Ballheads

Ballheads
Debut	April 12, 1999 (Hi-5) April 19, 2004 (Hi-5 USA)
First episode	Faces (Hi-5) Faces (Hi-5 USA)
Last episode	Being a Team Player (Hi-5) Imagination (Hi-5 USA)
Species	Ballhead
Chronology
This	Ballheads
Next	Toylings

Ballheads are recurring characters featured at the beginning of most episodes of Hi-5 and Hi-5 USA. They have also appeared occasionally in official merchandise. From Season 1 to Season 10, Ballheads were used to introduce the weekly themes inside title cards. Beginning in Season 6, Ballheads appeared in every title card moving forward. The last title card without them was featured during the Family week in Season 5. In Season 11, they were replaced by Toylings, a new set of characters that served the same purpose.

Ballheads debuted in Season 1, Episode 26, "Faces", as part of the title card for the Bodies week. Ballheads have appeared in various outfits, shapes, and colors.

Sometimes, their full bodies are not used, but their facial design appears on other elements such as the sun, flowers, and various objects.

Design and production

Ballheads were most likely designed by Adrian King from RGB Digital Animation, also known as RGB Pictures, a company that provided several visual effects for the show during its first seven seasons. They are credited with the title card designs, which are closely associated with the Ballheads.

Ballheads are distinctly limbless, with their heads, hands, and feet invisibly connected, as they lack a torso or any visible linkage. Their hands and feet are styled after the shape of the Hi-5 logo, resulting in a heavily stylized appearance.

Their faces feature a playful smiley design, comprising only eyes and a mouth. While they generally display a smiling expression, they are capable of conveying a range of emotions, including surprise, sadness, and anger.

In their debut design, Ballheads are characterized by cell shading with prominent black shadows, specially in their feet. Their hands are green, their feet are red, and their heads are primarily orange, with facial features depicted as textures.

The second design, introduced in Season 3, features adjusted proportions, notably with larger heads.

In the third design, introduced in Season 5, the rendering technique underwent a slight change, as the cell-shaded shadows became softer and less prominent compared to earlier designs, accompanied by slight adjustments to the proportions once again. Additionally, the colors became slightly more vibrant.

This design, along with the first one, were the only ones featured in Hi-5 USA, as the show was produced between 2002 and 2005 and reused some title cards from the original Australian series.

Following the branding updates that occurred with the release of Season 8, Ballheads received a significant update. Their fourth design features a new model where their faces are integrated into the three-dimensional form instead of being two-dimensional designs. Additionally, their heads have transitioned to a more amber, yellowish hue, and their hands and feet have been updated to a unified dark red color. Their proportions were adjusted once again, resembling those of their original 1999 counterpart.

Appearances

Ballheads have appeared in 66 weeks of the original series, totaling 330 episodes out of 570, which is approximately 57.89% of the show. In Hi-5 USA, they appeared in 7 weeks, accounting for 35 episodes out of 70, or 50% of that series. In total, they have been featured in 73 weeks and 365 episodes across both series. They have also made exclusive appearances in home releases, such as DVDs and VCDs.

Trivia

• Coincidentally, Ballheads made their first full appearance in both Hi-5 and Hi-5 USA in episodes with the same title and episode number (26). Both episodes also marked the start of the same week and premiered in April, just days apart, on April 12 and April 19.
• Despite their iconic appearance and presence in nearly 60% of the show (10 out of 17 seasons), Ballheads have not been seen again in any form of media since their replacement in Season 11 and the removal of title cards in Hi-5 House. This includes the show itself, it's website, merchandise, or any references.
• They premiered in the same season as Jup Jup and Chats. Despite being one of the first three characters introduced to the show, Ballheads are arguably the most recurring characters that have never been given an official name or mentioned anywhere.