Children’s TV favourite ‘Crackerjack’ rebooted for today’s generation
FOR ANYONE of a certain age, it signalled the unofficial start to the weekend.
And Crackerjack, the popular television show which was staple viewing for children from the 1950s until it finally went off air in 1984, is being revived. A new series is being planned 35 years on since the last broadcast and will be hosted by presenting duo Sam and Mark on Fridays, and will be available on CBBC and iPlayer.
Crackerjack was hosted by presenters including Eamonn Andrews, Leslie Crowther, Michael Aspel, Ed Stewart and Stu Francis. The show was filmed in front of a studio audience of children, and included quiz games, comedy, catchphrases, a music spot and a talent contest.
The new Crackerjack will be updated for “today’s connected generation, giving them an allround, interactive experience”, the BBC said.
It will have a mixture of magic, comedy and silly studio sitcom, along with the original segment, Double or Drop, which saw children plucked from the studio audience to answer questions in a bid to win prizes – including the much-loved Crackerjack pencil – while avoiding being given a cabbage for wrong answers.
There will be 10 episodes, filmed at MediaCityUK in Salford. No launch date has been announced.