Bluey

Vorlage:About Vorlage:Use Australian English Vorlage:Use dmy dates Vorlage:Infobox television Bluey is an Australian animated television series for preschool children which premiered on ABC Kids on 1 October 2018. The series was created by Joe Brumm with Queensland production group Ludo Studio. The series was co-commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the British Broadcasting Corporation, with the BBC holding global distribution and merchandising rights. The series will make its British premiere on CBeebies.

With the setting inspired by the tropical climate of Queensland, the series follows an anthropomorphic six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy named Bluey, who is characterised by her abundance of energy, imagination and curiosity at the world. The young dog lives with her father, mother and younger sister, Bingo, who regularly joins Bluey on adventures as the pair embark on imaginative play together. Overarching themes include the focus on family, growing up and Australian culture, with all of the characters representing a particular dog breed. The series was created and produced entirely in Australia, with investment from Screen Australia and Screen Queensland.

Bluey has been received consistently high viewership in Australia, being recognised as the most watched program in the history of the video on demand and catch up TV service ABC iview. The program was renewed for a second series in 2019.

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

Recurring

• Chloe (voiced by Charlotte Stent), a Dalmatian and a friend of Bluey's.
• Judo (voiced by Charlotte Stent), a Japanese Spitz and a friend of Bluey's, who can sometimes appear to be selfish.
• Muffin Heeler, Bluey and Bingo's young Blue Heeler cousin.
• Socks Heeler, Bluey and Bingo's cousin who is young and still learning to walk and talk.
• Uncle Stripe Heeler (voiced by Dan Brumm), Bandit's 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.
• Wendy, a Japanese Spitz and the mother of Judo.
• Rocko, a friend of Bandit's.
• 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.
• Nana Heeler (voiced by Chris Brumm), Stripe and Bandit's mother, and grandmother to their children.
• Bob Heeler (voiced by Tim McFayden), Stripe and Bandit's father, and grandfather to their children.

Notable guest stars

• Vet Corgi (voiced by Stephanie Bendixsen), a Corgi vet who Bluey and Dad bring an injured bird to.
• Surfer (voiced by Layne Beachley), a Shetland Sheepdog with a passion for surfing.

Production

Development

In July 2017, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the British Broadcasting Corporation 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, 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. Brumm 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. Brumm had previously worked in the United Kingdom on programs such as Peppa Pig and decided to create Bluey as a replica of the program for an Australian audience. He conceived the idea independently in 2016 and approached Ludo Studio to develop it. The series was pitched at the Asian Animation Summit in 2016, and was noticed by ABC and BBC executives for having the unique tone that they was searching for. The two networks ordered 52 seven-minute episodes, with 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 a British premiere on CBeebies.

The first series premiered in Australia on ABC Kids on 1 October 2018, with 26 episodes airing daily throughout October. The remaining 26 episodes of the series began airing on 1 April 2019. It was announced in 2019 that production had began on a second series of 52 episodes.

Writing

The stories featured in Bluey depict Bluey and Bingo engaging in imaginative play. Brumm wanted to show that self-directed and unstructured play is natural in shaping children and allowing them to develop. The episodes show the parents as guides for their children, who allow them to explore their immediate surroundings independently, giving them opportunities to "practise adult roles". Brumm drew inspiration from watching his two children play, which he described was "as natural to them as breathing", and stated that the messages of Bluey are universal. He stated that his every day occurrences provide him with ideas for scripts. The program's scripts show how children can use gameplay to learn lessons and integrate the world of adults into their own. Brumm stated that he discovered the importance of play-based learning after his daughter struggled with formal education, which lead him to exclude elements of literacy and numeracy in Bluey and focus on the depiction of life skills. The program was designed to be a co-viewing experience for parents and their children to enjoy together.

Reception

Viewership

Bluey received consistently high viewership throughout its premiere run on ABC Kids in Australia, being the most watched children’s program across all channels in 2018. The highest rating episode of the program, "Copycat", premiered on 12 April 2019 to 313,000 viewers. It was the most watched broadcast across all free-to-air multichannels, and the seventeenth most watched broadcast overall.

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 episode plays since its premiere.

Critical reception

Bluey has enjoyed a positive reception, with producers stating that the studio has received daily fan mail from parents of young viewers. The series was praised by Philippa Chandler of The Guardian for its "sharp script" and depiction of everyday family life, while noting that its Queensland background set it aside from other cartoons on television.

The series received praise for its 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. Bandit has been described as "more emotionally intelligent" than the father from Peppa Pig. Brumm stated that the series has reminded fathers “to be more playful with their kids”. Chandler noted the "unexpected poignancy" of the episode "Takeaway", in which Bandit makes an observation about the fleeting nature of childhood.

Release

Home media releases

The first volume of the series, entitled Magic Xylophone and Other Stories was released on iTunes by BBC Studios in December 2018. The second volume, Horsey Ride and Other Stories was released in March 2019. Both volumes have contained eight episodes of the series.

Other media

Merchandise

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.

External links

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