Crackerjack! (TV programme)
Crackerjack | |
---|---|
Genre | Children's television |
Created by | Johnny Haddon Downes |
Presented by | Eamonn Andrews (1955–64) Leslie Crowther (1964–68) Michael Aspel (1968–74) Ed Stewart (1975–79) Stu Francis (1980–84) Sam & Mark (2020–) |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 29 (original) 1 (revival) |
No. of episodes | 451 (original)[1] 10 (revival) |
Production | |
Running time | 40 minutes |
Original release | |
Network | BBC Television Service (1955-84) CBBC (2020–) |
Release | Original series: 14 September 1955 – 21 December 1984 Revived series: 17 January 2020 – present |
Crackerjack is a British children's television series that aired on the BBC Television Service from 14 September 1955 until 21 December 1984 (except during 1971).[2] The series was a variety show featuring comedy sketches, songs and quizzes, filmed with a live audience.[3]
On 11 February 2019, it was announced that Crackerjack would return in 2020, 35 years after it was last aired. It is now hosted by Sam & Mark and is aired on CBBC since 17 January 2020.[4]
Presenters
Through its long run it featured Eamonn Andrews, Max Bygraves, Leslie Crowther, Ed "Stewpot" Stewart, Joe Baker, Jack Douglas, Stu Francis, Peter Glaze, Don Maclean, Michael Aspel, Christine Holmes, Jacqueline Clarke, Stuart Sherwin, Little and Large, Jan Hunt, The Krankies, Basil Brush, Geoffrey Durham, Bernie Clifton, Rod McLennan and Ronnie Corbett amongst many others.
Among the performers who appeared as singers/dancers, assisting the host with games, were Sally Ann Triplett (Series 26; as a member of the duo Bardo, Sally Ann represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1982), Leigh Miles (Series 26–27; Leigh was also a popular "Hills Angel" in The Benny Hill Show), Julie Dorne-Brown (Series 27–28; later MTV VJ "Downtown" Julie Brown), Sara Hollamby (Series 28–29; now a television news and travel reporter), Ling Tai (Series 29), Petula Clark, Jillian Comber and Pip Hinton.
Format
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/05/Crackerjack_screenshot.jpg/220px-Crackerjack_screenshot.jpg)
The shows were frantic, being broadcast live in front of an audience largely of children, originally at the King's Theatre[5] on Hammersmith Road, London, used by the BBC as the King's Studio for live and recorded broadcasts until 1963, then at the BBC Television Theatre (now the Shepherds Bush Empire). The format of the programme included competitive games for teams of children, a music spot, a comedy double act, and a finale in which the cast performs a short comic play, adapting popular songs of the day and incorporating them into the action.
One of the games was a quiz called "Double or Drop", where each of three contestants was given a prize to hold for each question answered correctly, but given a cabbage if they were incorrect. They were out of the game if they dropped any of the items awarded or received a third cabbage. While the winner took his or her pick from a basket of toys, every runner-up won a much-envied marbled propelling pencil as a prize, which became so popular that in 1961 Queen Elizabeth was presented with Crackerjack pencils for Anne and Charles.[2]
In 1982, in a bid to boost flagging ratings, Crackerjack introduced gunge into its games and launched a new game called 'Take a Chance' in which the celebrity guests - one female, one male - could score extra points for the contestant they teamed up with by competing against Stu Francis in a quickfire question tie. A wrong answer or the opponent answering first would lead to Francis or the celebrity guest being covered in gunge.
Cancellation
Crackerjack was cancelled in 1984 at the same time as many other long-running series, in an overhaul of the BBC Children's department.
In 1987 Stu Francis hosted Crush a Grape on ITV, which followed a similar format to his era of Crackerjack. It lasted for two series.[original research?]
Transmissions
Original
Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 14 September 1955 | 28 March 1956 | 15 |
2 | 12 September 1956 | 20 March 1957 | 14 |
3 | 9 October 1957 | 19 March 1958 | 12 |
4 | 10 September 1958 | 4 March 1959 | 13 |
5 | 1 October 1959 | 31 March 1960 | 14 |
6 | 29 September 1960 | 27 April 1961 | 16 |
7 | 19 October 1961 | 3 May 1962 | 15 |
8 | 13 September 1962 | 25 April 1963 | 17 |
9 | 26 September 1963 | 7 May 1964 | 17 |
10 | 9 October 1964 | 26 March 1965 | 23 |
11 | 1 October 1965 | 25 March 1966 | 26 |
12 | 7 October 1966 | 31 March 1967 | 26 |
13 | 6 October 1967 | 16 February 1968 | 20 |
14 | 13 September 1968 | 14 March 1969 | 26 |
15 | 26 September 1969 | 13 February 1970 | 19 |
16 | 7 January 1972 | 31 March 1972 | 13 |
17 | 2 February 1973 | 20 April 1973 | 12 |
18 | 4 January 1974 | 29 March 1974 | 13 |
19 | 3 January 1975 | 31 March 1975 | 13 |
20 | 24 December 1975 | 26 March 1976 | 14 |
21 | 7 January 1977 | 1 April 1977 | 13 |
22 | 6 January 1978 | 7 April 1978 | 14 |
23 | 29 September 1978 | 15 December 1978 | 12 |
24 | 28 September 1979 | 14 December 1979 | 13 |
25 | 26 September 1980 | 19 December 1980 | 13 |
26 | 2 October 1981 | 18 December 1981 | 12 |
27 | 22 October 1982 | 24 December 1982 | 10 |
28 | 30 September 1983 | 23 December 1983 | 13 |
29 | 28 September 1984 | 21 December 1984 | 13 |
Only 148 out of 451 episodes from the original 29 series of the show survive in the BBC archives. The earliest episode known to exist is Episode 12 of series 3 with Eamonn Andrews; of his tenure, Episode 16 of Series 6, Episode 2 of Series 7, Episode 3 of Series 8 and Episodes 1 and 17 of Series 9 also survive. None of the Leslie Crowther episodes are known to exist, and two episodes only (Episodes 12-13 of Series 18) of the Michael Aspel period survive. However, all of the Ed Stewart (Series 19-24) and Stu Francis (Series 25-29) periods remain.[1]
Revival
Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 17 January 2020 | 20 March 2020 | 10 |
2 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
References
- ^ a b "TVBrain | Kaleidoscope | Lost shows | TV Archive | TV History". tvbrain.info.
- ^ a b "BBC - (none) - Factual - Crackerjack!". bbc.co.uk.
- ^ Sheridan, Simon (2004). The A-Z of Classic Children's Television: From Alberto Frog to Zebedee. Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. pp. 89–93. ISBN 1903111277.
- ^ "Crackerjack is coming back with Sam and Mark presenting". BBC News. 11 February 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
- ^ "Theatres and Halls in Hammersmith, London". arthurlloyd.co.uk.
External links
- Crackerjack! at BBC Online
- Crackerjack! at IMDb
- Crackerjack at BFI
- Crackerjack! at UKGameshows.com
- Use dmy dates from July 2013
- 1950s British children's television series
- 1960s British children's television series
- 1970s British children's television series
- 1980s British children's television series
- 2020s British children's television series
- 1955 British television series debuts
- BBC children's television shows
- British children's television shows
- British television series revived after cancellation
- English-language television shows
- Lost BBC episodes
- Television series featuring gunge