Bluey (TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bluey
Genre	Preschool
Created by	Joe Brumm
Written by	Joe Brumm
Directed by	Joe Brumm (series 1) Richard Jeffery (series 2–3)
Voices of	David McCormack Melanie Zanetti
Composer(s)	Joff Bush
Country of origin	Australia
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	3
No. of episodes	154 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Michael Carrington (series 1) Libbie Doherty (series 2–3) Henrietta Hurford-Jones Charlie Aspinwall Daley Pearson
Producer(s)	Sam Moor
Running time	7 minutes
Production company(s)	Ludo Studio
Release
Original network	ABC Kids
Original release	1 October 2018 (2018-10-01) – present

Bluey is a popular Australian animated TV show for young children. It was created by Joe Brumm and made by Ludo Studio in Queensland, Australia. The show first aired on ABC Kids in Australia on October 1, 2018. Later, it became available around the world on Disney Junior in the United States and on Disney+.

The series is about Bluey, a fun and energetic six-year-old (who later turns seven) Blue Heeler puppy. She loves to imagine and explore the world. Bluey lives with her dad, Bandit; her mom, Chilli; and her younger sister, Bingo. Bluey and Bingo often go on exciting adventures together through their imaginative games. Other characters in the show are also different kinds of dogs. The show teaches about family life, growing up, and Australian culture. The city of Brisbane in Queensland inspires the places you see in the show.

Bluey has been very popular in Australia, both on TV and online. It has led to many fun products, a live stage show, and even a movie that is being made for release in 2027. The show has won several awards, including three Logie Awards for Most Outstanding Children's Program, an International Emmy Kids Award in 2019, and a Peabody Award in 2024. People who review the show often praise it for showing a positive and modern picture of family life. They also like how it gives helpful parenting tips and shows Bandit as a great dad.

About Bluey: The Fun Animated Series

Meet the Heeler Family and Friends

The main character, Bluey Heeler, is a curious and lively Blue Heeler puppy. She is six years old at the start of the show and later turns seven. Bluey lives with her dad, Bandit, who is an archaeologist. Her mom, Chilli, works part-time in airport security. Bluey's younger sister, Bingo, is four years old and later turns five.

All four members of the Heeler family love to play imaginative games together. Sometimes, their neighbors join in the fun. These include Labrador Retriever Pat and his sons Lucky and Chucky. Also, Chow Chow Wendy and her daughter Judo sometimes play along.

Bluey's extended family also appears in the show. Bandit's younger brother, Stripe, lives with his wife Trixie and their daughters, Muffin and baby Socks. Socks learns to talk and walk on two legs as the show goes on. Bandit and Stripe's older brother, Radley, and his partner Frisky are also part of the family. Their parents, Chris and Bob, are Bluey's grandparents. Chilli's family includes her dad Mort and her sister Brandy.

Bluey has many friends and classmates, each a different dog breed. These include List of Bluey characters#Coco (a pink Poodle), List of Bluey characters#Chloe (a Dalmatian), List of Bluey characters#Honey (a Beagle), List of Bluey characters#Indy (an Afghan Hound), List of Bluey characters#Mackenzie (a Border Collie), List of Bluey characters#Rusty (an Australian Kelpie), List of Bluey characters#Snickers (a Dachshund), and List of Bluey characters#Winton (an English Bulldog). Their kind teacher, Australian Shepherd List of Bluey characters#Calypso, guides them as they explore the world through creative roleplay. The children's voices in Bluey are done by the kids of the show's production team. Their names are not shown on screen.

How Bluey Was Created

Bluey and her family are modelled after real-life blue and red Australian cattle dogs or heelers.

In July 2017, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) decided to create Bluey. It was planned as an animated series for young children by Ludo Studio in Queensland. The show received money from Screen Australia and Screen Queensland. The unique warm climate of Queensland helped inspire the show's setting.

Joe Brumm is the creator of Bluey. He got the idea for the show from his own experiences raising two daughters. Brumm wanted to show how important imaginative play is for children. He chose a Cattle Dog for the main character, Bluey, to give the show an Australian feel. Brumm had worked on children's shows in the United Kingdom before. He wanted to make a show similar to Peppa Pig but for an Australian audience. He first thought of the idea in 2016 and made a short one-minute pilot. He then asked Ludo Studio to help develop the series. The studio's co-founders, Charlie Aspinwall and Daley Pearson, showed the pilot at events like MIPCOM in France. Brumm mentioned that the first pilot had some playful but very energetic actions. Pearson said it was hard to explain the show because it was simply "a show about family and games."

The studio made a five-minute animation sample. This was shown at the Asian Animation Summit in Brisbane in 2016. ABC and BBC executives noticed it there. Michael Carrington from the ABC helped get funding for a longer, seven-minute pilot. This new pilot was shown in late 2017 and later became the episode "The Weekend". The two networks officially ordered 52 seven-minute episodes of Bluey. The BBC helped fund 30 percent of the show and got the rights to share and sell Bluey products worldwide. Most of the series was made in Australia by a local team, many of whom were new animators from Brisbane. The show was set to first air in Australia on ABC Kids, then on CBeebies.

Writing the Stories

The stories in Bluey show Bluey and Bingo playing imaginative games. Joe Brumm wanted to highlight that children learn and grow naturally through play that they create themselves. He looked at research about how children learn through pretend play. The episodes show parents guiding their children and letting them explore their surroundings. This gives kids chances to practice adult roles. Brumm got ideas for scripts by watching his own daughters play. He said it was "as natural to them as breathing." The show's scripts demonstrate how children use games to learn lessons and understand the adult world. Brumm noticed his children would act out things like doctor visits through play. Daley Pearson explained that playing games is how children first learn about teamwork, sharing, responsibility, and feelings like jealousy. Brumm learned how important play-based learning was after his daughter had different learning needs in school. This led him to focus Bluey on life skills rather than just reading or math. Brumm wanted the show to reflect his experience as a parent. His main goals were to make children laugh and show parents what kids can learn while playing.

The characters in Bluey are based on different dog breeds. Some of these breeds come from Brumm's own life. He had a Blue Heeler named Bluey when he was a child. He also had a Dalmatian named Chloe and an Australian Red Kelpie named Rusty. Bandit is based on a Blue Heeler that belonged to his father's friend. Bandit's job as an archaeologist was inspired by Brumm's older brother, Adam.

Brumm writes most of the episode scripts. Charlie Aspinwall calls the series an "observational" show, meaning it shows Brumm's family life. Producer Sam Moor described it as "[Brumm's] life on screen." When the pilot was made, Brumm's daughters were around the same age as Bluey and Bingo. Brumm sometimes starts writing by taking notes about his family's experiences, including the games his children play and any small disagreements. This makes it a unique challenge for other writers on the series. Moor mentioned that few writers work on the show besides Brumm, mostly animators already on the team. The show was designed for parents and children to watch and enjoy together. Brumm sees writing each episode as "a chance to make a short film." The humor and small challenges in the episodes often come from Bandit's interactions with his daughters. Pearson has described Bluey as "rough and tumble." Both Bluey and Bingo are shown to be like real puppies, not always fitting typical ideas of female characters. This has sometimes made new viewers wonder about the characters' genders. Pearson said that Bluey and Bingo are girls because they are based on the real families of Brumm, Aspinwall, and David McCormack. Brumm has said the show has a lot of physical activity and "craziness" for humor.

Bringing Bluey to Life: Animation

Bluey is animated at Ludo Studio in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. About 50 people work on the show there. Costa Kassab is one of the art directors. He is known for drawing the show's locations, which are based on real places in Brisbane. These include parks and shopping centers like Queen Street Mall and South Bank. Landmarks like The Big Pelican on the Noosa River have also appeared. Brumm decides which specific locations to include. The final steps of production happen in South Brisbane.

About fifteen episodes of the series are being worked on at the studio at any given time. This happens across different stages of production. After ideas for stories are created, writing the script takes up to two months. Then, artists create storyboards, making 500 to 800 drawings over three weeks while following the script. Once the storyboard is done, a black and white animated version, called an animatic, is made. The voices recorded by actors are then added to this. After that, animators, background artists, designers, and layout teams work on the episodes for four weeks. The whole production team watches a nearly finished episode of Bluey on a Friday. Pearson said that over time, these viewings became like test screenings. Production members would bring their family, friends, and children to watch the episode. The entire process for one episode takes three to four months. Sam Moor described the show's colors as "a vibrant pastel." Bluey is animated using a software called CelAction2D.

During the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 50 production staff members worked on the episodes from their homes. A small team of three stayed at the studio. When rules became less strict in May 2020, this number grew to 10, then 20. By 2024, work at the studio was back to normal. A few extra people were hired for "The Sign," a longer 28-minute episode near the end of Series 3.

The Voices Behind the Characters

The show features David McCormack, from the band Custard, as the voice of Bluey's dad, Bandit. He was first asked to read what he thought would be just "a couple of lines." But he ended up voicing Bandit for the whole pilot episode. McCormack records his voice work for the show from Sydney. It is then sent to the production company in Brisbane. He has said that he does not hear other voice actors or see the animation while recording. He also does not change his own voice to sound like Bandit. Melanie Zanetti provides the voice of Bluey's mom, Chilli. She became interested in the show after reading the script for the pilot.

Joe Brumm's mother, Chris Brumm, voices Nana Heeler. His younger brother, Dan Brumm, voices Uncle Stripe and also works as a sound designer for the series. The child characters, including Bluey and Bingo, are voiced by children of the show's production crew. Their names are not shown in the credits.

The Music of Bluey

Joff Bush is the main composer for Bluey. He writes half of the music himself and leads other composers, like David Barber. Bush studied at the Queensland Conservatorium, where he met Daley Pearson. Before Bluey, Bush worked on shows like The Family Law and Australian Survivor. Bush has said that each episode has its own special musical style. He likes to be involved in the episodes as they are being written. Live instruments are often used for the recordings. Every episode of Bluey has its own unique music score. This was a choice made by Joe Brumm, who was inspired by the music in Charlie and Lola when he worked on that show. Classical music is also used in the background. Pieces like Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" and Mozart's "Rondo Alla Turca" are given new interpretations by the composers. A part of The Planets by Gustav Holst is famously used in "Sleepytime".

Bush composed the theme song for Bluey. He has been nominated for several APRA Screen Music Awards. He was nominated in 2019 for the music of "Teasing" and in 2020 for "Flat Pack". He was nominated for the APRA Award for Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas in 2022 and won it in 2023. The show's music won Best Music for Children's Programming in 2021 and in 2024 for the episode "The Sign." Universal Music Publishing licenses the music for Bluey. The first soundtrack, Bluey: The Album, was released on January 22, 2021. It was the first children's album to reach number one on the ARIA Albums Chart in Australia. It won Best Children's Album at the 2021 ARIA Music Awards and the 2021 APRA Award for Best Soundtrack Album. The second soundtrack, Dance Mode!, was released on April 21, 2023. The third soundtrack, Rug Island, was released on October 25, 2024. A "Burger Dog" song was released on April 12, 2025, for Record Store Day.

What's Next for Bluey?

Production for the third series of Bluey finished in April 2022. In July 2023, Daley Pearson said the production team was taking a short break from making new episodes. He confirmed that the show would not end after the third series. However, he also explained that there were no immediate plans for a fourth series. Joe Brumm mentioned that how well the longer episode "The Sign" was received could affect the show's future. A group of short episodes called "Minisodes" were made before the break. The first set of these one-to-three minute episodes started airing on ABC Kids on June 16, 2024. They were released on Disney+ on July 3, 2024. The second set of shorts came out in October 2024, and the final group was released in December 2024. In December 2024, Brumm announced he was taking a break from writing for the show. He wanted to focus on the upcoming Bluey feature film.

Important Lessons and Australian Culture

Queenslander residential architecture inspires the designs of animated houses in the series.

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 presented as a typical family unit. Joe Brumm wanted to show modern parenting. Both parents are shown working: Bandit as an archaeologist and Chilli part-time in airport security. Bethany Hiatt from The West Australian explains that the show depicts what modern fatherhood is like. Bandit is often seen doing housework and playing imaginative games with his children. Chilli's role as a mother is explored as she balances work and family life. The show also shows Bluey and Bingo learning to get along as siblings. They learn how to work together, find compromises, and solve problems. The episodes show the family's everyday life. Philippa Chandler from The Guardian called the series "social realism" because it feels so real.

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

The series also shows Australian contemporary culture. It is set in the warm, semi-tropical region of Queensland. The animated houses in the show are designed to look like typical Queenslander homes in Brisbane. These are high-set suburban houses with special verandas. You can also see animated versions of Brisbane's skyline. The characters speak with Australian accents in all airings, both in Australia and other countries. The show often uses Australian humor, with a lot of subtle, dry wit in the conversations. Several episodes explore Australia's climate and nature. Characters meet Australian wildlife like fruit bats, wallabies, kookaburras, and ibises. Flora of Australia (plants) are also shown, such as Poinciana trees and Jacaranda trees. The series also includes Australian sport, like rugby league. The Maroons and the Blues are shown in a scene about the State of Origin series. However, Brumm has said he did not want to overdo the stereotypes of Australia.

The show emphasizes how important play is during childhood. Bluey and Bingo are perfect examples of this idea. In the episode "Trampoline," Bandit encourages Bluey to keep inventing new games. The sisters play imaginative games during everyday activities, like visiting the doctor or going to the supermarket. The parents are shown joining in the play with their children. Bluey and Bingo also play imaginative games with their friends. Through these games, they learn lessons, such as the importance of following rules. The characters also learn about things like how technology works, the economy, and managing money through their gameplay. Daley Pearson has said that the characters experience feelings like jealousy and regret through their games. He noted that while there isn't a bad guy in the series, these emotions create the main challenges in the show.

The character of Jack is shown to have attention differences. He says he "can't sit still or remember anything." When this character was announced online, parents praised the show for representing children with attention differences. Dougie was introduced as a character who is profoundly deaf. He uses Auslan (Australian Sign Language) to talk with his mother in the episode "Turtleboy." The character is shown signing, but it is not the main focus of the episode's story. Experts were involved to make sure the Auslan signs were animated correctly. Viewers appreciated this representation.

Bluey Episodes: A Look Back

The first series of Bluey started in Australia on ABC Kids on October 1, 2018. The first 26 episodes aired daily that October. The next 25 episodes of the first series began airing on April 1, 2019. The last episode of the first series, a Christmas special, aired on December 12, 2019. In March 2019, it was reported that a second series of 52 episodes was being made. This was officially announced in May. The second series premiered on March 17, 2020. The first 26 episodes aired daily through April. The remaining episodes began airing on October 25, 2020. These were followed by a Christmas special on December 1, 2020, and an Easter special on April 4, 2021. Talks for the third series had started by April 2020. The order for the third series was made official in October. The third series began airing on September 5, 2021, with a Father's Day special. More episodes followed from November 22, 2021, and June 13, 2022. The series moved to weekly episodes starting April 9, 2023, airing on Sundays through June. The final group of episodes for the third series aired on Sundays throughout April 2024. This included a special 28-minute episode called "The Sign".

Where to Watch Bluey

Broadcast and Streaming

The Walt Disney Company has the rights to show Bluey around the world, both on TV and for streaming. They got these rights in 2019. The series first aired on the Disney Junior TV network in the United States on September 9, 2019. It later became available on Disney+ on January 22, 2020, and in the United Kingdom on October 1, 2020. Even though the show airs overseas, the creators have chosen not to change the Australian accents of the characters. They want to keep the show's original feel. Disney's test audiences of American children liked the accents and understood the humor. As Jane Gould, who worked on content strategy at Disney, explained, "Our kids live in a much more global community than the adults do" thanks to the internet. This means changing accents is not needed when the show airs in other English-speaking countries. The second series started on Disney Channel in the United States on July 10, 2020. The deal with Disney first covered the first two series. The third series was added in May 2021. The first half of the third series came out on Disney+ in licensed areas on August 10, 2022. It later premiered on Disney's TV networks. Another group of episodes first aired on July 12, 2023, and more episodes were released on January 12, 2024. "Ghostbasket" (Series 3 Episode 48), "The Sign" (Episode 49), and "Surprise!" (Episode 50) were released on Disney+ on the same day they first aired in Australia in April 2024.

In October 2019, Bluey also started airing in New Zealand on TVNZ 2 and streaming on TVNZ OnDemand. The first series first appeared on Australian pay-TV on CBeebies on May 4, 2020. It made its free-to-air TV debut on CBeebies in April 2021 in the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Malaysia. The series started in the Philippines on TV5, dubbed in Tagalog, in April 2024. Besides being on the Japanese Disney+, the first two seasons of Bluey also started airing on regular TV in Japan in October 2024 on TV Tokyo, with a Japanese dub. In China, Bluey is available on the streaming platform Youku, with voices in Mandarin Chinese.

Home Media Releases

The series was first released on DVD in Australia by Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and BBC Studios. The first two sets, Magic Xylophone and Other Stories and Horsey Ride and Other Stories, came out on October 30, 2019. More sets followed later. In the United States, the first season was released on DVD in two parts in early 2020. A Blu-ray release with all episodes from the first, second, and third series was released in November 2024. In the United Kingdom, the first DVD set was released in October 2021.

Bluey Books, Toys, and Games

Books and Merchandise

In April 2019, BBC Studios teamed up with Penguin Random House Australia to publish three Bluey books by the end of 2019. These books, The Beach, Fruit Bat, and a sticker activity book called Time to Play, were released on November 5, 2019. All three books were top sellers in the Australian book charts in November 2019. By January 2020, they had sold a total of 350,000 copies. The combined sales of the first nine books reached 1 million by June 2020. By October 2022, all Bluey books had sold 5 million copies. In September 2020, the partnership with Penguin Random House grew to include worldwide distribution rights. This allowed the books to be released in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Moose Toys became 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 2019, and a set of character figurines came out in December. The plush Bluey was the top seller at Toys "R" Us for Christmas 2019. The demand for the plush Bingo was so high that stores could not keep enough in stock. By December 2019, over 100,000 plush toys had been sold in Australia. The toy line launched in the United States in June 2020.

In January 2020, Bluey partnered with Bonds to release a clothing line for children. This included pajamas and socks with character designs. A wider range of clothing was available at Australian stores in March, including clothes, sleepwear, and underwear. A line of adult pajamas was released in May 2020 through Peter Alexander stores. This became the fastest-selling collection in the store's history. Bauer Media Group released the first issue of a monthly Bluey magazine in May 2020. A collection of children's furniture was released in June 2020. In October 2024, a partnership with Crocs was announced. In January 2025, a partnership with Lego was announced. This includes Duplo and +4 ranges, with Bluey sets released in June 2025.

Bluey on Stage and Screen

The mobile game Bluey: Let's Play! was released by Budge Studios in August 2023 for iOS and Android devices. A console game, titled Bluey: The Videogame, was released on November 17, 2023. It is available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S. This game was made by Artax Games and published by Outright Games. It is an interactive sandbox game with a new story and features the voice actors from the show. The release of the Lego Bluey sets was joined by a mobile game that was released on iOS and Android.

A live stage show called Bluey's Big Play was developed in 2019. It toured fifty theaters across Australia. The tour was first planned for May 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After rules eased, two preview shows were held at the Canberra Theatre Centre in January 2021. More shows then happened across the country. Bluey's Big Play also toured the United States, starting at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in November 2022. The play debuted in the United Kingdom and Ireland in December 2023 and continues to expand worldwide. An encore season of the show in Australia began in Brisbane in December 2023. A recorded version of the play was released on ABC iview on April 20, 2025.

Before the longer episode "The Sign" was released in April 2024, Sam Moor said it was "not the end for Bluey." Daley Pearson also showed interest in making a movie based on the series. In December 2024, BBC Studios and The Walt Disney Company announced that Bluey: The Movie would be released in theaters in 2027 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The movie will bring back the show's voice cast and crew, including Joe Brumm as writer and director. The film is a team effort between Disney, BBC Studios, and Ludo Studio. Disney handles the movie theater and streaming rights, BBC Studios handles funding and licensing, and Ludo Studio produces the film. The movie is set to continue the stories from the show. Australian animation studio Cosmic Dino Studio will provide the computer animation.

More Fun with Bluey

A balloon of the Bluey character appeared at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in November 2022. It returned for the 2023 and 2024 parades. A fun tourist attraction called Bluey's World was created at Northshore Pavilion in Hamilton, Queensland. It opened on November 7, 2024, and launched on November 13, 2024. This interactive attraction has a new story and recreates places from the show on a large 4,000 square-meter site. Bluey is expected to bring AU$16 million to Brisbane's local economy in 2025. On December 19, 2024, The Walt Disney Company announced that characters from the show would appear at various Disney experiences. These include the Disneyland Resort in California, the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, and Disney Cruise Line ships starting from Australia and New Zealand. This makes Bluey the first children's show not owned by Disney to be featured in Disney theme parks.

A companion podcast made by the ABC, called Behind Bluey, was first released on April 10, 2023. In this podcast, Joe Brumm and other creators talk about making the series and its latest episodes. This podcast covers the 2023 episodes from series three. The characters Bluey, Chilli, and Bingo made short appearances in The Simpsons short May the 12th Be with You. This short was released on Disney+ in May 2024 to celebrate Star Wars Day and Mother's Day.

Special birth certificates with Bluey artwork were made available to people in Queensland starting March 2020. Special $1 coins with designs of Bluey and the Heeler family were released by the Royal Australian Mint in June 2024. These coins were uncirculated, meaning they were not meant for regular use. Only 30,000 of each coin were made. They could only be bought directly from the Mint or its approved sellers.

Brand Finance estimated that the total value of the Bluey franchise is around US$2 billion.

See also

In Spanish: Bluey (serie de televisión) para niños