It
ain’t the Wiggles but then success stories in TV like
that program are few and far
between.

But the Nine
Network’s kids program Hi-Five does the job well for the network and has become
of if its success stories, generating valuable Children’s Classification
programming points and export income.

The
Wiggles are a great earner for the ABC (through merchandising and the kudos of
being associated with such a successful program) and if you look at the way Hi
Five has been developed and marketed, you can see parallels.

Hi Five
is a good program , well developed, a steady earner for its owners, a growing
exports, sales of music, and a nice bargaining chip for Posie Graeme-Evans, Nine’s head of Drama, as she
contemplates the arrival of Sandra Levy at Nine next month as head of
development.

The C (Children’s) classification points it generates
for nine are vital: more vital in some respects than the Australian content
points generated by drama in prime time in the evenings.

Children’s TV is vetted strictly to make sure
it’s educational (with some entertainment values) and doesn’t contain naughty
thoughts. It can be a minefield for a lazy or ‘cheap’ network or
producers.

Hi-Five
is one of Posie’s ideas, with another woman called
Helena Harris. Together with Nine they own hi Five,
which should make Posie quite
relaxed.

Not
that she’s a walker. She’s known for her determination and planning. (She tells
a story of how it took Nine years for the McLeod’s Daughters story to make it TV
on Nine where it is its most successful Australian
drama).

She’s
not commercially mad, she writes very successful historical bodice rippers as
well.

Nine
really needs successful children’s programming because it’s always been short of
it.

Nine’s
need is Posie’s income. Discussions between Posie, Sandra Levy and Nine programming held, Michael healy, should be
entertaining.