Bluey

**Bluey** is an animated children's television series created by **Joe Brumm** with the Queensland production group, **Ludo Studio**, commissioned by the **Australian Broadcasting Corporation** and the **British Broadcasting Corporation**, with **BBC Studios** holding global distribution and merchandising rights. The series premiered on **ABC Kids** on October 1, 2018 and on **Disney Junior** on September 9, 2019. The series was also released internationally on **Disney+**.

**Viewership**

**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 won a **Logie Award** for **Most Outstanding Children's Program** in 2019 as well as an **International Emmy Kids Award**. 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. **Bluey** was renewed for a third series in October 2020.

## Premise

The show features Bluey, a cheerful six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy who is characterized by her abundance of energy, imagination and curiosity of the world. She lives with her father, Bandit; mother, Chilli; and younger sister, Bingo, who join her 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.

## Characters

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

**Main:**

* **Bluey Heeler -** a six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy. She is curious and energetic. She turned seven years old in "**Pass The Parcel**". Bluey's middle name is Christine, as revealed in the episode "**Family Meeting**". She is a secret agent in "**Spygame**".
* **Bingo Heeler -** a four-year-old Red Heeler puppy who is Bluey's younger sister. She loves to play with Bluey. Her favorite toy is her stuffed bunny, Floppy. Bingo turned five years old in "**Handstand**".
* **Bandit Heeler/Dad -** the Blue Heeler father of Bluey and Bingo and the husband of Chilli. He is so good at exercising and playing football.
* **Chilli Heeler/Mum -** the Red Heeler mother of Bluey and Bingo and the wife of Bandit. She works part-time in airport security.

**Supporting:**

* **Muffin Heeler -** Bluey and Bingo's cousin. She is very hyper and energetic. Muffin's middle name is Cupcake, as revealed in the episode "**Faceytalk**". She wants a tutu in "**Charades**".
* **Socks Heeler -** Bluey and Bingo's cousin and Muffin's sister, who is still learning to walk on two legs and talk. In "**Christmas Swim**", she walked on two legs and started talking, signaling her growth.
* **Chloe -** a kind and gentle Dalmatian who is Bluey's best friend.
* **Lucky -** an energetic golden Labrador who is Bluey's next door neighbor. 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. She is very thoughtful, mindful and assertive.
* **Mackenzie -** a black and white Border Collie who is Bluey's friend from school. He is originally from New Zealand. He is very quick and sociable. He is so angry in the episode "**Shops**". He meets Bingo.
* **Coco -** a pink poodle who is Bluey's friend. She is sometimes impatient when playing games. She is also enthusiastic.
* **Snickers -** a dachshund who is Bluey's friend. He has an interest in science.
* **Jack -** a lively Jack Russell Terrier with attention deficit issues.
* **Rusty -** a Red Kelpie from the bush, who's father is in the army. He can ride a motorcycle.
* **Indy -** an imaginative and free-spoken Afghan Hound. It is revealed that she can't eat wheat, gluten, sugar, dairy or foods with added ingredients, possibly due to her allergies or religion.
* **Judo -** Bluey's friend, neighbor and the daughter of her mother, Wendy. She is a Japanese Spitz breed. Judo can sometimes be bossy and impatient when it comes to playing.
* **Winton -** an obedient dog breed. He mentions that his parents don't live together and are separated, which probably means that they could be divorced.
* **Pretzel -** a Chihuahua. He is a student of Calypso's school.
* **Jean-Luc -** a Labrador who speaks France, and has a crush on Bluey.
* **Uncle Stripe Heeler -** Bandit's younger brother and the father of Muffin and Socks.
* **Aunt Trixie Heeler -** Uncle Stripe's wife and the mother of Muffin and Socks.
* **Indy's Mum -** an Afghan Hound who sells sugar free cakes at the market.
* **Mrs. Retriever -** a Golden Retriever and Bingo's kindergarten teacher.
* **Calypso -** a Blue Merle Australian Shepherd and Bluey's school teacher.
* **Pat/Lucky's Dad -** Labrador Retriever and Lucky's father, who lives next door to the Heelers, and often involves himself in their gameplay.
* **Wendy -** the mother of Judo. She is occasionally a witness to, and disturbed by, the antics of the neighbors, especially the Heeler family. She is greeted with a dialogue line, which is "Morning, Wendy". She is a Japanese Spitz breed. In Season 3, she becomes more open to being involved and joining the antics and adventures of the Heeler Family, as seen in the episodes "**Sheepdog**" and '**Ragdoll**".
* **Winton's Dad -** the father of his son, Winton. He and his mum are currently divorced.
* **Chris Heeler/Nana Heeler -** Stripe and Bandit's mother and grandmother to their children.
* **Bob Heeler -** Stripe and Bandit's father and grandfather to their children. He made his first appearance in "**Grannies**".
* **Radley Heeler -** Stripe and Bandit's brother, Chilli and Trixie's brother in-law, and the uncle of Bluey, Bingo, Muffin and Socks. He once babysat Bluey and Bingo, along with his friend, Frisky, when they were accidently booked to babysit the girls.
* **Frisky -** a friend of Rad and the godmother of Bluey.
* **Bella -** Coco's mother. It is revealed that she is a mother of nine children. She also has a husband.
* **Daisy -** Honey's mother. She is a Beagle. She is the wife of her husband, Marcus.
* **Marcus -** Honey's father. He is a Beagle and the husband of his wife, Daisy.
* **Mort/Grandad -** Chilli's father, Bandit's father in-law and Bluey and Bingo's maternal grandfather. He served in the army when he was a young-mid adult, and had a heart operation.

**Minor:**

* **Surfer -** a Shetland Sheepdog with a passion for surfing.
* **Rocko -** a Basset Hound. He is one of Bandit's closest friends.
* **The Terriers -** a pack of terrier triplet brothers who are unstoppable by nature.
* **Busker -** A musician. He plays all kinds of different instruments at different venues. His name is referred to as "Busker" and has no known name.
* **Gruber -** a German Shepherd. He helps his dad sell German sausages.
* **Sadie -** a Siberian husky pup who is a student of Ms. Retriever's kindergarten class.
* **Bentley -** a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She is a student of Ms. Retriever's kindergarten class.
* **Juniper -** a Shiba Inu. She is a student of Ms. Retriever's kindergarten class. Juniper is also the daughter of her mother.
* **Lila -** a Maltese who attends Ms. Retriever's kindergarten class. She and Bingo are friends.
* **Harley -** a Japanese Akita. She is a student of Ms. Retriever's kindergarten class. As seen in "Bob Bilby", she does karate.
* **Jasper W -** a Rottweiler. He is a student of Ms. Retriever's kindergarten class.
* **Missy -** A Shih Tzu. She is a student of Ms. Retriever's kindergarten class. Missy is normally shy, but she can be super brave if she's ready for big challenges.
* **Buddy -** a Pug who is Bluey's friend. He is a student of Ms. Retriever's kindergarten class. He is usually seen painting and picking his nose.
* **Zara -** a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She is a student of Ms. Retriever's kindergarten class and is the sister of Bentley.
* **Pom-Pom -** a Teacup Pomeranian. She is an energetic puppy and will participate in whatever situation Bluey is pulling off.
* **Postie -** a Catahoula Leopard Dog who works as a post office employee.
* **Rusty's Dad -** A Red Kelpie who is in the army and is the father of Rusty.
* **Jack's Mum And Dad -** a pair of Jack Russell Terriers and the parents of Jack.
* **Lulu/Jack's Sister -** a Russell Terrier and the younger sister of Jack. She is sometimes sassy to Jack.
* **Alfie -** a customer service assistant who works at the toy store.
* **Hercules -** a Saint Bernard. He is a little bit of a bully, when he forced Bingo, Winton, and Coco to pretend to be his motorcycle obstacles to jump over in the episode "**Circus**".
* **Winnie -** an English Cocker Spaniel who is Bluey's friend when they first met. She is the daughter of her father, Fido. She likes budgies.
* **Fido -** an English Cocker Spaniel. He is the father of Winnie and her sister.
* **Mia -** a English Settler and is Bluey's school buddy. Mia seems to be very nice, kind, loving, smart and very caring. But sometimes she is innatentive, distracted, a little impatient and careless. She is 12-years old and is in sixth grade. Mia can do cartwheels, just like Bluey, but she can also do the splits and land in them.
* **Captain -** an American Foxhound and Mackenzie's school buddy. His favorite fruits are mangoes. He is 12-years old and is in sixth grade, similar to Mia.
* **Doreen -** a neighbor of Bluey.
* **Maynard -** an Irish Wolfhound. He owns a canoe, as seen in "Grandad".
* **Supermarket Checkout Lady -** a Poodle.
* **Chloe's Mum -**Chloe's mother.
* **Customer -** a Kooikerhondje.
* **Customer 2 -** a Basenji.
* **Docket Boy -** a Catahoula Leopard Dog.
* **Doctor -** a Terrier.
* **Frank -** Chloe's father.
* **Gruber's Dad -** Gruber's father.
* **Jasper -** a Doberman. He is a student of Mrs. Retriever's kindergarten class.
* **Jean-Luc's Dad -** Jean-Luc's father.
* **Jean-Luc's Mum -** Jean-Luc's mother.
* **Juniper's Mum -** Juniper's mother.
* **Fozzie -** Mackenzie's father.
* **Mackenzie's Mum -** Mackenzie's mother.
* **Nurse -** a Greyhound.
* **Poffertje Dog -** a Kooikerhondje.
* **Pony Lady -** a Cockapoo.
* **Snickers' Mum -** Snickers' mother.
* **Takeaway Lady -** a Siberian Husky.
* **Vet Corgi -** a Corgi.
* **Alfie's Boss -** a Presa Canario.
* **Customer 3 -** a Whippet.
* **Hammerbarn Checkout Dog -** a Maremma Sheepdog.
* **Doctor 2 -** a Schnauzer.
* **Hammerbarn Employee -** a Labrador.
* **Ice Cream Lady -** an English Cocker Spaniel.
* **Sheila -** Lila's mother.
* **Pom Pom's Mum -** Pom Pom's mother.
* **Brandy -** Chilli's older sister, Mort's daughter, Bandit's sister-in-law, and Bluey and Bingo's maternal aunt.
* **Bucky Dunstan**
* **Buddy's Mum -** Buddy's mother.
* **Cherry**
* **Chilli's Mum -** Chilli and Brandy's mother, Mort's wife, Bandit's mother-in-law, and Bluey and Bingo's maternal grandmother.
* **Chippy**
* **Chucky -** Lucky's brother.
* **Cookie -** a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
* **Digger -** Rusty's brother.
* **Dougie -** a Labradoodle.
* **Dougie's Mum -** Dougie's mother.
* **Dusty -** Rusty's sister.
* **Jasper's Mum -** Jasper's mother.
* **Lila's Brother -** Lila's brother.
* **Major Tom -** a Horse.
* **Missy's Mum -** Missy's mother.
* **Rich J. -** an English Cocker Spaniel.
* **Rusty's Mum -** Rusty's mother.
* **Shanelle -** Lucky's mother.
* **Sparky**
* **Ziggy**

## Development

In July 2017, **The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)** and the **British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)**, co-commissioned **Bluey** as an animated series for preschool children to be developed by **Queensland** production company **Ludo Studio**. The production received funding from **Screen Australia** and **Screen Queensland**, with the setting of the series drawing upon the unique semi-tropical Queensland climate. Created by **Joe Brumm**, the series was inspired by his experience in raising two daughters. Joe wanted to portray the importance of children participating in imaginative play, creating the title character, Bluey as a cattle dog to give the series an Australian voice. Joe had previously worked on children's television programs in the United Kingdom as a freelance animator and decided to create Bluey as a replica of the program **Peppa Pig** for an Australian audience. He conceived the idea independently in 2016, and produced a one-minute animation pilot through his company studio Joho, with a small team in their spare time. Joe approached Ludo Studio to develop the series; co-founders **Charlie Aspinwall** and **Daley Pearson** pitched the pilot at conferences such as **MIPCOM** in France. Joe Brumm had once stated that the pilot contained some "dangerous" character behaviors which drew the attention of studio executives. Pearson expressed that it was difficult to pitch the series as it was not high-concept; but rather "just a show about family and games".

The studio developed a five-minute animation sample that was pitched at the **Asian Animation Summit** in Brisbane in 2016, and was thereby noticed by ABC and BBC executives. Michael Carrington of the ABC viewed the presentation and secured $20,000 of funding for the studio to produce a refined, seven-minute pilot. The new animation pilot was presented at the Asian Animation Summit in 2017. The two networks officially ordered 52 seven-minute episodes of **Bluey**, with the BBC investing 30% of the funding and acquiring the global rights for distribution and merchandising. The series was produced entirely in Australia by a local team, many of whom were first-time animators from Brisbane. The program was announced to premiere in Australia on **ABC Kids**, followed by **CBeebies**.

## Production

The stories featured in Bluey depict Bluey and Bingo engaging in imaginative play. Joe Brumm wanted to show that self-directed and unstructured play is natural in shaping children and allowing them to develop. He consulted research based on socio-dramatic play, reading the works of Sara Smilansky and Vivian Paley, who both had backgrounds in early childhood education. The episodes show the parents as guides for their children, who allow them to explore their immediate surroundings independently, giving them opportunities to practice adult roles. Brumm drew inspiration for scripts from his own experiences in watching his daughters play, which he described was "as natural to them as breathing". The program's scripts show how children can use gameplay to learn lessons and integrate the world of adults into their own; Brumm noticed how his children would recreate interactions such as visits to the doctor, through roleplay. Pearson stated that gameplay represents children's first experiences of collaboration, cooperation, responsibility and emotions such as jealousy. Brumm discovered the importance of play-based learning after his daughter struggled with formal education, which led him to exclude elements of literacy and numeracy in Bluey and focus on the depiction of life skills. Brumm stated that he wanted the series to depict his experience as a parent rather than aim for children to be explicitly taught something. His creative aims were to make children laugh, and show parents what children can learn while engaged in play.

The characters of Bluey each represent a particular dog breed, some of which are drawn from Brumm's personal life. Brumm had a Blue Heeler named Bluey throughout his childhood, in addition to a Dalmatian named Chloe. Bandit is based on a Blue Heeler belonging to his father's friend. Bandit's career as an archaeologist was inspired by Brumm's older sibling, Adam.

Brumm writes the majority of episode scripts, with Aspinwall labelling the series as an "observational" show, depicting Brumm's family life; and producer Sam Moor describing it as "Brumm's life on screen". Brumm's process for writing sometimes begins with making notes about his family's experiences; including games his children play and the conflict that arises between them. For this reason, Brumm has described the process as a challenge for other writers on the series. Moor stated that there are few writers besides Brumm, mostly animators already working on the series. The program was designed to be a co-viewing experience for parents and their children to enjoy together. Brumm described the process of writing each episode as "a chance to make a short film". The conflict and humour in the episodes stems from Bandit's relationship with his daughters. Bluey has been described as "rough and tumble" by Pearson, with both her and Bingo being seen to subvert the stereotypes of female characters, but rather have the characteristics of real puppies. This has led to uninformed viewers questioning if the characters are boys or girls. Pearson has credited the decision of Bluey and Bingo being girls to resemble the real families of Brumm, Aspinwall and McCormack. In relation to the humour of the series, Brumm has stated there is a lot of physical activity and "craziness".

## Storyboarding And Animation

**Bluey** is animated in-house at **Ludo Studio** in **Brisbane**, in **Fortitude Valley**, where approximately 50 people work on the program. **Costa Kassab** serves as the art director of the series, who has been credited to drawing the locations of the series which are based on real places in Brisbane, including parks and shopping centers. Brumm determines the specific locations which are to be included. Post-production of the series takes place externally in South Brisbane.

Approximately fifteen episodes of the series are developed by the studio at any one time across a range of production stages. After story ideas are conceived, the script-writing process takes place for up to two months. The episodes are then storyboarded by artists, who produce 500 to 800 drawings over three weeks while consulting the writer's script. After the storyboard is finished, a black and white animatic is produced, to which the dialogue recorded independently by voice artists is added. The episodes are then worked on for four weeks by animators, background artists, designers, and layout teams. The entire production team views a near-completed episode of Bluey on a Friday. Pearson stated that over time, the viewings developed into test screenings, with members of production bring their family, friends and children to watch the episode. The complete production process for an episode takes three months.

During the lockdown period of the 2019–20 COVID-19 pandemic, the production staff of 50 were required to work on the episodes remotely from home. A crew of three remained working on the series at the studio. After restrictions eased in May, this number increased to ten and later 20.

## Casting

The series features **David McCormack**, from the band **Custard**, as the voice of Bluey's father, **Bandit**. He was initially approached to read what he assumed would only be "a couple of lines", but ended up voicing Bandit for the entire pilot. McCormack performs his voice work for the series remotely in Sydney, which is then sent to the production company in Brisbane. He stated that he does not hear any other voice actors or view footage while recording, and that he doesn't alter his own voice to produce Bandit's dialogue. Melanie Zanetti provides the voice of Bluey's mother, Chilli; she became interested in the series after reading the script for the pilot.

Brumm's mother, Chris Brumm, voices Nana Heeler, while his younger brother, Dan Brumm, voices Uncle Stripe, as well as working as a sound designer on the series. The child characters of the series, including Bluey and Bingo, are voiced by some of the children of the program's production crew.

Musician and songwriter Megan Alexanda Washington voices Bluey's school teacher, Calypso.

## Music

Joff Bush serves as one of the primary composers of Bluey, writing half of the soundtrack himself and leading a group of additional composers, including David Barber. Bush graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium, where he met Peterson, and before Bluey worked on series such as **The Family Law and Australian Survivor**. Bush has stated that each episode has its own unique musical style, and he likes to become involved in the episodes as they are scripted. Live instruments are regularly played for the recordings. Every episode of Bluey is individually scored, a decision made by Brumm, who was inspired by the original compositions for **Charlie And Lola** while working on the series in the United Kingdom.

Classical music is regularly used throughout the underscore, with pieces such as Beethoven's "**Ode to Joy**" and Mozart's "**Rondo Alla Turca** (from Sonata No. 11)" being interpreted by composers. Bush composed the theme song for Bluey and was nominated for two APRA Screen Music Awards, in 2019 for the soundtrack of the episode "Teasing" and in 2020 for "Flat Pack". The music for Bluey is licensed by **Universal Music Publishing** on behalf of **BBC Worldwide Music Publishing**. It was announced that Bush was developing a music album for Bluey in July 2019. The album is scheduled to be released in late 2020.

The soundtrack features arrangements of songs from the first series of the program, including the scores of episodes "**Keepy Uppy**", "**Grannies**", "**The Pool**" and "**The Creek**". It contains original compositions as well as arrangements of classical pieces such as "**John Ryan's Polka**" and "**Pachelbel's Canon**". The first half of the album features upbeat songs, while the later tracks featured are the softer compositions. The vocals by **Helena Czajka** and **Jazz D'Arcy** are featured on "**I Know a Place (The Creek Song)**".

**Bluey: The Album**

**Bluey: The Album** is a soundtrack album from the children's Australian series, **Bluey**, which was released January 22, 2021 by Demon Records. The album features 17 tracks from the first season of the series. Prior to the album's release, pre-orders for the soundtrack were open on December 4, 2020, with the release date being revealed. The single, "Keepy Uppy" was also released alongside the album announcement. The complete soundtrack was released on January 22, 2021, digitally and physically, in a gatefold digipack sleeve with complementary stickers. The cover art was designed by Joe Brumm.

1. **Bluey Theme Tune (Instrumental Parade)**
2. **Keepy Uppy**
3. **Here Come The Grannies!**
4. **A Message From The Fairies (John Ryan's Polka)**
5. **Taxi**
6. **The Claw (Pachelbel's Canon)**
7. **Pool**
8. **Who Likes To Dance?**
9. **Bluey Theme Tune (Extended)**
10. **The Weekend**
11. **Wagon Ride**
12. **Camping**
13. **Fruit Bat**
14. **The Creek (Intro)**
15. **Creek Is Beautiful**
16. **I Know A Place (The Creek Song)**
17. **Bluey Theme Tune**

## Themes

A central theme of the series is the influence of a supportive family; this is reflected in the relationships between Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli. The Heeler family are presented as a nuclear family. Brumm was eager to reflect contemporary parenting practices, with both adults shown to be working parents; Bandit as an archaeologist and Chilli working part-time in airport security. Bethany Hiatt of **The West Australian** explains that the series depicts the realities of modern day fatherhood, with Bandit seen regularly doing housework and engaging in imaginative play with his children. Chilli's role as a mother is explored as she balances both work and family life. Both parents are shown to acknowledge and validate the emotions of their children, such as Bluey's distress after the death of a bird. Bluey and Bingo are shown to navigate their sibling relationship throughout the episodes, learning how to work together, compromise, and resolve conflicts. Episodes detail the family's contemporary domestic lifestyle, with Philippa Chandler of **The Guardian** describing the series as "social realism".

The series also explores Australian culture, and is set in subtropical Queensland. The animation of Australian architecture in the series is designed to reflect the typical residential designs of Brisbane; high-set suburban dwellings with characteristic verandas, against representations of Brisbane skylines. The characters speak with Australian accents in local and international airings. The series has a focus on the Australian sense of humor with dry wit frequently expressed through the dialogue. Several episodes detail the exploration of Australia's climate and nature. The characters encounter Australian wildlife such as fruit bats, wallabies, kookaburras and ibises. Flora of Australia specific to Brisbane are also depicted in the series, including Poinciana trees and Jacaranda trees. Brumm expressed that he didn't want to exaggerate the stereotypes of Australia.

The series advocates the importance of play throughout childhood. Bluey and Bingo are the vehicle used to display this theme; the episode "Trampoline" features Bandit imploring Bluey to continue creating new games to play. The siblings engage in imaginative play during "mundane" activities such as visiting the doctor or going to the supermarket. The parents are shown to engage in the play with their children. Bluey and Bingo also engage in imaginative play with their friends; learning lessons such as the importance of following the rules. The characters also learn lessons such as the influence of technology, the economy and personal finance through their gameplay. Pearson has stated that the characters experience emotions such as jealousy and regret through their gameplay. He commented that, while there is no antagonist in the series, these emotions form the central conflicts of the program.

The character of Jack is shown to have attention deficit issues; he states that he "can't sit still or remember anything". Upon the online character announcement, parents praised the representation of children with attention deficit issues.

## Episodes

The first series premiered in Australia on ABC Kids on October 1, 2018, with 26 episodes airing daily throughout October. The following 25 episodes of the series began airing on April 1, 2019. The final episode of the first series, a Christmas special, aired on December 12, 2019. It was reported in March 2019 that production had begun on a second series of 52 episodes; the order was officially announced in May. The second series premiered on March 17, 2020, with the first 26 episodes airing daily, through April. The remaining episodes began airing on October 25, 2020, and it included another Christmas special which aired on December 1, 2020, and an Easter special airing on April 4, 2021. Preliminary discussions for the third series had begun by April 2020; the series order was made official in October. The third season began airing on September 5th, 2021, with a Father's Day themed special, followed by further new episodes that is set to air on November 22, 2021. New episodes were planned for the second half of Season 3 and are yet to be announced soon.

A pilot episode was launched in 2016, only featuring the Heeler Family and no other characters, with Bandit and Chilli having beta designs in contrast to their final designs. The short film was remade into "The Weekend" for Season 1, much to both of the plots being similar. According to Joe Brumm's interview, an **earlier pilot** was produced in **2014**. The pilot screened Bandit (different voice actor) pushing Bluey on a swing that causes her to perform a full 360 act. **Joe Brumm** stated "**It had some dangerous stuff in it**. **It was just unsafe**. **You could never put that on kids TV**". The pilot has never been released to the public, due to Bandit's dangerous acts.

**List of Bluey episodes...**

## Reception

Bluey has enjoyed a 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 favorite 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 humor to the "**quirky behavior**" of the child characters. In 2019, **TV Week** listed Bluey at No. 98 in its list of the 101 greatest Australian television shows of all time. Despite only being on air since 2018, 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 No. 14 in Junkee's list of 50 television programs that defined the decade, in which it was described as "**an absolute delight**".

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.

**Controversy**

The website of the series was criticized for, in the character description of **Chilli**, suggesting that her return to part-time work prevented 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 maintained their 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. Decisions to alter the language and re-air the episode have been made for future airings of the two episodes.

## Viewership

Bluey has received consistently high viewership on **ABC Kids** in **Australia**, becoming the most watched children's program across all channels on broadcast television in 2018 and 2019. The highest-rating live broadcast of the program, the first episode of the second series, "Dance Mode", premiered on March 17, 2020 to 458,000 viewers. It was the most watched broadcast across all free-to-air multi-channels, and the eighteenth most watched broadcast overall. In 2019, the series was the most watched through time shifted program on Australian television.

In March 2019, it was reported that Bluey had become the most downloaded program in the history of ABC's video on demand and catch up TV service ABC iview, with 21.3 million total episode plays. Within one year of the show's premiere, this figure had risen to 152 million, and by May 2020, there had been 261 million plays of episodes from the first series. It was also reported that the second series had a total of 43 million episode plays by May. Each episode of the second series had averaged 2.7 million plays by September.

## Books

In April 2019, **BBC Studios** entered a partnership with **Penguin Random House Australia** with a deal to publish three Bluey books before the end of 2019. "The Beach", "Fruit Bat", and a sticker activity book entitled "Time to Play", were released on November 5, 2019. All three books were recognized as the highest-selling releases in the weekly Australian book charts of November 2019, and had sold a combined total of 350,000 copies by January 2020. The combined sales of the first nine books reached 1 million in June 2020. In September 2020, the partnership with **Penguin Random House** was expanded to include global distribution rights, allowing the books to be released in the **United States** and the **United Kingdom**.

* **Bluey - All About Bluey**
* **Bluey - All About Bingo**
* **Bluey - My Dad Is Awesome**
* **Bluey - The Beach**
* **Bluey - Fruit Bat**
* **Bluey - Easter Fun!**
* **Bluey - Fun And Games**
* **Bluey - Hooray, It's Christmas!**
* **Bluey - Big Backyard**
* **Bluey - Mum School**
* **Bluey - Verandah Santa**
* **Bluey - The Pool**
* **Bluey - Time To Play!**
* **Bluey - Let's Play Outside!**
* **Bluey - Bluey And Friends**
* **Bluey - Bob Bilby**
* **Bluey - My Mum Is The Best**
* **Bluey - Grannies**
* **Bluey - The Creek**
* **Bluey - Daddy Putdown**
* **Bluey - At Home With The Heelers**
* **Bluey - Where's Bluey?**
* **Bluey - Bingo**
* **Bluey - Giant Activity Pad**
* **Bluey - Meet Bluey!**
* **Bluey - Charades**
* **Bluey - For Real Life: A Story Collection**
* **Bluey - 2021 Activity Calendar**
* **Bluey - Sleepytime**
* **Bluey - Hammerbarn**
* **Bluey - Camping**
* **Bluey - Christmas Swim**
* **Bluey - Big Book Of Games**

## Merchandise

A toy company by the name of **Moose Toys** was named as the global toy partner for Bluey in June 2019; the company announced that toys would be released in Australia by the end of 2019, and later in the United States. Plush character toys of Bluey and Bingo were released in November, and a character figurine set was released in December. The plush Bluey topped the **Toys "R" Us** release chart of Christmas 2019, while the demand for the plush Bingo exceeded the amount of toys being supplied to stores. By December, over 100,000 plush character toys had been sold in Australia. The toy line was launched in the United States in June 2020.

In January 2020, Bluey partnered with **Bonds** to release a clothing range for children, including pajamas and socks featuring character designs. A more comprehensive clothing range was made available at Australian retailers in March, including clothing, sleepwear and underwear. An range of adult pajamas were released in May 2020 through **Peter Alexander** stores, which became the fastest selling collection in the retailer's history. Commemorative birth certificates featuring Bluey artwork were made available to **Queensland** residents from March. Bauer Media Group released the first issue of a monthly Bluey magazine in May. A lifestyle range of children's furniture was released in June.

**Toys**

* **Bluey - Family Figures** (Featuring Bluey, Chilli, Bingo, and Bandit)
* **Bluey - Friends Figures** (Featuring Bluey, Coco, Snickers, and Honey)
* **Bluey - Cousins** (Featuring Bingo, Socks, and Muffin)
* **Bluey - Pool Time** (Featuring Bluey and Bingo)
* **Bluey - Grannies** (Featuring Bluey and Bingo)
* **Bluey - Heeler 4WD Family Vehicle** (Featuring Bandit)
* **Bluey - Family and Friends Pack** (Featuring Bluey, Bingo, Coco, Muffin, Chilli, Bandit, Snickers, and Rusty)
* **Bluey - Skateboarding** (Featuring Bluey and Bandit)
* **Bluey - Playground Set** (Featuring Bluey)
* **Bluey - Bingo's Playroom Set** (Featuring Bingo)
* **Bluey - Family Home** (Featuring Bluey)
* **Bluey - Family Backyard BBQ** (Featuring Bandit)
* **Bluey - School Figures** (Featuring Bluey, Rusty, Chloe, and Calypso)
* **Bluey - Fancy Restaurant Figures** (Featuring Bluey and Bingo)
* **Bluey - Pool Time Fun Playset** (Featuring Bluey)
* **Bluey - Bluey and Bingo's Scooter Fun Figurines** (Featuring Bluey and Bingo)
* **Bluey - Photo Fun Figurines** (Featuring Bluey, Bingo, and Bob Bilby)
* **Bluey - Bluey and Indy Doctor Checkup Figurines** (Featuring Bluey and Indy)
* **Bluey - Unipony Ride Playset** (Featuring Bluey)
* **Bluey - Ultimate Caravan Adventures** (Featuring Bluey, Jean-Luc, and Bandit)
* **Bluey - Caravan Adventures** (Featuring Bluey and Jean-Luc)
* **Bluey - Work Bandit and Bingo Figurine** (Featuring Bingo and Bandit)
* **Bluey - Queens Bluey and Bingo Figurine** (Featuring Bluey and Bingo)
* **Bluey - Muffin's Cat Squad Bike Figurine** (Featuring Muffin)
* **Bluey - Story Starters Bingo and Dunny** (Featuring Bingo)
* **Bluey - Story Starters Grannies Bingo** (Featuring Bingo)
* **Bluey - Story Starters Grannies Bluey** (Featuring Bluey)
* **Bluey - Story Starters Bluey and Xylophone** (Featuring Bluey)
* **Bluey - Story Starters Honey and Book** (Featuring Honey)
* **Bluey - Story Starters Indy and Salad** (Featuring Indy)
* **Bluey - Story Starters Muffin and Chef Hat** (Featuring Muffin)
* **Bluey - Story Starters Snickers and Water Blaster** (Featuring Snickers)
* **Bluey - 4-pack Figurines New Expressions** (Featuring Bluey, Bingo, Chilli, and Bandit)
* **Bluey - Garbage Truck** (Featuring Bluey and Bin Man)
* **Bluey - Bingo's Ice Cream Cart** (Featuring Bingo)
* **Bluey - Bluey's Bicycle** (Featuring Bluey)
* **Bluey - Bluey Deluxe Park Playset** (Featuring Bluey, Bingo, Rusty, and Indy)
* **Bluey - Bluey Heeler Family and Mates Pack** (Featuring Bluey, Chilli, Bingo, Bandit, Honey, Socks, Chloe, and Indy)
* **Bluey - Bluey Easter Basket**
* **Bluey - Bingo Easter Basket**
* **Bluey - Rusty and Army Hat** (Featuring Rusty)
* **Bluey - Jack and Army Hat** (Featuring Jack)
* **Bluey - Nana and Bluey** (Featuring Bluey, Bartleby, and Nana)
* **Bluey - Sleepy Time Mum and Bingo** (Featuring Bingo, Chilli, and Floppy)
* **Bluey - School Fun Winton and Bluey** (Featuring Bluey and Winton)
* **Bluey - The Terriers**
* **Bluey - Rusty and Bluey's Go Kart** (Featuring Bluey and Rusty)
* **Bluey - Ultimate Lights and Sounds Playhouse** (Featuring Bluey, Bingo, and Chattermax)
* **Bluey - The Show** (Featuring Bingo, Bluey, Chilli, and Bandit)
* **Bluey - Tea Party Lila and Bingo** (Featuring Bingo and Lila)
* **Bluey - Bluey's Bus** (Featuring Bluey and Bingo)
* **Bluey - School Playset** (Featuring Bluey and Chloe)
* **Bluey - Mackenzie and Barky Boat** (Featuring Mackenzie)
* **Bluey - Chloe and Octopus** (Featuring Chloe)
* **Bluey - Coco Plush**
* **Bluey - Muffin Plush**
* **Bluey - Bingo Large Plush**
* **Bluey - Bluey Large Plush**
* **Bluey - Snickers Plush**
* **Bluey - Bluey Small Plush**
* **Bluey - Rusty Plush**
* **Bluey - Bingo Small Plush**
* **Bluey - Take Along Bandit Plush**
* **Bluey - Take Along Chilli Plush**
* **Bluey - Take Along Bingo Plush**
* **Bluey - Take Along Bluey Plush**
* **Bluey - Family Pack Bandit and Bingo Double Pack**
* **Bluey - Family Pack Chilli and Bluey Double Pack**
* **Bluey - Lucky Plush**
* **Bluey - Mackenzie Plush**
* **Bluey - Bluey New Expression Plush**
* **Bluey - Bingo New Expression Plush**
* **Bluey - Bluey Talking Plush**
* **Bluey - Bingo Talking Plush**
* **Bluey - Chloe Plush**
* **Bluey - Bluey Princess Plush**
* **Bluey - Bingo Queen Plush**
* **Bluey - GoGlow Bluey Cuddly Pal**
* **Bluey - Socks Plush**
* **Bluey - Honey Plush**
* **Bluey - Winton Plush**
* **Bluey - Lila Plush**

## Bluey's Big Play

It was revealed that a stage show based on Bluey was being developed in November 2019. The live stage show, titled "Bluey's Big Play", will tour in fifty theatres around Australia and will feature the characters from the series. The tour was initially scheduled to begin in May 2020, but was delayed due to restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. After eased restrictions, two preview performances will be held at the Festival Theatre in Adelaide in December 2020 before further shows across the country into 2021.

## Broadcast

In June 2019, the international broadcasting rights to Bluey were acquired by **The Walt Disney Company**, with plans to premiere the series on the Disney Junior television network and be distributed on the **Disney+** streaming service in all territories (excluding Australia, New Zealand and China) from late 2019. The series premiered on **Disney Junior** in the United States on September 9, 2019 and was later distributed on Disney+ on January 22, 2020 and in the United Kingdom on October 1, 2020. The series notably features the original voice actors while airing overseas, after producers were initially asked to replace the Australian accents of the characters. The second series debuted on Disney Channel in the United States on July 10, 2020. In October 2019, Bluey debuted in New Zealand, airing on **TVNZ 2** and streaming on **TVNZ OnDemand**. The first series made its **Australian Pay-TV** premiere on **CBeebies** on May 4, 2020.

## Home Media

The series was first distributed on DVD in Australia by **BBC Studios**, with the first two volumes, entitled **Magic Xylophone and Other Stories (Vol 1)** and **Horsey Ride and Other Stories (Vol 2)**, that was released on October 30th, 2019. They were followed by the third volume, **The Pool and Other Stories (Vol 3)**, on December 4, 2019, and the fourth volume, **Grannies and Other Stories (Vol 4)**, on January 8, 2020. Further episodes were later made available, with six volumes being released digitally in the United States beginning in July. Four more volumes were released, entitled **Dance Mode And Other Stories (Vol 7)**, **Sticky Gecko And Other Stories (Vol 8)**, **Queens And Other Stories (Vol 9)**, and **Sleepytime And Other Stories (Vol 10)**, that included Bonus Bits. Two more volumes are announced to be released soon, titled **Muffin Cone And Other Stories (Vol 11)**, and **Baby Race And Other Stories (Vol 12)**.

There also has been four DVD boxset volume releases of the series, featuring 3 DVD volumes in each set. **Bluey: Vol-1-3**; Season One, the first half, was released on August 26, 2020. **Bluey: Vol 4-6**; Season One, the second half, was released on February 9, 2021. 2 more volume boxsets were released, titled **Bluey: 7-9**; Season Two, the first half, and **Bluey: 10-12**; Season Two, the second half.

* **Bluey - Magic Xylophone And Other Stories - Volume 1 - DVD**
* **Bluey - Horsey Ride And Other Stories - Volume 2 - DVD**
* **Bluey - The Pool And Other Stories - Volume 3 - DVD**
* **Bluey - Grannies And Other Stories - Volume 4 - DVD**
* **Bluey - Camping And Other Stories - Volume 5 - DVD**
* **Bluey - Asparagus And Other Stories - Volume 6 - DVD**
* **Bluey - Dance Mode And Other Stories - Volume 7 - DVD**
* **Bluey - Sticky Gecko And Other Stories - Volume 8 - DVD**
* **Bluey - Queens And Other Stories - Volume 9 - DVD**
* **Bluey - Sleepytime And Other Stories - Volume 10 - DVD**
* **Bluey - Muffin Cone And Other Stories - Volume 11 - DVD**
* **Bluey - Baby Race And Other Stories - Volume 12 - DVD**
* **Bluey - Volume 1 - 3 - DVD**
* **Bluey - Volume 4 - 6 - DVD**
* **Bluey - Season 2: The First Half: Volume 7-9 - DVD**
* **Bluey - Season 2: The Second Half: Volume 10-12 - DVD**

## Censorship

Since the series' release, several minor and major censorships and editing occurred in order for the series to air internationally.

* The episode "**Markets**" aired a scene where Bluey and Indy encounter a unicorn-like pony named Buttermilk, who poops in front of them. The scene remained on the Australian children's network block, ABC Kids. Recently, the scene was completely edited and removed for the Disney distribution in the U.S.
* Bluey's line "It's a piece of poo" was edited to "It's a slug" on the episode "**Trains**".
* In the episode "**BBQ**", the word "capsicum" is replaced with pepper.
* The episode "**Dad Baby**" never aired on Disney Junior, due to references to pregnancy, despite Bandit and Bluey playing pretend with pregnancy in the episode, although it remained to air on ABC Kids in the Australian release.
* On the Australian version of the episode "**Chickenrat**", Bandit burps when he eats a sauerkraut meal. In the U.S release, He sneezes instead.
* The ending to the episode "**Taxi**", had Bandit exclaim "Oh, Biscuits" in the U.S version. On the Australian version, the episode ends with Bingo as Millicent, pretending to vomit on Bandit.
* The scene in the episode "**Daddy Putdown**", was removed in the Disney distribution of the series, due to Bingo asking Bandit how babies get inside the mother's belly, as it was deemed too cheeky. The scene remains on ABC Kids.
* The episodes "**Teasing**" and "**Flat Pack**" has never aired on Disney Junior due to the controversial racial term "ooga booga". ABC plans to change the dialogue for future re-airings of the episodes.

## Official Youtube Channel

On September 16, 2019, the Official Youtube Channel for the children's Australian series, Bluey, was launched, with its first clip "**Keepy Uppy Experts**". The channel featured "**Bonus Bits**", which are original shorts involving "slice of life" activities with the Heeler Family, as well as other characters from the series. A few of the **Bonus Bits** shorts were also featured on the **Vol. 10** DVD set, **Sleepytime And Other Stories**.

For unknown reasons, the bonus short "**Tongue Twisters**" was removed from the channel shortly after its upload. The short was stated to be removed due to featuring the series' opening sequence at the end of the short.

* **Jingle Bells**
* **Crazy Christmas Lights**
* **Silent Night (short)**
* **Tea Party With Bluey**
* **The Lollipop Song**
* **Tongue Twisters**
* **Flying Saucer**
* **Pea Pod Sausages**
* **Cinderella**
* **10 Green Bottles**
* **Humpty Dumpty**
* **Make Mum Laugh**
* **Honk**
* **Mower**
* **Highball**
* **K9 News**

## Official Website

After the series' release, an official website was launched for Bluey. The site includes two games based off the Season 1 episodes "**Magic Xylophone**" and "**Keepy Uppy**", short episode clips, descriptions of the show's characters and instructions on arts and crafts creations of the Bluey characters, as well as activity games.

## Gallery

Bluey - TV PosterBluey - 2nd TV PosterBluey - Opening Title CardBluey - LogoBluey - Vol 1: Magic Xylophone And Other Stories - DVDBluey - Vol 2: Horsey Ride And Other Stories - DVDBluey - Vol 3: The Pool And Other Stories - DVDBluey - Vol 4: Grannies And Other Stories - DVDBluey - Vol 5: Camping And Other Stories - DVDBluey - Vol 6: Asparagus And Other Stories - DVDBluey - Vol 7: Dance Mode And Other Stories - DVDBluey - Vol 8: Sticky Gecko And Other Stories - DVDBluey: Vol 9: Queens And Other Stories - DVDBluey - Vol 10: Sleepytime And Other Stories - DVD (Bonus Bits)Bluey - Vol: 11 - Muffin Cone And Other Stories - DVDBluey - Vol: 12 - Baby Race And Other Stories - DVDBluey - Vol 1 - 3: DVDBluey - Vol 4 - 6: DVDBluey - Season 2: The First Half: Vol. 7-9 - DVDBluey - Season 2: The Second Half: Vol. 10-12 - DVDBluey - All About Bluey - Board BookBluey - All About Bingo - Board BookBluey - My Dad Is Awesome - Story BookBluey - The Beach - Lift-The-Flap BookBluey - Fruit Bat - Glow-In-The-Dark BookBluey - Easter Fun - Craft BookBluey - Fun And Games - Coloring BookBluey - Hooray, It's Christmas - Sticker Activity BookBluey - Big Backyard - Coloring BookBluey - Mum School - Story BookBluey - Verandah Santa - Story BookBluey - The Pool - Story BookBluey - Time To Play - Sticker Activity BookBluey - Let's Play Outside - Magnet BookBluey - Bluey And Friends - Sticker Activity BookBluey - Bob Bilby - Story BookBluey - My Mum Is The Best - Story BookBluey - Grannies - Story BookBluey - The Creek - Story BookBluey - Daddy Putdown - Hardback Story BookBluey - At Home With The Heelers - Board BookBluey - Where's Bluey? A Search-And-Find BookBluey - Bingo - Jigsaw Puzzle Board BookBluey - Giant Activity Pad - PaperbackBluey - Meet Bluey! Sticker Activity BookBluey - Charades - Lift-The-Flap Book - Board BookBluey - For Real Life: A Story Collection - Hardcover BookBluey - 2021 Activity CalendarBluey - Sleepytime - Story BookBluey - Hammerbarn - Story BookBluey - Camping - Story BookBluey - Christmas Swim - Story BookBluey - Big Book Of Games - Activity BookBluey: The AlbumBluey: The Album - Back Cover