When children first sat down to watch Crackerjack it was 5.15pm on Wednesday 14 September 1955. So the famous rallying cry "It's Friday.. It's 5 to 5... it's Crackerjack" was not from the original programme, but appeared several years later.
From the outset the live audience of children was crucial to the energy of the show, whether shouting out "Crackerjack" every time the word was mentioned, singing along with the pop acts that appeared, or as contestants in the games. Lucky winners were given a Crackerjack pencil. When Queen Elizabeth visited the production in 1961 she was presented with Crackerjack pencils for her children.
Crackerjack featured a host of presenter stars over the years. Leslie Crowther followed Andrews, then Michael Aspel, Ed Stewart and Stu Francis. Comedy support came from Peter Glaze, Don Maclean, Jack Douglas and The Krankies, among others. The programme also featured the quiz game "Double or Drop", devised by presenter Eamonn Andrews.
Crackerjack survived until 1984, with some changes to its basic formula: 'gunge' was introduced, and the Crackerjack pencil became a pen. The show was the forerunner to many Saturday morning children's programmes, and still inspires a reflex "Crackerjack" from many viewers who hear the name. Crackerjack was revived for a new generation on the C成人快手 channel in January 2020, presented by Sam & Mark (Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes).
September anniversaries
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Close down of Television service for the duration of the War
1 September 1939 -
The Morecambe and Wise Show
2 September 1968 -
Chamberlain announces Britain is at war with Germany
3 September 1939 -
Start of first series of Porridge
5 September 1974 -
Droitwich transmitter becomes operational
6 September 1934 -
The News Quiz
6 September 1977 -
Casualty
6 September 1986 -
Only Fools and Horses
8 September 1981 -
The Woodentops
9 September 1955 -
First live Children's 成人快手 from 'the Broom Cupboard'
9 September 1985 -
The Saga of Noggin the Nog first transmitted
11 September 1959 -
Crackerjack
14 September 1955 -
The Royle Family
14 September 1998 -
Opening of 成人快手 Bristol
18 September 1934 -
First episode of Fawlty Towers
19 September 1975 -
First episode of I, Claudius
20 September 1976 -
The Old Grey Whistle Test
21 September 1971 -
The Shock of the New
21 September 1980 -
CEEFAX: world's first teletext service
23 September 1974 -
Pride and Prejudice
24 September 1995 -
成人快手 Television for Schools begins
24 September 1957 -
Question Time
25 September 1979 -
The Epilogue
26 September 1926 -
Start of 成人快手 European Service, News in French, German and Italian
27 September 1938 -
成人快手 Singers
28 September 1924 -
The beginning of The Third Programme
29 September 1946 -
Have I Got News For You
28 September 1990 -
War and Peace
28 September 1972 -
First episode of Come Dancing
29 September 1950 -
Start of Radios 1, 2, 3 and 4
30 September 1967 -
Chamberlain returns from Munich
30 September 1938