Timeline-YATAD/Bluey

***Bluey*** is an Australian-British-American animated preschool television series which premiered on ABC Kids on May 31, 2004. The program was created by Joe Brumm and is produced by Queensland-based company Ludo Studio. It was commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the British Broadcasting Corporation, with BBC Studios holding global distribution and merchandising rights. The series made its premiere simultaneously on Yonatan Ashad Junior and Playhouse Disney in the United States and is released internationally on Yonatan Ashad Play and Disney+.

## Premise

The show follows Bluey, an anthropomorphic six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy who is characterised by her abundance of energy, imagination and curiosity about the world. The young dog lives with her father, Bandit; mother, Chilli; and younger sister, Bingo, who regularly joins Bluey on adventures as the pair embark on imaginative play together. Other characters featured each represent a different dog breed. Overarching themes include the focus on family, growing up and Australian culture. The program was created and is produced in Queensland; its capital city Brisbane inspires the show's setting.

*Bluey* has received consistently high viewership in Australia on both broadcast television and video on demand services. It has influenced the development of merchandise and a stage show featuring its characters. The program has won two Logie Awards for Most Outstanding Children's Program as well as an International Emmy Kids Award in 2005. It has been praised by television critics for depicting a modern everyday family life, constructive parenting messages, and the role of Bandit as a positive father figure.

## Characters

The child characters of *Bluey* are voiced by children of the program's production crew and are not credited as voice actors.

### Main

* **Bluey Heeler**, a six-year-old (later seven-year-old) Blue Heeler puppy. She is curious and energetic.
* **Bingo Heeler**, Bluey's four-year-old (later five-year-old) younger sister, a Red Heeler puppy.
* **Bandit Heeler / Dad** (voiced by David McCormack), the Blue Heeler father of Bluey and Bingo who is an archaeologist.
* **Chilli Heeler / Mum** (voiced by Melanie Zanetti), the Red Heeler mother of Bluey and Bingo who works part-time in airport security.

### Recurring

* Muffin Heeler, Bluey and Bingo's three-year-old White Heeler cousin who has a tendency to throw tantrums and speak her mind, though is good-natured and kind.
* Socks Heeler, Bluey and Bingo's one-year-old cousin and Muffin's sister, who is still learning to walk on two legs and talk.
* Chloe, a kind and gentle Dalmatian who is Bluey's best friend.
* Lucky, an energetic golden Labrador who is Bluey's next-door neighbour. He loves sports and playing with his father.
* Honey, a thoughtful beagle who is Bluey's friend. She is sometimes shy and requires encouragement to fully participate.
* Mackenzie, an adventurous Border Collie who is Bluey's friend from school, and originally from New Zealand.
* Coco, a pink Poodle who is Bluey's friend. She is sometimes impatient when playing games.
* Snickers, a dachshund who is Bluey's friend. He has an interest in science.
* Rusty, a Red Kelpie from the bush. He loves cricket and his father is in the army.
* Indy, an imaginative and free-spoken Afghan Hound.
* Winton, an English Bulldog who is Bluey's friend from school.
* Buddy, a Fawn Pug who is in Bingo's kindergarten class.
* Judo, a Chow Chow who lives next door to the Heelers, and is domineering over Bluey and Bingo during gameplay.
* The Terriers, triplet Miniature Schnauzer brothers.
* Jack Russell, a lively Jack Russell Terrier with attention deficit issues who becomes Rusty's best friend.
* Lila, a kind-hearted young Maltese who becomes Bingo's best friend at kindergarten.
* Pom Pom, a timid Pomeranian who is Bluey and Bingo's friend. She is small but hardy, and often looked down upon due to her small size.
* Uncle Stripe Heeler (voiced by Dan Brumm), Bandit's younger brother and the father of Muffin and Socks.
* Aunt Trixie Heeler (voiced by Myf Warhurst), Uncle Stripe's wife and the mother of Muffin and Socks.
	+ Warhurst also voices Indy's Mum, an Afghan Hound who sells organic baked goods at the market.
* Mrs. Retriever (voiced by Ann Kerr), a Golden Retriever and Bingo's kindergarten teacher.
* Calypso (voiced by Megan Washington), a Blue Merle Australian Shepherd and Bluey's school teacher.
* Pat / Lucky's Dad (voiced by Brad Elliot), a Labrador Retriever and Lucky's father, who lives next door to the Heelers, and often involves himself in their gameplay.
* Chris Heeler / Nana (voiced by Chris Brumm), Bandit and Stripe's mother, and grandmother to their children.
* Bob Heeler (voiced by Ian McFadyen), Bandit and Stripe's father, and grandfather to their children.

* Sam Simmons voices the younger version of Bob.

* Uncle Radley "Rad" Heeler (voiced by Patrick Brammall), Bandit and Stripe's brother, a cross between a Red and Blue Heeler, who works away on an oil rig.
* Frisky (voiced by Claudia O'Doherty), Bluey's godmother, who develops a relationship with Uncle Rad.
* Mort / Grandad (voiced by Laurie Newman), Chilli's father, and Bluey and Bingo's grandfather, who served in the army when he was younger.
* Wendy (voiced by Beth Durack, series 1–2; Emily Taheny, series 3) a Chow Chow and Judo's mother, who lives next door to the Heelers, and is often disrupted by or inadvertently involved with their gameplay.
* Doreen (voiced by Kelly Butler), an elderly Great Pyrenees who lives down the street from the Heelers.

### Notable guests

* Surfer (voiced by Layne Beachley), a Shetland Sheepdog with a passion for surfing.
* Postie (voiced by Anthony Field), a Catahoula Leopard Dog who works as a post office employee.
	+ Field also voices Rusty's Dad, a Red Kelpie who is in the army.
* Jack's Mum and Dad (voiced by Zoë Foster Blake and Hamish Blake), a pair of Jack Russell Terriers.
* Alfie (voiced by Robert Irwin), a dingo who works as a customer service assistant at the toy store.
* Bella / Coco's Mum (voiced by Leigh Sales), a pink poodle and Coco's mother, who is friends with Chilli.
* Whale Documentary Narrator (voiced by Natalie Portman), the narrator of a whale documentary that Bluey and Bingo watch together.
* Major Tom (voiced by Lin-Manuel Miranda), a horse next to Bluey's school which is given a voice within Calypso's retelling of events.
* Brandy (voiced by Rose Byrne), Chilli's older sister, a Red Heeler, who has been absent from the Heeler family for four years.
* The Terriers' Mum (voiced by Carrie Bickmore), the single mother of the triplet Miniature Schnauzers.

## Episodes

Main article: Timeline-YATAD/Bluey/Episodes

## Reception

### Critical reception

*Bluey* has received positive critical reception. The series received a seal of approval from Common Sense Media, with reviewer Emily Ashby commending its positive family and social themes. *Bluey* was praised by Philippa Chandler of *The Guardian* for its "sharp script" and depiction of everyday family life, while commenting that its Queensland background set it apart from other cartoons on television. Readers of *The New York Times*'s parenting blog submitted *Bluey* as their favourite children's show, describing it as charming, smart and "very real". The series was called "laugh-out-loud funny" by Stephanie Convery of *The Guardian*, who credited its humour to the "quirky behaviour" of the child characters. In 2005, *TV Week* listed *Bluey* at number 98 in its list of the 101 greatest Australian television shows of all time. Despite only being on air since 2004, the magazine wrote that Bluey "stole Australia's hearts faster than any other cartoon character" in what it described as a "cute, funny and modern" series. The series was listed at number 14 in *Junkee*'s list of 50 television programs that defined the decade, in which it was described as "an absolute delight". In a list published by *Rolling Stone* of the top 100 sitcoms of all time, *Bluey* was listed at number 96, the only Australian series to be featured. The episode "Sleepytime" has been well received, with director Richard Jeffery winning an Australian Directors' Guild Award in 2021, and the episode winning the 2022 Prix Jeunesse International Award in the category of TV – Up to 6 Years Fiction (Children's).

The series received praise for its constructive parenting messages and depiction of Bandit Heeler as a positive father figure. The character was commended for his patient nature, willingness to do housework and play with his children. Jennifer McClellan of *USA Today* described Bandit as "sarcastic, sympathetic and silly". He has been received as "more emotionally intelligent" than the father from *Peppa Pig*. Reporters for *The Guardian* wrote that the show's messages about parenting align with published literature on parental wellbeing, noting how the show depicts the importance of play and learning social skills in child development. McClellan acknowledged the family dynamic of the characters; she described Chilli as the "voice of reason" and noted how Bluey and Bingo learn to navigate their sibling relationship. Convery commented that the sisters are accurate depictions of children, and that the roles of the parents are not presented as stereotypical of their respective genders. The series has also received online praise for its representation of attention deficit issues through the character of Jack, and the inclusion of Auslan through Dougie, a profoundly deaf character.

The website of the series was criticised for, in the character description of Chilli, suggesting that her return to part-time work prevents her from being as involved a parent as other mothers; the description was later altered. A separate incident saw an apology issued by the ABC in August 2020 in relation to the usage of the term "ooga booga" in the episodes "Teasing" and "Flat Pack", which was described as a term with "racial connotations and a problematic history for Indigenous Australians" through a viewer complaint. The ABC claimed that the term had only been intended as "irreverent rhyming slang made up by children", and has stated that it maintains its commitment to addressing discrimination. The two episodes were temporarily removed from rotations before being edited to remove the term, which prompted mixed reactions from viewers. Additionally, the episode "Exercise" was criticised on social media due to viewers perceiving a scene as fat-shaming; the episode was later edited to remove the scene.