Bluey (2018 TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bluey
Genre	Preschool
Created by	Joe Brumm
Directed by	Richard Jeffery (animation) Joe Brumm (series)
Voices of	David McCormack Melanie Zanetti
Composer(s)	Joff Bush David Barber
Country of origin	Australia
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	103
Production
Executive producer(s)	Charlie Aspinwall Daley Pearson Michael Carrington (ABC) Henrietta Hurford-Jones (BBC)
Producer(s)	Sam Moor
Editor(s)	Michael Griffin
Running time	7 minutes
Production company(s)	Ludo Studio
Distributor	BBC Studios
Release
Original network	ABC Kids
Original release	1 October 2018 (2018-10-01) – present

Bluey is a popular Australian cartoon show for young children. It first aired on ABC Kids in Australia on October 1, 2018. The show was created by Joe Brumm and made by Ludo Studio in Queensland, Australia.

The series is about a six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy named Bluey. She is full of energy, loves to imagine, and is very curious. Bluey lives with her dad, Bandit; her mum, Chilli; and her younger sister, Bingo. Bingo often joins Bluey on fun, imaginative adventures. Other characters in the show are also different dog breeds.

Bluey focuses on important themes like family, growing up, and Australian culture. The show is set in Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, and you can see many parts of Brisbane in the animation.

The show has been very popular in Australia. It has also led to toys, books, and even a live stage show. Bluey has won several awards, including a Logie Award and an International Emmy Kids Award. Critics praise the show for showing a realistic family life and for having Bandit as a great dad figure.

Characters

The child characters in Bluey are voiced by children of the show's creators. Their names are not usually shared.

Main Characters

• Bluey Heeler: She is a six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy. Bluey is very curious and always full of energy.
• Bingo Heeler: Bluey's four-year-old younger sister. She is a Red Heeler puppy.
• Bandit Heeler / Dad (voiced by David McCormack): He is Bluey and Bingo's dad, a Blue Heeler. He works as an archaeologist.
• Chilli Heeler / Mum (voiced by Melanie Zanetti): She is Bluey and Bingo's mum, a Red Heeler. She works part-time at airport security.

Other Characters You'll See Often

• Muffin Heeler: Bluey and Bingo's three-year-old Blue Heeler cousin.
• Socks Heeler: Bluey and Bingo's one-year-old cousin and Muffin's sister. She is still learning to walk and talk.
• Chloe: A kind Dalmatian and Bluey's best friend.
• Lucky: An energetic golden Labrador. He is Bluey's next-door neighbour and loves sports.
• Honey: A thoughtful beagle who is Bluey's friend. She can be a bit shy sometimes.
• Mackenzie: An adventurous Border Collie from New Zealand. He is Bluey's friend from school.
• Coco: A pink poodle who is Bluey's friend. She can sometimes be impatient during games.
• Snickers: A dachshund who is Bluey's friend. He is very interested in science.
• Jack: A lively Jack Russell Terrier. He has some trouble sitting still and remembering things.
• Rusty: A Red Kelpie from the countryside. His dad is in the army.
• Indy: An imaginative and outspoken Afghan Hound.
• Uncle Stripe Heeler (voiced by Dan Brumm): Bandit's younger brother and Muffin and Socks' dad.
• Aunt Trixie Heeler (voiced by Myf Warhurst): Uncle Stripe's wife and Muffin and Socks' mum.
• 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 who lives next door to the Heelers. He often joins in their games.
• Chris Heeler / Nana (voiced by Chris Brumm): Bandit and Stripe's mum, and Bluey and Bingo's grandma.
• Bob Heeler (voiced by Ian McFadyen): Bandit and Stripe's dad, and Bluey and Bingo's grandpa.
• Uncle Rad Heeler (voiced by Patrick Brammall): Bandit and Stripe's brother. He works on an oil rig.
• Frisky (voiced by Claudia O'Doherty): Bluey's godmother. She becomes friends with Uncle Rad.

Special Guest Voices

• Surfer (voiced by Layne Beachley): A Shetland Sheepdog who loves surfing.
• Postie (voiced by Anthony Field): A Catahoula Leopard Dog who works at the post office.
• 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 shop assistant at the toy store.

Themes in Bluey

A main idea in Bluey is how important a supportive family is. This is shown in the loving relationships between Bluey, Bingo, Bandit, and Chilli. The Heeler family is shown as a typical family unit.

The show tries to show how parents live today. Both Bandit and Chilli are working parents. Bandit is an archaeologist, and Chilli works part-time at the airport. The show highlights how modern dads like Bandit help with housework and play with their kids. Chilli balances her work and family life. Both parents are shown to understand and accept their children's feelings.

Jacaranda trees are featured in the series as an example of flora in Australia.

The series also explores Australian culture. It is set in Queensland, which has a warm climate. The houses in the show look like typical Brisbane homes with verandas. The characters speak with Australian accents. The show also uses a lot of Australian humour.

Many episodes show Australia's climate and nature. You can see Australian animals like fruit bats, wallabies, and kookaburras. Australian plants like Jacaranda trees are also shown.

The show teaches that play is very important for children. Bluey and Bingo often use their imagination during everyday activities. Their parents also join in the games. Through play, the children learn important lessons. They learn about following rules, how technology affects them, and even about money. The show's creators say that feelings like jealousy and regret are explored through the games. These feelings create the main challenges in the show.

The character Jack has attention deficit issues. He mentions that he "can't sit still or remember anything." Many parents praised the show for including a character with these challenges.

Episodes

The first series of Bluey started in Australia on October 1, 2018. It had 26 episodes that aired daily. The next 25 episodes of the first series began airing in April 2019. The last episode of the first series was a Christmas special in December 2019.

A second series of 52 episodes was announced in May 2019. It premiered on March 17, 2020. The first 26 episodes aired daily. The rest of the episodes started airing in October 2020, including another Christmas special. A third series was officially announced in October 2020.

List of Bluey (2018 TV series) episodes

How Bluey Was Released

On TV and Streaming

In June 2019, The Walt Disney Company bought the rights to show Bluey around the world. They planned to show it on Disney Junior and Disney+. This was for all countries except Australia, New Zealand, and China.

The series first aired on Disney Junior in the United States on September 9, 2019. It then came to Disney+ on January 22, 2020. In the United Kingdom, it started on October 1, 2020. The show kept its original Australian voices when it aired overseas. The second series started on Disney Channel in the United States on July 10, 2020. In New Zealand, Bluey started on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ OnDemand in October 2019.

DVDs and Digital Copies

The first Bluey DVDs were released in Australia by BBC Studios in October 2019. More volumes followed in late 2019 and early 2020. Six digital volumes were also released in the United States starting in July.

How Many People Watch Bluey

Bluey has been very popular on ABC Kids in Australia. It was the most-watched children's show in 2018 and 2019. One episode, "Baby Race," had 459,000 viewers in November 2020. This made it one of the most-watched shows on free-to-air TV.

In March 2019, Bluey became the most downloaded show ever on ABC's streaming service, ABC iview. It had 21.3 million plays. Within a year, this number grew to 152 million. By May 2020, the first series had been played 261 million times. The second series had 43 million plays by May 2020.

Awards and Nominations

Other Bluey Fun

Books

In April 2019, BBC Studios and Penguin Random House Australia teamed up to publish Bluey books. The first three books, "The Beach," "Fruit Bat," and "Time to Play," came out in November 2019. These books quickly became bestsellers in Australia. By January 2020, they had sold 350,000 copies. By June 2020, the first nine books had sold over 1 million copies. In September 2020, the book partnership grew to include releases in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Toys and Merchandise

Moose Toys became the official toy partner for Bluey in June 2019. They planned to release toys in Australia by the end of 2019, and later in the United States. Plush toys of Bluey and Bingo were released in November. A set of character figures came out in December. The Bluey plush toy was a top seller for Christmas 2019. Demand for the Bingo plush toy was so high that stores couldn't keep enough in stock. By December, over 100,000 plush toys had been sold in Australia. The toys launched in the United States in June 2020.

In January 2020, Bluey partnered with Bonds to create a children's clothing line. This included pyjamas and socks. A wider range of clothing was available in March. In May 2020, adult pyjamas were released through Peter Alexander stores. These became the fastest-selling collection in the store's history. A monthly Bluey magazine was also launched in May.

Live Stage Show

A live stage show based on Bluey was announced in November 2019. The show, called Bluey's Big Play, will tour many theatres across Australia. It will feature the characters from the series. The tour was supposed to start in May 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After restrictions eased, the show began performances in January 2021.

See also

In Spanish: Bluey (serie de televisión) para niños