List of Hi-5 episodes

The list of Hi-5 episodes catalogs the installments of the Australian children's television series Hi-5, a preschool program that aired on the Nine Network from April 12, 1999, to December 16, 2011, spanning 13 seasons and comprising 570 episodes designed to foster early learning through interactive songs, dances, and skits.^[1][2] The series, created by Posie Graeme-Evans and Helena Harris, featured a rotating ensemble of five young performers who embodied diverse roles—such as a storyteller, musician, and athlete—to engage children aged 2 to 8 in exploring concepts like numbers, emotions, movement, and social skills via high-energy segments and puppet-assisted narratives.^[3] Each season typically included 45 episodes organized around weekly themes, with production handled initially by Kids Like Us and later by Southern Star Entertainment, emphasizing imaginative play and multicultural representation to promote cognitive and physical development.^[2] Following the original run's conclusion due to the Nine Network's sale of the property in 2012, a spin-off titled Hi-5 House continued the franchise from 2013 to 2016 on Nick Jr., producing 75 additional episodes with a new cast and format focused on everyday adventures in a shared house setting. A revived series aired in 2017 on the Nine Network with 25 episodes and a new cast.^[1] The episode guide highlights notable milestones, including cast changes across seasons—such as the initial lineup of Kellie Crawford, Charli Robinson, Nathan Foley, Tim Harding, and Kathleen de Leon Jones (1999–2006), with subsequent changes in later seasons—and special episodes addressing themes like environmental awareness and cultural diversity, reflecting the show's evolution while maintaining its core educational mission.^[3]

Series overview

Original series (1999–2011)

The original Hi-5 series, an Australian children's television program, aired on the Nine Network from April 1999 to December 2011, spanning 13 series and totaling 570 episodes.^[3] Created by Posie Graeme-Evans and Helena Harris, the show was initially produced by Kids Like Us, emphasizing interactive learning through music, movement, and play for preschool audiences aged 2 to 8.^[3][4] The format established Hi-5 as a benchmark for educational entertainment, influencing subsequent children's programming with its blend of structured segments and thematic storytelling. Each episode ran for approximately 25 minutes and followed a consistent structure centered on five key educational segments: Sharing Stories, which concluded episodes with collaborative narratives; Pals, featuring puppet interactions to explore social and emotional themes; Body Moves, focusing on physical activity and coordination; Making Music, promoting rhythm and song-based learning; and Word Play (sometimes presented as News), targeting language development through rhymes and vocabulary.^[5] This segmented approach ensured balanced coverage of cognitive, physical, and creative skills, with episodes designed to engage children aged 2 to 8. The series adhered to an annual structure of typically 45 episodes per series (with Series 6 shortened to 30 episodes), organized into nine thematic weeks of five episodes each, addressing educational topics such as the senses, seasons, and community roles. Early production maintained cast stability with the original five members—Kathleen de Leon Jones, Nathan Foley, Kellie Crawford, Charli Robinson, and Tim Harding—fostering a cohesive group dynamic that became synonymous with the show's identity.^[6] Significant milestones included the introduction of international co-productions from Series 5 onward, incorporating elements tailored for global audiences, such as alignments with the US adaptation starting in 2003 to enhance cross-market appeal. This expansion marked Hi-5's transition from a domestic hit to an internationally recognized brand, while preserving its foundational educational ethos throughout the original run.

Hi-5 House spin-off (2013–2016)

Hi-5 House served as a spin-off continuation of the original Hi-5 series, shifting the focus to a preschool audience following the sale of the Hi-5 brand by the Nine Network to Singapore-based private equity firm Asiasons in 2012, severing direct ties to the original broadcaster.^[7][8] The series premiered on Nick Jr. Australia on November 4, 2013, and consisted of three seasons totaling 75 episodes, with 25 episodes per season, each running approximately 24 minutes.^[9][10] Production for the first season occurred at Infinite Studios in Singapore under Hi-5 Operations Pte Ltd and Oak3 Films, while seasons two and three were filmed at KRU Studios in Malaysia starting in 2014.^[10][11] The format evolved to emphasize play-based learning through imagination, healthy living, and interactive experiences, incorporating animated elements such as the chatty cat Chatterbox (often called Chats) and the mischievous alien Jup Jup, alongside new puppet characters like bookworms Tinka, Aristotle, and Horace.^[9] Episodes featured a mix of live-action musical performances, dance routines, original songs, and storytelling segments designed to develop five key educational areas: visual and spatial awareness, linguistic and aural skills, logical thinking and mathematics, musicality, and physical and motor development.^[9] This structure marked a departure from the original series' broader appeal, prioritizing shorter, engaging content for younger viewers with a focus on everyday wonder and social-emotional growth.^[12] Episodes were organized into weekly themes to reinforce concepts, such as "Things I Love at Home" in season 1 or "Animal Homes" in season 3, allowing children to explore related ideas across five episodes through collaborative activities and imaginative play.^[13] The cast introduced a fresh ensemble without any original Hi-5 members, featuring Lauren Brant, Mary Lascaris, Ainsley Melham, Stevie Nicholson, and Dayen Zheng for season 1, with Brant replaced by Tanika Anderson in seasons 2 and 3.^[14] The series aired on Nick Jr. Australia through early 2016, concluding production as the Nine Network announced a revival of the live-action format later that year.^[11]

Revived series (2017)

The revived series of Hi-5 marked a brief return of the Australian children's television program to the Nine Network after the conclusion of the Hi-5 House spin-off on Nick Jr. in 2016. Nine renewed its partnership with the Hi-5 franchise in October 2016, aiming to reintroduce the show with a fresh cast and updated format while preserving its core emphasis on music, movement, and interactive learning for preschool audiences.^[15] The single series, also referred to as Series 17, consisted of 25 episodes, each approximately 25 minutes in length, and aired weekdays at 9:00 a.m. on Nine's multichannel 9Go! from 15 May to 16 June 2017.^[16] The production was handled by Nine Network Australia in collaboration with Southern Star, with filming taking place over six weeks at Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios beginning in January 2017; executive producer Julie Greene, who had previously overseen Hi-5 House, led the effort to blend traditional segments like songs and puppet interactions with contemporary educational elements focused on topics such as emotions, cultural diversity, and creative expression, often structured in five-episode thematic blocks (e.g., "Making Music" or "Feelings").^[15][17] The cast featured an entirely new ensemble of five performers: Bailey Spalding, Courtney Clarke, Joe Kalou, Shay Clifford, and Lachie Dearing, selected through auditions to represent diversity and energy suitable for young viewers.^[18] Episodes incorporated modern production techniques, including enhanced animations and digital effects to support interactive storytelling, while maintaining the show's foundational structure of five key learning areas per installment.^[16] Although a second series of 45 episodes was commissioned for 2018 to expand on the revival's success, production was halted before principal photography due to the unexpected departure of one cast member for personal reasons, compounded by logistical challenges from split operations between Australia and Malaysia.^[19] The Australian production office was subsequently downsized and relocated to Singapore, effectively ending the Nine Network iteration; the final episode aired on 16 June 2017, with no further seasons materializing under this partnership.^[19]

Original series (1999–2011)

Series 1 (1999)

The first series of the Australian children's television program Hi-5 premiered on the Nine Network on 12 April 1999 and consisted of 45 episodes that aired weekdays until the season finale on 11 June 1999.^[20] This debut season introduced the show's core format of educational entertainment for preschoolers, blending music, dance, and interactive segments to explore developmental themes.^[3] The original cast—Kellie Crawford, Charli Robinson, Nathan Foley, Tim Harding, and Kathleen de Leon Jones—debuted here and remained unchanged throughout the series, marking the foundational lineup without any alterations.^[3] Organized into nine thematic weeks of five episodes each, the season focused on basic educational concepts to foster early learning, such as sensory awareness, imagination, and environmental exploration.^[21] Episodes emphasized foundational topics like the five senses, colors, and personal growth, using playful narratives to engage young viewers in counting, letters, and social skills.^[21] Representative themes included "Senses" for tasting and smelling, "Grow" for animals and plants, and "Time, Place" for underwater adventures, aligning with the program's goal of holistic child development.^[21] The complete episode list for Series 1 is presented below: This episode guide is based on broadcast records from the Nine Network.^[21]

Series 2 (2000)

The second series of Hi-5, produced by Kids Like Us Productions and Nine Films & Television, premiered on the Nine Network in Australia and consisted of 45 episodes broadcast from 17 April to 16 June 2000.^[22] This season retained the original cast from series 1—Kellie Crawford, Charli Robinson, Nathan Foley, Tim Harding, and Kathleen de Leon Jones—allowing for continued development of their on-screen chemistry and educational segments.^[22] Filming occurred from January to April 2000, immediately following the group's "Jump And Jive With Hi-5: Live in Concert" tour, which influenced the energetic performance style seen throughout the episodes.^[22] Building on the debut season, series 2 refined the show's structure by emphasizing environmental and exploratory themes to foster curiosity in preschool audiences, with segments highlighting nature, animals, and daily surroundings through music, movement, and interactive play.^[22] Episodes often grouped around weekly songs that tied into these motifs, such as explorations of adventure, feelings, and machines, promoting conceptual learning over rote memorization. Later installments introduced international cultural elements, including global music and stories, which subtly expanded the program's appeal ahead of its worldwide distribution.^[22] The series contributed to Hi-5's early success, sharing the 2001 Logie Award for Most Outstanding Children's Program with Round the Twist.^[22] Episodes were structured around a central title and theme, accompanied by a recurring song of the week, with production numbers continuing sequentially from prior seasons. Below is a representative selection of episodes, illustrating the progression of themes: These examples highlight the environmental focus, such as animal-related content in mid-season episodes, while full production logs show consistent daily airing from Monday to Friday.^[22]

Series 3 (2001)

The third series of the Australian children's television series Hi-5 consisted of 45 episodes that aired daily on the Nine Network from 11 June to 10 August 2001. Produced by Kids Like Us Productions in association with Nine Films and Television, the season was created by Helena Harris and Posie Graeme-Evans and filmed from January to April 2001. This series marked several technical and format advancements, including the first use of 16:9 widescreen filming for enhanced visual presentation and the inclusion of the Nine Network's 2001–2002 logo in episodes. Additionally, it introduced minor segment evolutions, such as the character Chats reading a Sharing Story and the full cast participating in Sharing Stories segments, building on the established structure of music, dance, and educational content focused on preschool themes like nature, health, and social skills.^[23] The season retained the original cast: Kellie Crawford (as the science presenter), Kathleen de Leon Jones (language and culture), Nathan Foley (body movement), Tim Harding (as Jup Jup, the alien puppet performer), and Charli Robinson (physical activity). Episodes were structured around weekly themes, each supported by a recurring "Song of the Week" performed by the group, with segments including Making Music, Puzzles and Patterns, Word Play, Body Move, and Sharing Stories. The series emphasized interactive learning through songs and activities, such as exploring opposites, friendship, and inventions, while maintaining the high-energy format that contributed to Hi-5's popularity among young audiences.^[23] The episodes covered diverse themes grouped in five-episode blocks, as detailed below: Note: Overall episode numbers are cumulative across series (91–135); production numbers are not publicly detailed in available records. Themes align with titles, emphasizing educational play, such as nature exploration in the opening block or imaginative adventures mid-season.^[23]

Series 4 (2002)

The fourth series of the Australian children's television program Hi-5 consisted of 45 episodes that aired daily from 1 July to 30 August 2002 on the Nine Network. Produced by Kids Like Us for the Nine Network, this season featured the returning cast from the previous series, including Kellie Crawford, Charli Robinson, Nathan Foley, Tim Harding, and Kathleen de Leon. This series represented a significant step in the show's international expansion, with production elements designed to facilitate adaptation for global markets, including the forthcoming American version produced by the same company and debuting in 2003 on Discovery Kids. Themes throughout the season emphasized global cultures, exploring diverse traditions, holidays, and celebrations from around the world to promote cultural awareness among young viewers. Episodes incorporated multicultural music, dances, and stories, building on the international co-operation initiated in prior seasons. The episodes followed the standard Hi-5 format, with each including a song of the week, presenting segments, and a sharing story, all tied to weekly themes. Below is a representative selection of episodes, highlighting the focus on global and cultural elements: These examples illustrate the season's emphasis on international diversity, such as episodes featuring world music instruments and cross-cultural storytelling. Full episodes from this series are available on the official Hi-5 YouTube channel.^[24][25]

Series 5 (2003)

The fifth series of the Australian children's television program Hi-5 consisted of 45 episodes, broadcast weekly on the Nine Network from 25 August to 24 October 2003.^[26] This season was the first produced under executive producer Helena Harris, who had created the series in 1998 and continued to guide its emphasis on interactive learning through music, movement, and storytelling.^[27] The episodes maintained the program's core structure, with segments dedicated to creative expression, such as "Making Music" for artistic exploration and "Sharing Stories" for imaginative narratives, reflecting a thematic shift toward fostering creativity and the arts in young viewers' development.^[28] The series continued the co-production partnership established from series 3, blending Australian production with international distribution elements to reach broader audiences.^[26] Themes in series 5 often centered on environmental awareness, family dynamics, and everyday creativity, encouraging children to engage with concepts through song and play. For instance, episodes explored topics like water conservation and emotional connections, integrating educational content seamlessly into entertaining formats. These representative episodes highlight the season's focus on relatable, hands-on learning, with production numbers aligning to the overall series sequence (e.g., episode 1 as overall 181).^[29] The original cast—Charli Robinson, Kathleen de Leon Jones, Kellie Crawford, Tim Harding, and Nathan Foley—delivered the content, emphasizing collaborative performances to promote social and artistic skills.

Series 6 (2004)

Series 6 of the Australian children's television series Hi-5 consisted of 30 episodes, marking a reduction from the standard 45-episode format of previous seasons.^[30] The series aired on the Nine Network from 18 October 2004 to 26 November 2004, utilizing repurposed segments from Series 4 and 5 alongside new Songs of the Week to maintain educational content on themes such as space, fantasy, and play.^[30] This approach allowed for continued emphasis on music, movement, and interactive learning for preschool audiences without producing entirely new material.^[30] The cast carried over unchanged from Series 5, comprising Kellie Crawford, Charli Robinson, Nathan Foley, Tim Harding, and Kathleen de Leon Jones.^[30] Episodes were structured around weekly themes, with each featuring a dedicated Song of the Week performed by the group to tie into the overarching topic.^[30] This season represented the first departure from the 45-episode norm in the original run, a format later echoed in shorter spin-offs like Hi-5 House.^[30] The following table lists all 30 episodes, including the overall episode number, title (which served as the thematic focus), Song of the Week, and original Australian air date.^[30] This series also marked the final use of the Song of the Week sets from Series 3 through 5, transitioning toward refreshed production elements in subsequent seasons.^[30] Internationally, episodes aired on platforms including Nick Jr. Australia starting in July 2005 and Kids Central in Singapore.^[30]

Series 7 (2005)

The seventh series of the Australian children's television program Hi-5 consisted of 45 episodes, airing weekdays from 23 May to 22 July 2005 on the Nine Network.^[31] This season featured the core cast of Kellie Crawford, Kathleen de Leon Jones, Nathan Foley, Tim Harding, and Charli Delaney, with Delaney credited professionally following her 2003 marriage to Brent Delaney.^[32] The episodes emphasized educational themes centered on community roles, careers, teamwork, and everyday interactions, building on the show's interactive format with segments on music, movement, puzzles, and language.^[31] Filming occurred from September to November 2004, and the series introduced a new set for the "Song of the Week" segment that remained in use through later seasons.^[31] The following table lists all episodes, including their production order, title, "Song of the Week," and original air date: Note: Overall episode numbers are sequential from prior series, based on the program's cumulative production. Themes such as "Jobs People Do" (episode 12) highlighted careers in community settings, while "Cooperations and Communities" (episode 34) explored teamwork and social roles.^[31]

Series 8 (2006)

The eighth series of the Australian children's television program Hi-5 aired on the Nine Network from 12 June 2006 to 11 August 2006, consisting of 45 episodes that continued the show's focus on interactive learning through music, movement, and storytelling.^[33] This season retained the ensemble cast from series 7, featuring Kellie Crawford, Kathleen de Leon Jones, Nathan Foley, Tim Harding, and Charli Delaney, who delivered segments on topics like health, routines, and community.^[3] The production emphasized themes of travel and discovery, with episodes exploring concepts such as journeys, multicultural experiences, and imaginative adventures to foster curiosity in young viewers.^[34] Episodes in this series were structured around weekly themes, integrating songs like "Wish Upon a Star" from the accompanying album and activities promoting physical and emotional development. Production numbers ranged from 301 to 345, aligning with the overall episode count in the original run. Representative examples highlight the thematic depth, such as explorations of pretending, travel, and personal growth. The series wrapped up the stable era of the original format before upcoming changes, with DVD releases like Sharing Wishes (2006) compiling key travel and wishing segments for home viewing.

Series 9 (2007)

Series 9 marked a transitional period for the Australian children's television program Hi-5, introducing new cast member Sun Park as a replacement for Kathleen de Leon Jones, who departed permanently in July 2007 to prioritize family life following the birth of her daughter.^[6] This series also served as Tim Harding's final season, as he chose not to renew his contract after sustaining injuries in a motorbike accident in June 2007.^[36] The returning cast included Kellie Crawford, Charli Delaney, and Nathan Foley, alongside Park, emphasizing themes centered on daily routines, personal growth, and community interactions to engage young viewers in educational and musical segments. Produced by Kids Like Us for the Nine Network, the season consisted of 45 episodes airing weekdays from 11 June to 10 August 2007, each approximately 25 minutes long and structured around a weekly song and overarching theme.^[37] Episodes explored relatable aspects of childhood, such as birthdays, school starts, healthy eating, and environmental awareness, fostering skills in communication, bravery, and curiosity through interactive songs, dances, and skits.

Series 10 (2008)

The tenth series of the Australian children's television program Hi-5 featured the established cast of Kellie Crawford, Nathan Foley, Sun Park, and Charli Delaney alongside newcomer Stevie Nicholson, who joined following transitions from the previous series, fostering a cohesive group dynamic throughout production and on-screen interactions. Aired weekdays at 3:30 pm on the Nine Network starting 7 July 2008, the series comprised 45 episodes organized into nine weekly themes, emphasizing interactive learning for children aged 2–6 through music, movement, and imaginative play. This season marked a notable increase in segments promoting health and fitness, including explorations of sport, confidence-building activities, and physical well-being, alongside broader contemporary topics such as family structures, environmental awareness (e.g., planet Earth), technology, sharing, storytelling, and growing up.^[38] The episodes maintained the show's signature format, with each installment including a "Song of the Week," presenter-led segments on the theme, puppet interactions with Chats the mouse, and group songs. Production numbers aligned sequentially with broadcast order, and titles reflected the weekly focus. Representative examples from the series are outlined below, highlighting the progression of themes from play-based activities to more reflective concepts like teamwork and environmental care. These episodes exemplified the season's shift toward wellness integration, with segments like relay races and sports training reinforcing physical activity and group cooperation, contributing to the cast's unified presentation. The full cohesion of the new lineup allowed for seamless collaboration in song and dance routines, enhancing the educational impact on young viewers.^[38]

Series 11 (2009)

Series 11 of the Australian children's television series Hi-5 consisted of 45 episodes that aired weekdays on the Nine Network from 31 August 2009 to 30 October 2009. This season introduced a refreshed cast, with Stevie Nicholson as the sole holdover from series 10, joined by new members Casey Burgess, Fely Irvine, Lauren Brant, and Tim Maddren; the changes followed the departure of Charli Delaney, Kathleen de Leon Jones, Nathan Foley, and Sun Pezzimenti after the previous season. The lineup was officially announced on 24 February 2009, marking the first complete generational shift since the show's debut. Episodes maintained the program's educational format, focusing on play, music, and movement, with a notable emphasis on environmental and sustainability themes such as exploration of natural habitats, planetary care, and seasonal changes—evident in titles like "On Safari," "Under the Sea," and "Planet Earth." The series was produced by Southern Star Entertainment and featured weekly groupings of five episodes centered on a unifying "Song of the Week" that reinforced the theme. Nathan Foley's exit after series 10 paved the way for Tim Maddren's inclusion, bringing fresh musical and performance energy to the group. Below is the episode list, with themes derived from episode content and titles.

Series 12 (2010)

The twelfth series of the Australian children's television program Hi-5 aired 45 episodes on the Nine Network from 13 September to 12 November 2010, serving as the penultimate season in the original run.^[42] This series retained the stable cast introduced in Series 11, consisting of Lauren Brant as Lauren, Casey Burgess as Casey, Fely Irvine as Fely, Tim Maddren as Tim, and Stevie Nicholson as Stevie.^[42] Produced by Southern Star Group under executive producer Noel Price, the season introduced enhancements like the "Hidden Treasure" element in the Sharing Stories segment to engage preschool audiences.^[42] Episodes were structured around weekly themes tied to a "Song of the Week," promoting exploration of topics such as animals, growth, discovery, home life, movement, toys, adventure, magic, and surprises—often with a forward-looking emphasis on skills like experimentation, creativity, and problem-solving to prepare children for future learning.^[42] For instance, themes in later weeks, such as "Techno World" and "Science Magic," highlighted technology and scientific curiosity through interactive segments involving puppets, games, and imaginative play.^[42] The series was later repeated on channels like 9Go! in 2012 and internationally on E-Junior in the UAE from 2011 to 2013, as well as Discovery Kids in Latin America starting 21 February 2011 (dubbed in Spanish and Portuguese).^[42] The following table lists the episodes by series number, title, and original Australian air date. Production codes are not publicly documented in available records.

Series 13 (2011)

Series 13 of Hi-5, the final installment of the original series, consisted of 45 episodes that aired weekdays on the Nine Network from 17 October to 16 December 2011. This season adopted a retrospective format, remaking classic songs of the week, sharing stories, and segments from Seasons 1 through 10, often drawing from Seasons 5 to 10 with select earlier elements, to provide closure to the show's initial 13-year run.^[43] The production marked the last under the Nine Network and Southern Star Group partnership, preceding the 2012 franchise sale that resulted in the Hi-5 House spin-off.^[43] The cast remained Lauren Brant, Casey Burgess, Fely Irvine, Tim Maddren, and Stevie Nicholson, with this being the final on-screen series for Irvine, Burgess, and Maddren.^[43] The episodes emphasized educational themes through interactive segments, puppet skits with Chats the parrot, and group performances, grouped by weekly songs that reinforced concepts like wonder, discovery, and friendship. Noel Price served as executive producer, with direction by Jonathan Geraghty and writing by a team including Leone Carey, Lisa Hoppe, and Chris Phillips.^[43] Below is the list of episodes, including the series episode number, title (which often aligns with the weekly theme), song of the week, and original Australian air date. Episode titles and songs were selected to revisit foundational Hi-5 elements, culminating in music-focused finales.^[43][44]

Hi-5 House (2013–2016)

Series 1 (2013)

Series 1 of Hi-5 House premiered on Nick Jr. Australia on 4 November 2013, marking the debut of this spin-off series aimed at preschool children with a blend of live-action, animation, and puppetry to promote learning through music and play.^[45] The season featured 25 episodes, airing weekdays from 4 November to 6 December 2013, and was produced by Oak3 Films in Singapore, with filming occurring between August and October 2013 at locations including Infinite Studios and the Singapore Zoo.^[46] This series introduced the core cast of Lauren Brant, Stevie Nicholson, Ainsley Melham, Mary Lascaris, and Dayen Zheng, with the latter three making their first television appearances; Brant departed after this season.^[14] Key segments included interactive puppet sequences with Chats, a chatty cat hosted in "The Chatterbox" alongside bookworm characters Aristotle and Horace, as well as a tin toy robot named Tinka, emphasizing imaginative storytelling and educational themes like friendship and exploration.^[46] Episodes were structured around weekly songs and rotating themes, such as home life, physical movement, dreams, animals, and pretend play, with each installment incorporating songs, dances, and activities to engage young viewers.^[46] The premiere episode, "Explore My Space," introduced the Hi-5 House setting and focused on personal spaces within the home.^[47] Subsequent episodes built on this foundation, using animation to enhance narratives and puppet interactions to facilitate character-driven lessons. The episode titles often doubled as the central theme, with puppet segments providing narrative bridges and animated elements illustrating concepts like animal behaviors or dream sequences.^[46] This season established the animated spin-off's distinctive style, differentiating it from the original Hi-5 by centering stories within the magical Hi-5 House environment.^[12]

Series 2 (2014)

The second series of Hi-5 House premiered on Nick Jr. Australia on 6 October 2014 and consisted of 25 episodes, airing weekdays through 7 November 2014.^[48] This season introduced Tanika Anderson as a new cast member alongside returning performers Dayen Zheng, Mary Lascaris, Stevie Nicholson, and Ainsley Melham, with Ellen Wright Folan voicing the animated character Chatterbox.^[48] Production for the series relocated to KRU Studios in Malaysia, a shift from Infinite Studios in Singapore used for the prior season, allowing for expanded set designs and filming from April to June 2014.^[48] The episodes emphasized location-based stories, building on the animated elements by transporting characters to diverse environments such as jungles, oceans, and polar regions to promote themes of exploration, environmental awareness, and creativity.^{[48] [48]}

Series 3 (2015)

Series 3 of Hi-5 House, the final installment of the animated spin-off, consisted of 25 episodes produced in 2015 at KRU Studios in Malaysia. The season premiered on Disney Junior Asia on 11 January 2016 and concluded there on 12 February 2016; it was released worldwide on Netflix on 25 March 2016 and aired on Nick Jr. Australia starting 26 September 2016.^[49] This series featured the cast of Tanika Anderson, Dayen Zheng, Mary Lascaris, Ainsley Melham, and Stevie Nicholson. It placed a strong emphasis on social-emotional learning, particularly themes of friendship, teamwork, and communication, serving as a thematic closure to the Hi-5 House format by highlighting interpersonal connections among the characters. It followed the exploratory adventures of Series 2 by centering narratives around collaborative play and emotional expression in the house setting. The episodes maintained the show's structure of combining animation, live-action segments, and educational songs to engage preschool audiences, with each installment exploring a specific social skill through the Hi-5 cast's interactions with their puppet companions like Chats, Jup Jup, and Riley. Produced under the guidance of original Hi-5 co-creator Posie Graeme-Evans, the season underscored the value of positive relationships as a capstone to the spin-off's three-year run. This focus aligned with the franchise's core educational goals, promoting empathy and cooperation without venturing into new physical locations, unlike the travel-oriented previous season. The series wrapped production in mid-2015, airing shortly before the Nine Network's October 2016 renewal of its partnership with the Hi-5 franchise, which led to the revival of the original live-action format.^[50] These episodes featured recurring elements such as the cast's puppet-assisted skits and movement-based activities, with the finale emphasizing non-verbal cues and mutual support to reinforce friendship bonds. The season's release on multiple platforms, including Asia-Pacific broadcasts and streaming, extended its reach to international audiences prior to the franchise's shift back to live-action production.

Revived series (2017)

Series 1 (2017)

The revived Hi-5 series premiered with a fresh cast blending performance talents to engage preschool audiences through music, movement, and educational segments. The ensemble included Bailey Spalding, Courtney Clarke, Joe Kalou, Shay Clifford, and Lachie Dearing, chosen from over 450 applicants for their skills in singing, dancing, and acting, marking a diverse representation including Fijian-Australian heritage in Kalou.^[18][51] This series emphasized contemporary themes like cultural diversity, scientific invention, and emotional expression, adapting the show's foundational elements for a 2017 audience while returning to live-action storytelling after the Hi-5 House spin-off. Series 1 consisted of 25 episodes broadcast weekdays at 9:00 a.m. on 9Go!, from 15 May to 16 June 2017, produced by Tremendous Entertainment in partnership with the Nine Network, filmed at Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios from January to April 2017, with Julie Greene as executive producer. Episodes were structured around weekly themes, each featuring a "Song of the Week" and segments promoting creativity, problem-solving, and social skills, with overall episode numbering continuing from prior series at 571–595.^[52]

Notes

Episode structure and themes

Each episode of the Hi-5 series follows a consistent structure centered on five core segments, each led by a cast member and designed to engage different learning styles in line with Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.^[53] These segments include Body Move, which emphasizes physical coordination and movement through dance; Puzzles and Patterns, focusing on logical thinking and mathematics with puppet assistance; Making Music, exploring rhythm, melody, and instrument use; Word Play, building linguistic skills via rhymes, vocabulary, and word games with a puppet character; and Sharing Stories, promoting social and emotional development through narrative sharing and puppetry interactions like those with Chats the cat.^[53] Episodes open and close with a Song of the Week, a pop-style track that reinforces the central theme and integrates music as a core educational tool across all segments.^[53] The series organizes content into themed weeks to provide focused exploration of concepts, aligning with early childhood curricula that emphasize sensory experiences, emotional awareness, and social skills such as cooperation and self-expression.^[53] In the original series (1999–2009 and 2011), most seasons comprise 45 episodes divided into nine themes, with five episodes per theme to allow repetition and reinforcement of ideas like colors, animals, or emotions; Series 6 (2004) was an exception with 30 episodes across six themes.^[53] The Hi-5 House spin-off (2013–2016) adapts this format to 25 episodes per season across five themes, maintaining five episodes per theme but adapting the format to a live-action style emphasizing everyday adventures and imaginative play in a house setting.^[12] The 2017 revived series returns to a hybrid approach, blending live-action performances with animated puppet elements and Jupsters characters, while retaining the five-segment structure and thematic organization similar to the original.^[53] This evolution reflects adaptations to production capabilities and audience needs, from the original's fully live-action format emphasizing group dynamics to the spin-off's live-action focus on shared house adventures with enhanced visual creativity, and the revival's integration of both for broader accessibility.^[53]

Production and broadcast details

The original Hi-5 series was produced by the independent company Kids Like Us from its debut in 1999 through 2008, under the creative direction of founders Helena Harris and Posie Graeme-Evans. In 2008, the Nine Network and Southern Star acquired Kids Like Us, shifting production responsibilities to Southern Star for the subsequent seasons from 2009 to 2011; Southern Star was later rebranded as Endemol Australia in 2013.^[54][55] Following the end of the original run in 2011, the spin-off Hi-5 House (2013–2016) was produced independently by Hi-5 Operations Pte Ltd in collaboration with Oak3 Films, with filming relocated to studios in Singapore for the first series and Malaysia for the later ones, marking a departure from Australian-based production. The 2017 revival series was produced directly by the Nine Network after it renewed its partnership with the Hi-5 franchise, incorporating a new cast and set while maintaining the core format.^[56] The original Hi-5 episodes aired weekdays on the Nine Network in Australia, typically in morning slots targeted at preschool audiences. In contrast, Hi-5 House broadcast daily on Nick Jr. Australia, aligning with the channel's 24-hour programming for young children. Internationally, the Australian Hi-5 series aired on PBS-affiliated stations in the United States, such as KCET in 2014, and on Nick Jr. in the United Kingdom starting in 2003.^[57] Episode numbering for Hi-5 generally follows broadcast order on the Nine Network, but production numbers occasionally differ due to scheduling adjustments; for Hi-5 House, gaps appear in sequencing because later episodes, especially in the third series, were released via streaming platforms like Netflix rather than linear television, affecting traditional episode counts.