5 seasons for new look Hi-5

hi5aChannel Nine has committed to five new seasons of Hi-5, stretching from 2009 – 2013.

Yesterday it announced three new cast members, Lauren Brant, Tim Maddren and Fely Irvine who join Stevie Nicholson and Casey Burgess (good luck explaining this to the littlies!).

All five also appeared on Mornings With Kerri-Anne yesterday.

Irvine, Maddren and Brant collectively arrive with backrounds in music theatre, WA Academy of Performing Arts, plus roles in Blue Water High, H2O, Mortified and The Starter Wife.

Hi-5 is now Nine / South Star controlled. Martin Hersov and Cathy Payne, Directors of Hi-5 Operations, said: “We’re very proud to be launching the next phase of Hi-5 and introducing the extremely talented cast to the children of Australia and numerous other countries around the world. We eagerly anticipate the launch of Hi-5 series 11 in August.”

Sun Park, Kellie Crawford and Nathan Foley all departed last year.

15 Comments:

  1. I have a serious problem with the new hi 5. It is funny and quite amazing that not even one of the actors are black. it seems like racism is still very much pregnant in our so called globalised society.

  2. Everyone stop criticising the new Hi-5.
    They have to get new cast every 4 years because the others grow up and move on to other work.
    Fresh faces are good and the new Hi-5 are absolutly great.
    The new generation of Hi-5 fans (little children) wont know that they are ‘new’ because the would be too young to remember the old cast.
    The new Hi-5 are doing a great job!
    The can’t have the same cast until they are 50.
    So all of these nagging mothers, and other people, Hi-5 was not created for you, but for your children.
    The children!

  3. Here is a suggestion for Channel Nine.Stop Importing In Endless Episodes of Two and a Half Men,Use the Money to Save Humphrey plus give him a Homeover at Channel Nine.Humphrey Forever Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer never!!!!!.
    This is great stuff and I have seen the Singapore/Malaysia Version of Hi 5 when I was over there some years ago and I think Singapore Airlines used to show it on Krisworld Not Sure If they still do.
    Very happy with Nines Commitment to Childrens Television All they need to do now is find something suitable to fit between the Shak and Antiques Roadshow at 4:30pm like they used to.News Bulletins and Ten’s Bold and the Beautiful are far from suitable vieweing for After School.

  4. Humphrey is still homeless and looking for someone to take up his show in 2009, any takers, 7, 10 ??
    As for the lineup it is a shame that they have now lost there small cultural diversity with an all anglo looking line up. Stevie has been around for a while and my daughter and her friend fight over who is to be Charli and who is to be Kellie. They grow up and the next lot coming through wont know the original cast unless you drag out the old DVD’s…
    Trust me I know, I just recently sold an old original wiggles Video and my kids didnt care who was dancing and jiggling as long as they were.
    LOL

  5. I think that without doubt all the new members of the Hi-5 band are good singers, but it stops there. I agree that a band should be made up of people who not only sing but who also play their own instruments, write their own songs and are not manufactured in a way such as this. The classic Aussie bands that everyone remembers like INXS, Savage Garden, Bachelor Girl, Aussie Crawl, Mentals, Models, Bee Gees, Icehouse etc produced outstanding music that a “manufactured” band (let alone one aimed at young children) could never hope to emulate.

  6. I think it’s good that the previous people finally left Hi-5. I mean, seriously, for any actor, having this job as your peak would be utterly depressing. They got a bunch of pubescent 20 year olds to do it who have no other choice.

    I hope to see some of them crack into some new proper shows.

  7. Wow – really upset that they chose these five “talents” as the presenters! I will definitely miss the original five.

    Despite saying this, Channel Nine do lead the way with Aussie children’s TV. Channel Seven get everything from Disney Channel, ABC Kids is essentially repeats all day everyday. Channel Ten hav a few Aus shows.

  8. The old cast members have chosen to leave for their own reasons. The new cast doesn’t really represent the cultural diversity of Australia though. I think my son will miss Charlie the most but I didn’t know Sun was leaving. I still remember the original cast and there’s not a one left.

  9. Good on 9 for committing to childrens’ television – an area that generally lacks when compared to 20 years ago.

    My daughter (nearly 3) prefers Humphry! Wonder if they are doing new Humphry episodes as well?

  10. We can tell who replaced Nathan (he looks like him). But seriously, their first test will be explaining to the winner of the Eveready contest, that this is HI-5. The contest was advertised at Christmas with the 2007/8 lineup.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.