formatProgress = \ path progress -> when useColor $ do
+
+, formatProgress = \ path progress -> do
     interpret $ M.exampleProgress formatter path progress
-, formatItem = \ path (Item loc _duration info result) -> do
+
+, formatItemStarted = \ path -> do
+    interpret $ M.exampleStarted formatter path
+
+, formatItemDone = \ path (Item loc _duration info result) -> do
     clearTransientOutput
     case result of
       Success -> do
@@ -54,8 +59,7 @@
       Failure err -> do
         addFailMessage loc path err
         interpret $ M.exampleFailed formatter path info err
-} where
-    useColor = formatConfigUseColor config
+}
 
 interpret :: M.FormatM a -> FormatM a
 interpret = interpretWith Environment {
@@ -161,11 +165,13 @@
 
 writeTransient :: String -> FormatM ()
 writeTransient new = do
-  old <- gets stateTransientOutput
-  write $ old `overwriteWith` new
-  modify $ \ state -> state {stateTransientOutput = new}
-  h <- getHandle
-  liftIO $ IO.hFlush h
+  useColor <- getConfig formatConfigUseColor
+  when (useColor) $ do
+    old <- gets stateTransientOutput
+    write $ old `overwriteWith` new
+    modify $ \ state -> state {stateTransientOutput = new}
+    h <- getHandle
+    liftIO $ IO.hFlush h
 
 clearTransientOutput :: FormatM ()
 clearTransientOutput = do
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Formatters/Monad.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Formatters/Monad.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Formatters/Monad.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Formatters/Monad.hs
@@ -56,11 +56,13 @@
 -- | evaluated before each test group
 , exampleGroupStarted :: [String] -> String -> FormatM ()
 
+-- | evaluated after each test group
 , exampleGroupDone :: FormatM ()
 
+-- | evaluated before each example
+, exampleStarted :: Path -> FormatM ()
+
 -- | used to notify the progress of the currently evaluated example
---
--- /Note/: This is only called when interactive/color mode.
 , exampleProgress :: Path -> Progress -> FormatM ()
 
 -- | evaluated after each successful example
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Runner/Eval.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Runner/Eval.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Runner/Eval.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Runner/Eval.hs
@@ -66,10 +66,20 @@
 getFormat :: Monad m => (Format m -> a) -> EvalM m a
 getFormat format = gets (format . evalConfigFormat . stateConfig)
 
-reportItem :: Monad m => Path -> Format.Item -> EvalM m ()
-reportItem path item = do
+reportItem :: Monad m => Path -> Maybe Location -> EvalM m (Seconds, Result)  -> EvalM m ()
+reportItem path loc action = do
+  reportItemStarted path
+  action >>= reportResult path loc
+
+reportItemStarted :: Monad m => Path -> EvalM m ()
+reportItemStarted path = do
+  format <- getFormat formatItemStarted
+  lift (format path)
+
+reportItemDone :: Monad m => Path -> Format.Item -> EvalM m ()
+reportItemDone path item = do
   addResult path item
-  format <- getFormat formatItem
+  format <- getFormat formatItemDone
   lift (format path item)
 
 failureItem :: Maybe Location -> Seconds -> String -> FailureReason -> Format.Item
@@ -79,10 +89,10 @@
 reportResult path loc (duration, result) = do
   case result of
     Result info status -> case status of
-      Success -> reportItem path (Format.Item loc duration info Format.Success)
-      Pending loc_ reason -> reportItem path (Format.Item (loc_ <|> loc) duration info $ Format.Pending reason)
-      Failure loc_ err@(Error _ e) -> reportItem path (failureItem (loc_ <|> extractLocation e <|> loc) duration info err)
-      Failure loc_ err -> reportItem path (failureItem (loc_ <|> loc) duration info err)
+      Success -> reportItemDone path (Format.Item loc duration info Format.Success)
+      Pending loc_ reason -> reportItemDone path (Format.Item (loc_ <|> loc) duration info $ Format.Pending reason)
+      Failure loc_ err@(Error _ e) -> reportItemDone path (failureItem (loc_ <|> extractLocation e <|> loc) duration info err)
+      Failure loc_ err -> reportItemDone path (failureItem (loc_ <|> loc) duration info err)
 
 groupStarted :: Monad m => Path -> EvalM m ()
 groupStarted path = do
@@ -214,13 +224,13 @@
       r <- liftIO $ measure $ safeEvaluate (action >> return (Result "" Success))
       case r of
         (_, Result "" Success) -> return ()
-        _ -> reportResult path Nothing r
+        _ -> reportItem path Nothing (return r)
       where
         path = (groups, "afterAll-hook")
 
     evalItem :: [String] -> RunningItem m -> EvalM m ()
     evalItem groups (Item requirement loc action) = do
-      lift (action path) >>= reportResult path loc
+      reportItem path loc $ lift (action path)
       where
         path :: Path
         path = (groups, requirement)
diff --git a/test/Test/Hspec/Core/HooksSpec.hs b/test/Test/Hspec/Core/HooksSpec.hs
--- a/test/Test/Hspec/Core/HooksSpec.hs
+++ b/test/Test/Hspec/Core/HooksSpec.hs
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@
     , formatGroupStarted = \ _ -> return ()
     , formatGroupDone = \ _ -> return ()
     , formatProgress = \ _ _ -> return ()
-    , formatItem = \ _ _ -> return ()
+    , formatItemStarted = \ _ -> return ()
+    , formatItemDone = \ _ _ -> return ()
     }
     normalize = map $ \ (path, item) -> (pathToList path, normalizeItem item)
     normalizeItem item = item {itemLocation = Nothing, itemDuration = 0}
diff --git a/version.yaml b/version.yaml
--- a/version.yaml
+++ b/version.yaml
@@ -1,1 +1,1 @@
-&version 2.7.9
+&version 2.7.10