Discovery take Hi-5 to US

Following its UK deal with Channel 5 for Aussie kids' show Hi-5, distributor Southern Star has sold an American version of the show to the TLC Network and Discovery Kids Channel in the US.

In February, the American version of Hi-5 – filmed and produced in Australia with an American cast – will premiere on the TLC network and the Discovery Kids Channel, as part of the revamped Ready Set Learn! weekday morning programming block for preschoolers.

On January 19 at 07:00, the Australian version of the series makes its free to air debut in the UK on Channel 5, stripped in the Milkshake slot.

Hi-5 is a 90×30' series that takes the form of a pop show where the band helps children learn through singing and dancing. Music is used to integrate all the different areas of the show. There are five band members and each hosts their own segment per episode, with themes like shapes and colours to develop children's learning.

Hi–5 is a Kids Like Us and Nine Films & Television production, distributed internationally by Southern Star Sales. It first aired in Australia in 1999.