Frank Carson
Stand-up comedian · 1926–2012

Frank Carson

Who Frank Carson is

Frank Carson was a stand-up comedian from Belfast, born on 6 November 1926 and raised in the city's Little Italy, best known for his catchphrases 'It's the way I tell 'em' and 'It's a cracker'. Spotted for his stand-up, he became a popular performer on Irish television, then moved to Britain in 1966, appeared on the BBC's music-hall revival The Good Old Days and won the talent show Opportunity Knocks three times.

He hit his stride in the 1970s series The Comedians and went on to Who Do You Do?, The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club and the children's show Tiswas, a familiar face on British television for two decades, and in 1987 the Pope made him a knight of the Order of St Gregory for his charity work. He died at his home in Blackpool on 22 February 2012, aged 85.

At a glance

Born
1926
Died
2012
On screen
The Good Old Days, Opportunity Knocks, The Comedians and 10 more

Specials, shows and podcasts

On screen

Comedians like Frank Carson

Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.

Six Degrees of Komic Bacon: how they connect to anyone →

Every stand-up comedian with a page, A to Z →

Their stand-up

Frank Carson was a member of the entertainment charity the Grand Order of Water Rats, appeared before the Royal Family in stage shows, and was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1985, surprised by Eamonn Andrews at Heathrow Airport. On 2 September 2009, at 82, he returned to the stage in a run of The Comedians at Blackpool's North Pier Theatre.

Career timeline

  1. 1926Born
  2. 1975The Melting Pot (Paddy O'Brien, BBC, 1975) On screen
  3. 1979Mersey Pirate (1979) On screen
  4. 1981The Ballyskillen Opera House (Frank O'Grady, 1981) On screen
  5. 1982The Kenny Everett Television Show (1982) On screen
  6. 1985This Is Your Life (subject, 1985) On screen
  7. 1986Roland Rat: The Series (1986) On screen
  8. 1996The Ant & Dec Show (guest, 1996) On screen
  9. 2012Died

Questions and answers

What TV shows and films is Frank Carson in?

The Good Old Days, Opportunity Knocks, The Comedians, Who Do You Do?, The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club and Tiswas, among 13 credits.

Who are some comedians like them?

Dana Carvey (also in Opportunity Knocks).

The full SUCDb record

The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with their place on the Legends ballots.

Their SUCDb record →

Sources

Updated 9 October 2026 · the record checked 8 October 2026