Five Minutes More A series of 65 five minute programmes for pre-school children.
A child is lying in bed, drifting quietly off to sleep. It's time for his toys to rest too. But they have just five minutes more to tell each other a story...
Five Minutes More is the perfect antidote to the fast-moving images and loud sounds that compete for a child's attention. We all need quiet moments in the day and this new puppet animation series will draw young viewers into the gentle, wonderful world that the bedspread toys inhabit. This is a land where all sorts of fun and amazing adventures can, and do happen.
Georgie, Louisa, Faraway, Florrie and Sam are best friends. Together, this small group of beanie-style toys live on the patchwork bedspread that covers the child's bed. It's a quilt of beautiful fabric pictures - a castle, a boat out at sea, a forest, a snow scene, a strange fantasy planet and more...
The toys take it in turns to be the storyteller, while their friends act out the story. We fade into a patchwork picture and find the toys in the land of the imagination. Whether as elephants in the jungle, or adventurers in the snow, the toys play their parts with great gusto and enthusiasm, even if they do sometimes get a little distracted. The stories are original, enchantingly simple, and enriched with music and laughter.
The five toys enjoy the same relationships as a typical group of young children. They are firm and devoted friends, always ready for fun and keen to take part in each other's story. But as with any set of friends, the storytelling does not always run as smoothly as they would like. There are numerous distractions, and sometimes the stories take unexpected and comic courses!
Five Minutes More explores the relationship between storyteller and child, rather than presenting a performance for a passive audience. Children, parents and carers alike will recognise Five Minutes More as real-life Story Time - complete with all the usual interruptions, comments and questions!
Made by Snow River Media and Buster Dandy Productions for The ABC and Disney Europe.
Shot in Sydney, Australia.
Puppeteers: Nigel Plaskitt (Faraway), Sean Masterson (Louisa), Adam Kronenberg (Georgie), Chris Lane (Sam), Alice Osborne (Florrie)
Voices: Nigel Plaskitt (Faraway), Gillie Robic (Louisa), Elizabeth Lindsay (Georgie), Mark Jefferis (Sam), Louise Gold (Florrie)
Executive Producers: Angus Fletcher and Martin Robertson
Producers: Donna Andrews and Justine Flynn
Director: Mark Barnard
Writers: Jan Page and Mellie Buse
Music: Gary Go
Associate Producer: Pete Coogan
Puppets: Solution Studios by Paul Jomain and Scott Brooker
Puppet Rigger and Costumes: Paul Jomain
Production Manager: Naomi Just
Production Designer: Julio Himede
Art Director: Katrina Adams
Lighting Designer: Richard Curtis
Original series development and puppet design: The Jim Henson Company Ltd