Hi-5 - TV-G

High-energy music and dancing for young viewers.

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Common Sense rates it
3
Seen the show?
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details
  • TV Rating: TV-G
  • Network: Discovery Kids
  • Genre: Children's Live Action

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that this series offers engaging singing and dancing, yet the quality of the material is sometimes sacrificed for the quantity of material. Colorful sets and the enthusiastic cast will be enticing for young viewers, but parents might find the content anemic, if not trying. Real-life videos of kids playing and doing creative things are the highlight of this program. Well intentioned and generally inviting, but not truly educational.

Families can talk about the purpose of the show -- what's the ultimate goal here? Do your kids sing and dance along to the music? What is it about this group that's so enticing?

Message

Social Behavior:

Diversity within cast members and audience members is celebrated.

Consumerism:

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Violence

Sex

Language

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Joly Herman

Though they should get an A for effort, the cast of HI-5 can only do so much with the material they've been given. Kimmee (Kimee Balmilero), Karla (Karla Cheatham-Moseley), Shaun (Shaun Taylor-Corbett), Jenn (Jennifer Peterson-Hind), and Curtis (Curtis Cregan) burst into seemingly arbitrary songs about random things for which the writers have composed music.

Is it any good?

3

For example, one song has a cast member looking at the stars and singing a song about a "saucepan" and a "starfish" that she sees in the sky. Why not take it a tiny step further to name the constellation, rather than using words that are ultimately employed as rhymes in the song? Another sequence uses repetition to drive the point home: "We will find an adventure, an adventure, an adventure," sings a cast member. Then she proceeds to sing it twice more during the two-minute skit. How adventurous is that?

Though some songs are based on real things like recycling or counting or making shapes, other songs are nonsense. When a cast member says "I am pretending to be the keeper of the night sky..." the audience understands that he's pretending, and consequently the skit is successful. But when another skit suddenly begins with the words, "I just landed on planet Move-a-Lot" and a song is sung about it, it's not as clear what's being referred to or whether the cast member is pretending. Remember, the youngest viewers are just learning the difference between real and pretend. Hi-5's writers would benefit their audience by making these distinctions consistently.

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Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 21 reviews.

5


Posted on 04/12/08 by hsmgirl2008 Kid contributor, age 10

Awesome and musical

It rox! I used to watch it. Still love it. Great show to get kids every age to get up and groove. Even my 17 year sister loves it!
5


Posted on 09/13/07 by jean v Adult contributor

very fun

My daughters(age 1 and 4.8) love this show. My oldest has been watching since she was 6 months. I like the music too.
5

Posted on 06/28/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor

4

Posted on 05/29/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor

My 4 year old loves this program and the songs are catchy!

5

Posted on 02/15/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor
5

Posted on 01/04/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor

4

Posted on 10/24/06 by Anonymous Adult contributor

5

Posted on 09/01/06 by Anonymous Adult contributor

AWESOME!!!!!

Hi-5 to the Hi-5 team! My daughter has been watching for almost 3 years and my son (now 2) also loves them. We have all 3 DVDs and both music CDs, and we can't wait for the new season to start and some new DVDs and CDs to be released. We saw Hi-5 at the Vancouver PNE last year and again (at least) a dozen times this year...they are an awesome, energetic bunch that get and keep my kids movin' WE LOVE Hi-5
5

Posted on 08/22/06 by Anonymous Adult contributor

5


Posted on 06/29/06 by trajedy Adult contributor

Fun song and dance

Both of my daughters (currently 20 and 42 months) LOVE this show. I quite often catch myself singing along with the songs - or singing them later in the day. The cast is fun and energetic, and the message is good, clean fun. There aren't huge lessons to be learned in this show, but they do touch the bases (colors, numbers, and most importantly to my little girls - social niceties). Our whole family loves this show, and don't miss the new ones when they come out.

See all 21 reviews >

Adult Reviews

There are 20 reviews.

5


Posted on 09/13/07 by jean v Adult contributor

very fun

My daughters(age 1 and 4.8) love this show. My oldest has been watching since she was 6 months. I like the music too.
5

Posted on 06/28/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor

4

Posted on 05/29/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor

My 4 year old loves this program and the songs are catchy!

5

Posted on 02/15/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor
5

Posted on 01/04/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor

4

Posted on 10/24/06 by Anonymous Adult contributor

5

Posted on 09/01/06 by Anonymous Adult contributor

AWESOME!!!!!

Hi-5 to the Hi-5 team! My daughter has been watching for almost 3 years and my son (now 2) also loves them. We have all 3 DVDs and both music CDs, and we can't wait for the new season to start and some new DVDs and CDs to be released. We saw Hi-5 at the Vancouver PNE last year and again (at least) a dozen times this year...they are an awesome, energetic bunch that get and keep my kids movin' WE LOVE Hi-5
5

Posted on 08/22/06 by Anonymous Adult contributor

5


Posted on 06/29/06 by trajedy Adult contributor

Fun song and dance

Both of my daughters (currently 20 and 42 months) LOVE this show. I quite often catch myself singing along with the songs - or singing them later in the day. The cast is fun and energetic, and the message is good, clean fun. There aren't huge lessons to be learned in this show, but they do touch the bases (colors, numbers, and most importantly to my little girls - social niceties). Our whole family loves this show, and don't miss the new ones when they come out.
5

Posted on 06/07/06 by Anonymous Adult contributor

See all 20 adult reviews>

Kids Reviews

There are 1 reviews.

5


Posted on 04/12/08 by hsmgirl2008 Kid contributor, age 10

Awesome and musical

It rox! I used to watch it. Still love it. Great show to get kids every age to get up and groove. Even my 17 year sister loves it!
Review It
What do your kids do online?
Surf
34%
Homework and research
19%
Download music
10%
Chat with friends
37%
132 votes