1958 The shows were frantic, being broadcast live in front of an audience largely of children, originally at the
King's Theatre on Hammersmith Road, London (marked today with a blue heritage plaque on the modern office block). This theatre was used by the BBC as the King's Studio for live and recorded broadcasts needing audiences until 1963, then at the
BBC Television Theatre (since renamed the
Shepherd's Bush Empire). Audiences were recruited from the local secondary schools of west London, from whose ranks contestants were chosen each week. The format of the programme included competitive games for teams of children, a music spot by a current pop star, a comedy double act, and a finale in which the cast performed a short comic play, adapting popular songs of the day and incorporating them into the action. The whole audience would shout "Crackerjack!" whenever anybody said the word. 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 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 II, who visited the programme, was presented with
Crackerjack pencils for her children Prince Charles and Princess Anne. ==Transmissions==