COOL CAST SOUGHT FOR 'HI-JINKS' NICKELODEON SHOW TAPING IN VALLEY.

Byline: Sue Doyle Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Calling all parents and easygoing kids looking for some fun.

Nickelodeon is searching for about 600 moms and dads ready to play good-natured practical jokes on their children for the TV show ``Hi-Jinks.'' The hidden-camera TV show is now taping in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Previous episodes have included such story lines as someone trying to sell a ridiculously oversize cell phone to a teenager or a child getting a teddy bear that makes casual conversation. The show's comedy producers brainstorm these ideas.

But it's after the antics get rolling and the situation's absurdity sets in that the camera appears and the joke is revealed. And it's the kids' reactions that often steal the show.

``Whether it's shock, surprise or freaking out - personalities are everything,'' said Tara-Anne Johnson, casting director. ``The children are totally natural, which is why we like to get genuine kids.''

That's one reason why the show, now in its second season, has come to the Santa Clarita Valley, Johnson said.

The 13 episodes will be jam-packed with multiple jokes for all families. Eligible ages range from 6 to 25.

Sometimes celebrities step into the act. Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon, for example, stood in for her wax figure at a wax museum and then stunned a bunch of students there on a tour when she started to move.

Another show from last season also included actress Vivica A. Fox and a casting session for teens to appear in a commercial for her new perfume. However, the potion stank. Badly.

Reruns of these programs are now on the Nick at Nite cable channel.

New episodes will be taped around Santa Clarita. Casting directors will be looking for fun and expressive personalities.

For information about casting, call [phone].

Sue Doyle,[phone]

sue.doyle(at)dailynews.com