Hi-5 (Australian TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hi-5
Genre	Preschool
Created by	Helena Harris Posie Graeme-Evans
Opening theme	"Hi-5 Theme"
Ending theme	"Hi-5 Theme (Reprise)"
Composer(s)	Chris Harriott
Country of origin	Australia
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	14
No. of episodes	595 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Various Kris Noble (1999–2002) Helena Harris (2003–2008) Noel Price (2009–2011) Julie Greene (2017)
Production location(s)	Various TCN-9 Global Television Fox Studios (2008) ABC Studios (2009–11) Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios (2017)
Running time	30 minutes
Production company(s)	Kids Like Us (1999–2008) Southern Star (2009–11) Nine Films and Television
Distributor	Southern Star (1999–2011)
Release
Original network	Nine Network (1999–2011) 9Go! (2017)
Picture format	576i (SDTV)
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	Original series: 12 April 1999 – 16 December 2011 Revived series: 15 May – 16 June 2017
Chronology
Related shows	Hi-5 House

Hi-5 is a popular Australian children's TV show. It was first made by Kids Like Us and later by Southern Star for the Nine Network. The show was created by Helena Harris and Posie Graeme-Evans.

Hi-5 is famous for its fun learning content. The cast members also became a well-known musical group for kids. The show first aired on 12 April 1999. It quickly became a favorite for young children.

The show is made for kids aged two to eight years old. It has five performers who teach and entertain through play, movement, and music. Music is a very important part of every episode. The show's parts are based on how children learn best. The first cast included Kellie Crawford, Kathleen de Leon Jones, Nathan Foley, Tim Harding, and Charli Robinson. Hi-5 won three Logie Awards for being the best children's program.

Helena Harris and Posie Graeme-Evans stopped working on the show in 2008. The Nine Network sold the show in 2012. The last episode of the original Hi-5 aired on 16 December 2011. A new show called Hi-5 House was made from 2013 to 2016. It aired on Nick Jr.. In 2016, the Nine Network decided to bring Hi-5 back. A new series with a new cast aired on 9Go! in 2017.

How the Show Works

Hi-5 is a fun show for young children. It uses music a lot to teach and entertain. The show helps kids aged two to eight learn through songs and movement. It encourages children to explore and discover the world around them. Hi-5 wants kids to be active and joyful in their lives.

The show has five presenters, who are known as Hi-5. They sing songs together and also have their own special parts. Music is used in every part of the show to help explain the main ideas.

• Shapes in Space: This part helps kids learn about shapes, colors, and everyday materials.
• Making Music: Here, kids learn about music, like how high or low sounds are, rhythm, and different instruments.
• Body Move: This segment encourages children to dance and move. It helps them develop their physical skills.
• Word Play: This part focuses on language and sounds. A puppet named Chatterbox helps explore stories and rhymes.
• Puzzles and Patterns: This section teaches logical thinking and math. A puppet named Jup Jup helps solve puzzles and problems.

At the end of each episode, the cast tells a story together in a part called Sharing Stories. This helps kids understand feelings and how to get along with others. Each week has a special Song of the Week. This pop-style song matches the week's theme and helps kids learn a new topic.

The 2017 Hi-5 series added new puppet characters called the Jupsters. They are Jup Jup's family. This new series also kept a part from Hi-5 House called The Chatterbox. In this part, Chatterbox teaches a toy robot named Tinka how to speak simple words.

How Hi-5 Was Made

The original Hi-5 cast in 2006. From left to right: Nathan Foley, Charli Robinson, Kellie Crawford, Kathleen de Leon Jones, and Tim Harding.

Hi-5 was created in 1998 by TV producer Helena Harris. She had also worked on Bananas in Pyjamas. She and co-producer Posie Graeme-Evans developed the show for young children. The name "Hi-5" comes from the "high five" hand gesture.

Helena Harris was inspired by her time in England. She realized that children are similar all over the world. She wanted the show to be popular everywhere. She included topics like family and animals that all kids could relate to. The creators felt that young children needed TV shows that were "life-affirming." They also found that kids learned best from shows with movement and songs.

The show was presented to the Nine Network. They liked it very much and decided to make it. A test episode was filmed in 1998. The first full series began being made in October 1998. It had 45 episodes and started airing on 12 April 1999. The show was given a special rating for preschool children. This meant it could be shown without commercials.

Why the Show Ended and Came Back

In June 2012, the Nine Network announced that they had sold the Hi-5 brand. It was bought by an Asian company called Asiasons. This meant Nine would no longer make Hi-5. The thirteenth series became the last one made by Nine.

A new show called Hi-5 House was then created. It continued the Hi-5 idea under new owners. This new series was made without Nine's involvement. It aired on Nick Jr. from 2013 to 2016.

In October 2016, the Nine Network decided to work with Hi-5 again. They announced plans to bring Hi-5 back in 2017 with a new cast. The new show would have a new cast and set. But it would keep the original team of producers and writers. The new cast was announced in December 2016. The series began being made in January 2017. It started airing on Nine's channel, 9Go!, on 15 May 2017. A second series was planned for 2018, but filming stopped, and the Australian production office closed.

How Hi-5 Helps Kids Learn

Hi-5 was designed by experts in education. It was made to connect with today's children. The show's cast members act like older siblings to the audience. They teach in a fun way through "play-based learning." This makes learning feel like a game.

The learning ideas in the show are hidden with music and fun. The show has many layers, so it works for different ages. It is mainly for kids aged 2–8. The important messages in the show are taught in an entertaining way.

The creators based the show on Howard Gardner's idea of "multiple intelligences." This means that every child learns differently. Each cast member has a special part in the show that focuses on a different way of learning. This includes thinking logically, using language, and more. Helena Harris noticed that most kids had a favorite cast member. She believed children liked the presenter who taught in a way they preferred. Having many different parts also helps keep young children's attention.

The show helps kids get ready for school. It focuses on early math and reading skills. It also helps children feel confident and express themselves. Hi-5 also uses Piaget's theory of cognitive development. This means it helps children grow and learn on their own.

Music and movement are very important in Hi-5. Music helps to teach the main ideas and is also fun. The show encourages kids to move and be active. This makes the show fast-paced, like modern music videos. Dancing is a big part of the show. The movements are chosen to help connect the left and right sides of the brain.

Who Are the Hi-5 Cast Members?

The show has five presenters who are known as Hi-5. They also became a famous musical group for children outside of the TV show.

Original Series (1999–2011)

• Kellie Crawford (Series 1–10)
• Kathleen de Leon Jones (Series 1–8)
• Nathan Foley (Series 1–10)
• Tim Harding (Series 1–9)
• Charli Robinson (Series 1–10)
• Sun Park (Series 9–10)
• Stevie Nicholson (Series 10–13)
• Lauren Brant (Series 11–13)
• Casey Burgess (Series 11–13)
• Fely Irvine (Series 11–13)
• Tim Maddren (Series 11–13)

Revived Series (2017)

• Courtney Clarke (Series 1)
• Shay Clifford (Series 1)
• Lachie Dearing (Series 1)
• Joe Kalou (Series 1)
• Bailey Spalding (Series 1)

Episodes and Viewership

Original Series Episodes

Revived Series Episodes

How Many People Watched Hi-5?

The first series of Hi-5 in 1999 greatly increased the number of viewers for its time slot. It had an average of 223,000 viewers in 1999. This was a big jump from previous shows.

In 2005, Hi-5 was one of the top ten children's shows on commercial TV for kids aged 0–14. It was the most-watched show for children aged 0–4.

Hi-5 was also the most popular show on Disney Junior Asia from 2012 to 2016. In Australia, the 2017 Hi-5 revival had an average of 10,000 viewers.

Where Was Hi-5 Shown?

The first series of Hi-5 was sold to New Zealand and Singapore. By 2000, other countries like Britain, Canada, and Germany were also interested. The TV series was very successful when it started in the UK in 2003.

In Australia, Hi-5 also aired on Nick Jr. starting in 2003. The show first came to the US in 2014. Episodes with the original cast were shown on KCET.

The 2017 Hi-5 series was also released on the online streaming service Stan in October 2017.

Hi-5 on DVD

Many Hi-5 episodes have been released on VHS and DVD in Australia. These were distributed by Roadshow Entertainment.

Other Hi-5 Projects

Hi-5 Music

Since music is a key part of the TV show, the cast became a popular musical group for children. Their first album, Jump and Jive with Hi-5, came out in September 1999. It reached number 33 on the ARIA Charts. The group performed at many places, like the Newcastle Civic Theatre, in their first year.

Hi-5 won five ARIA Awards for Best Children's Album in a row. Their albums sold very well. Four of their albums reached the top 10 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The group also toured all over Australia every year. Their early stage shows sold out in famous places like the Sydney Opera House. In 2001, the group members said they were surprised by how popular Hi-5 became.

The music of Hi-5 sounds like pop music. Cast members described it as "pop for kids." Chris Harriott is the main composer for the show. He has written thousands of Hi-5 songs, including the weekly feature songs. This helped keep the music style consistent.

Hi-5 Spin-off Show

In 2013, a new show called Hi-5 House was made. It continued the Hi-5 idea with a fresh look. The new show was similar to the original. But it had a new setting: a house where the cast members lived and presented the show. The Nine Network was not involved in this new series. Hi-5 House premiered on Nick Jr. on 4 November 2013. It ran until 2016.

Hi-5 Around the World

Hi-5 has been very popular in other countries. This led to local versions of the TV show being made. In 2002, an American Hi-5 series was created. It aired from 2003 to 2006. It was even nominated for a Daytime Emmy. A UK series aired in 2008.

After Hi-5 was sold in 2012, more international versions were made. A Latin American series called Hi-5 Fiesta aired from 2014 to 2016. There was also a local version for the Philippines in 2015 and 2016. An Indonesian series started in 2017.

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Hi-5 Australia para niños