Helena Harris

Helena Harris (born October 6, 1945) is the creator of Hi-5, Bananas in Pyjamas and Cushion Kids.

She and co-producer Posie Graeme-Evans developed the series as preschool entertainment. The name of the series was derived from the "high five" gesture.

Harris stated that her inspiration for Hi-5 came partly from living in England, where she realised that children are the same around the world, and expected the show would appeal universally, with accessible themes such as family and animals. Harris strove to incorporate items of current interest to engage with the children and keep them interested in the show. The creators saw the need for "life-affirming" television for rapidly maturing preschoolers, and found that most children learned from shows which incorporated movement and song. The creators believed pre-schoolers have matured beyond programs such as Here's Humphrey.