[5] Its initial long run featured Eamonn Andrews, Max Bygraves, Leslie Crowther, Ed "Stewpot" Stewart, Jack Douglas, Stu Francis, Peter Glaze, Don Maclean, Michael Aspel, Little and Large, Jan Hunt, The Krankies, Basil Brush, Geoffrey Durham, Bernie Clifton, and Ronnie Corbett, amongst many others.

The shows were frantic, being broadcast live in front of an audience largely of children, originally at the King's Theatre[6] 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 (since renamed the Shepherd's 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.

[7] 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.

Francis also toured a live version of his era's format for some time after the BBC cancellation, initially under the Crackerjack name but later as The All Star Laughter Show.