So the news that a U.K.-based version of Hi-5 has been commission by the Turner Network should come as a surprise to no one:

Set to air on Turner’s preschool channel Cartoonito, Hi-5 will be produced by BAFTA award-winning production company Darrall Macqueen.

Forty half-hour episodes of the U.K. local version will be produced, with casting to commence next month. Also partnering on the U.K. series is free-to-air broadcaster GMTV who will begin showing the series in 2009 following Cartoonito’s premier in 2008.

Cecilia Persson, Vice President of Programming, Acquisitions and Presentation, Turner Kids Channels said, “Hi-5 has enjoyed world renowned success and we’re delighted to commission a U.K.-produced version. Each week the series will focus on some of HI-5’s most notable themes such as music, friends, animals, family and outdoors. Underpinned with an ethos of exercise and dance, it also has positive messaging of encouraging kids to get active.

Cartoonito has already put up their dedicated Hi-5 site. I’ll confess that the cast looks odd to me—perhaps because I’m used to the “regulars” from the American cast—but I’m sure the U.K. gang will be great in their own right, too.

And don’t forget the added benefit for Hi-5 fans on this side of the pond: While these episodes are slated for Cartoonito, with Turner at the helm you have to figure that eventually they’ll make their way over here, as well. And that means even more Hi-5 goodness for us to enjoy, even though the American version of the series is no longer in production. (It’s still airing on TLC weekdays at 7:00 a.m., and of course the Ty’s Toy Box Hi-5 Store still has you covered with all the Hi-5 stuff your kids want, but this is forty brand-new episodes we’re talking about. Excellent!)

Today we’ll take a look at what sets Trish apart when it comes to fandom. Many fans are content to admire from afar or maybe start a little local club or something. Most fans never have any sort of impact on the person or group they admire. Trish has not only followed Hi-5 through the years but has actually developed relationships with its members (and perhaps influenced their performances!), and her Hi-5 MySpace is considered the go-to location for United States Hi-5 news.

Clearly Trish is in the mob. Oh, wait. That’s not it. Clearly Trish has gone the extra mile to both network with other fans and make connections with the group itself, and I’d like to point out that I doubt it’s a coincidence that a busy mom was able to make such a mark. You go, Trish!

Still think that Hi-5 has a modest fan base? Read on….

Toy Box Mommy: You mentioned finding a Yahoo! group online dedicated to Hi-5 as your first foray into finding other Hi-5 fans.

Trish from Memphis: After that first time Zoe and I saw them on television, I looked up Curtis on the internet and found CurtisCregan.com. Then I found a group on Yahoo! with about 30 members, all adults who were just as infatuated with Hi-5 as me. The Yahoo! members all wanted to learn more about Hi-5 and the five cast members we watched on TV each day. At the time, the only information on the ‘net was about an Australian group with the same name but a totally different cast.

After two years, the original Hi-5 Yahoo! Group has grown to 7,000 members strong and sprouted 6 more Hi-5 Yahoo Groups*, full of parents and teens and young adults, all obsessed with this “preschool pop” band and its five members. We are an official “cult” following!

TBM: Six separate discussion groups? Really? What do you… do there?

Trish: As fans, we talk about Hi-5 to everyone so much that many of our friends and family feel that we are over the top with how devoted we are about spreading the word. I have been labeled “obsessed” a “stalker” and a “crazed wannabe groupie” — and that’s all from my husband! (He actually limits my “Hi-5 Time” so I can get my other work done!)

The Yahoo! Group “Boardies” have donated Hi-5 videos and DVDs to schools, hospitals and libraries. We’ve also distributed Hi-5 stickers, Hi-5 autograph cards, Hi-5 promotional DVDs and we’ve just finished hanging posters around town advertising the new Hi-5 DVDs. We work hard but, honestly, we love doing it.

The cast of Hi-5 enjoys the attention and adoration from their fans and appreciates the work we put into spreading the word out about the show. Every time I’ve been to a “meet and greet” session after a Hi-5 concert, every member would thank me for the work I did for them. Shaun is so sweet he says it like a million times!

TBM: So the group is aware of the discussion groups and your MySpace page?

Trish: Definitely. Recently, several PR people behind Hi-5 have joined our Yahoo! Groups. They’ve seen my Hi-5 MySpace and seem to have been listening to what the fans want — whether it’s merchandise or tour dates and venues. It’s really great to see an entity like Hi-5 pay attention to the consumers and strive to make us happy.

I often include a Captain Puffy Pants statement in my signature when I send posts to the Yahoo! Groups. The cast and “the powers that be” read the boards and they actually included the skit in the Move Your Body tour two years ago. They knew I’d go nuts (and I did)!

Hi-5 has a great PR team working hard to get them the national recognition the show deserves. Of course, there is much more that could be done… and that’s where the fans come into play.

TBM: Right, fans like you! Tell me about starting your Hi-5 MySpace.

Trish: There used to be a music MySpace for Hi-5 last summer. It didn’t have much information and the songs didn’t work half the time. It was taken down in August and a few weeks later I put my Hi-5 MySpace together. It sat for about two months, in private mode, with just a few pictures and a little info. One by one the hardcore fans started to find me and I would add them as friends.

After hearing that Hi-5 was going to release two new DVDs, I stayed up until 3 a.m. perfecting the site. I try to keep on top of all the latest info as well as the latest Hi-5 sightings and video clips of appearances, concerts and promo ads. I try to include lots of information about former members Karla and Shaun and their endeavors after Hi-5, as well as info about newest members Yasmeen and Sydney and their careers prior to Hi-5.

TBM: Wow, I bet the cast loves it.

Trish: If you check out my Hi-5 MySpace, you’ll see that Jenn and Kimee both sent me video “thank you”s for the page… and gave their approval. They are such sweet people.

TBM: Well I have a feeling it would be hard not to like you, Trish. Just a hunch I have. So what’s next for you and Hi-5?

Trish: I’m really looking forward to the new tour kicking off February 17th. Here’s hoping that they make a stop near Memphis this time. It’s been almost 2 years since I’ve seen Hi-5 and I can’t wait to meet Yasmeen and Syd!

Many, many thanks to Trish for talking to me about Hi-5, her MySpace page dedicated to them, and the world of Hi-5 fandom. I really enjoyed my little peek into her world, and encourage all Hi-5 fans to stay tuned to her Hi-5 MySpace for the latest Hi-5 news.

* Looking for the Yahoo! discussion groups Trish mentioned? Here they are:
Hi-5 fan group
American Hi-5 fan group
Jennifer Peterson-Hind fan group
Karla’s Hi-5 Korner
Shaun Taylor-Corbett fan group
Curtis Cregan fan group
Yasmeen Sulieman fan group
Sydney James fan group
Kimee Balmilero fan group (Trish runs this one)

In fact, she was such a good sport, I decided to take advantage of her.

“Hey Trish,” I said (because now we are old friends, and I can call her just Trish and she can call me just… Toy… umm… anyway…), “How would you like to do an interview for the Ty’s blog?” And Trish agreed, because she is one cool lady. And possibly because she felt sorry for me, because so many rabid Hi-5 fans came to yell at me for leaving her out of the original post, she probably feared for my safety if we didn’t make up publicly.

So buckle up, because this is your chance to learn all about both the dirt on Hi-5 and how to be The World’s Biggest Fan.

Trish is mom to Nick (who is turning 8 tomorrow… happy birthday, Nick!) and Zoe (age 5 1/2), and reports that the entire family loves Hi-5. I asked her to start from the beginning.

Toy Box Mommy: How did you first discover Hi-5? Was it love at first sight (or listen)?

Trish from Memphis: My daughter, Zoe, was sick and I took the day off of work to stay home with her. I started surfing through the channels for something for a 2-year-old to watch when I found Hi-5 on TLC. It was the “Senses” week and Zoe and I immediately fell in love with the Five Senses song. At the time, we were a big Wiggles family; but wouldn’t admit it to our friends. Hi-5’s songs, on the other hand, were cool and catchy and the show was educational and fun; plus the cast was cute and perky… like cool preschool teachers.

I love telling everyone I know about Hi-5. It’s such a fresh concept in the US and has such a different style of songs and learning. It’s not cheesy and it’s not full of ridiculous songs that will embarrass you if you are caught singing them in the grocery store or are caught listening to the CD after you drop your kids off at school.

TBM: Does everyone in your family have a favorite cast member?

Trish: Nick’s favorite cast members are Shaun and Curtis and Zoe’s favorite is Jenn. Personally, I do kind of have a crush on Curtis; my hubby has learned to accept it. My favorite Hi-5 segment has always been when Curtis plays Captain Puffy Pants. That skit is hilarious!! Curtis’ big, puffy pants keep knocking people over, and Kimee as “Captain Hi-Note” is singing at the top of her lungs… it just tickles me. You’ve got to love a preschool show that can keep a parent entertained too! Honestly the whole family loves the entire Hi-5 cast.

TBM: Have you seen Hi-5 live in concert? What’s that like?

Trish: We’ve met the cast of Hi-5 three times: St. Louis in 2004, Bentonville, AR in August 2004 and Merrillville, IN in January 2005. In 8 months, We drove 55 hours and about 2500 miles just to see Hi-5!

Chrissy [a fellow Hi-5 fan met online] and I (and our kids) made the trek to all three of my Hi-5 shows together. We wore our homemade Hi-5 T-Shirts and she made Hi-5 hands on a stick and little ponytail holders for the kids. Our kids would wear their Hi-5 clothes that we paid a fortune for on eBay (shipped from Australia; this was before Ty’s Toy Box carried Hi-5 gear). It really got the kids noticed with the cast and even the suits in the background.

During the performances, the cast of Hi-5 always hammed it up for our cameras and would hang out for a long time after the autograph sessions and just shoot the breeze. Shaun would talk cars with the hubbies and the women would be gossiping about promotions and new DVDs and CDs and stuff (the real work) and my daughter (then 3) would get passed from lap to lap of the different cast members. You would hear “There’s my Zoe! I missed you — you have to come here and give me a big hug!” After a while they seemed like family, like old friends that you haven’t seen in ages. It kind of makes me tear up a little because now our kids are bigger and the Hi-5 cast members are growing up too! It’s great to see Jenn getting married and Curtis is engaged and ready to start a family. Even Shaun and Karla who are doing their own things now. Everyone is growing up into very down-to-earth but strong and beautiful people; they love their craft and it shows with their performances.

The cast of Hi-5 are just a great bunch of genuine people who can hang with kids as well as adults.

TBM: What would you say to the Hi-5 uninitiated about why you love the group so much and they’re worth checking out?

Trish: I’d say in my strong southern accent, “Why do those kids’ shows have to have such annoying songs? I tell you, my kids love this show on TLC… you know, The Learning Channel? Yeah, it’s a great show… it’s kind of like pop music for preschoolers, and they teach the kids about shapes and numbers and music and using their imaginations (cuz y’know, kids nowadays don’t even know what an imagination is anymore). It’s called Hi-5, have you seen it? It’s great, you should definitely check it out.”

TBM: Heck, I’m sold. But maybe it’s just that I want to see that puffy pants skit. Hard to know.

Come back tomorrow for Part 2—all about how Trish started her Hi-5 MySpace and the power of an organized fan base. After all, without folks like Trish and her cohorts clamoring for more Hi-5, you’d still be buying Australian merchandise on eBay instead of finding it here at Ty’s Toy Box.

Anyway.

I’ve got a few things to share about the group’s latest retail accoutrements, which will be of interest if you happen to have a kid who’s a fan of the perky fivesome. (And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, go check them out. I’ll wait.)

First of all, in case you haven’t noticed, there’s tons of new Hi-5 merchandise available at the Ty’s Hi-5 store right now. The new new clothing is adorable, though I am partial to the blue cape, I think.

Next, you may have noticed that Ty’s currently has three different Hi-5 DVDs in stock. That’s great news if you and your children are just discovering Hi-5; but what if you already own all three DVDs? What if you appreciate the learning that Hi-5 offers your preschooler but you think that if you have to watch one of those DVDs even one more time that you may just have to blind yourself with the spout of the nearest sippy cup?

Don’t fret! Help is on the way:

Well Go USA has announced two volumes of Hi-5 for release on December 5. Both volumes are single discs, and run for 50 mins. The first volume, “Action Heroes,” includes these songs:

• Action Heroes
  
• T-E-A-M
  
• Underwater Discovery
  

While the second volume, “Move Your Body,” includes these songs:

• Five Senses
  
• Move Your Body
  
• North, South, East and West
  

Both sets will include:

• New DVD Carrying Case
  
• Never Before Seen Hi-5 Fun
  
• Karaoke Special Features
  
• Hi-5 Stickers
  

Suggested retail price is $19.99 each.

This news may come as a great relief to you, and just in time for the holidays, to boot. Heck, my kids sing the “North, South, East and West” song all the time, and they’re not even preschoolers. It’s possible they just do it to see my eyelid twitch. But that’s a different entry altogether.

Naturally, the Daily News turned to the experts; and that included one of Ty’s Toy Box’s very own:

“Kids care about who or what is on their backpacks,” says George Stolpe, vice president of marketing for Ty’s Toy Box. “It’s a statement of who they are, what they’re interested in. It’s very personal.”

Hey, I can dig it. I certainly don’t want to carry a purse that someone else picked out for me; I can understand that my kids want to pick their own bags. They’re going to be toting them around for a minimum of 180 days, so it just stands to reason that they’re going to want something they love.

The Daily News goes on to quote Poshmom.com for some tips on how to choose the right bag, and I was okay with their suggestions right up until the last bullet:

Make sure there’s a place for everything: The backpack should have ample pockets and compartments to store everything your kid might need to carry (crayons, pencils, Game Boy, cell phone, etc.). The more places to store things, the better organized your child will be.

I’m sorry… if your kid is small enough to be carrying crayons, why in the world would he be carrying a Gameboy and a cell phone? Why, when I was a child, I had to walk uphill both ways four miles through snow— Oh. Sorry. Bit of a curmudgeon moment, there. I apologize. Ahem.

Back to the bags: The Daily News highlights the demand for character gear, deeming that Hi-5, Lazytown, and Doodlebops backpacks all warrant the “Totally Tubular” moniker. (My favorite bag at Ty’s right now is this adorable Miss Spider “Best Bug Buddies” one, but as the article points out, I don’t really get to pick anymore. I suppose my kids are a bit too old for it, but darnitall, it’s cute.)

Whichever bags your tots end up toting, make sure they can manage them comfortably. And if the kids are being particularly mouthy, might I just suggest removing the Gameboy and the cell phone and replacing them with a few rocks?

[image courtesy of Kids Care Clubs]