With apologies to “Miss Rachel” and “Paw Patrol,” two of the few children’s shows I find somewhat tolerable, as well as “Sesame Street,” which my kids sadly don’t really care for, there is one program my three-year-old boys watch that stands head and shoulders above the rest. In a world of mind-numbing drivel (watch “Blippi” or “Cocomelon” at your own risk), “Bluey” is a beacon of light in the dark sea of children’s entertainment.
Anyone who has watched a few episodes of “Bluey” likely understands. For those who haven’t, I’ll try to explain: The seven-minute episodes follow a family of anthropomorphic heeler dogs living in Brisbane, Australia - Mom, Chilli; Dad, Bandit; and children, fouryear- old Bingo and six-year-old Bluey - through playtime, errands, housework, school, and vacations. The episodes are typically scored to classical music, including some of the most famous works in history and original compositions made for the show.
“Bluey” is a co-production ofABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) and BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation); it airs on Disney in the U.S., with episodes debuting stateside long after their original run in Australia. Episodes play with traditional narrative form and style, and appeal to adults while still being very much aimed at young children.
The show, to me, is a minor miracle. It’s comfort foodthat excites my kids while regularly bringing my wife to tears. One episode will focus on cleaning up your toys, while the next one will visualize a child’s dream (“Sleepytime” is truly seven of the best minutes of animation I have ever seen). There have been many tough days where the 15 minutes I spend watching that show with my kids before bed has been the definitive highlight.
I’ve watched the 150-plus episodes available on Disney+ well over a dozen times each. It’s not justmy favorite children’s show, it’s one of my favorite shows, period. This is not a joke. It’s that good. In addition to having clothing, stuffed animals, books, and toys formy kids, I personally own multiple “Bluey” T-shirts and two vinyl records of music from the show. Most mornings, I pour my coffee into a “Bluey” mug emblazoned with a quote from the show (“You’re doing great”). In 2021, we dressed as the Heeler family for Halloween. In the spring, we might take them to see “Bluey’s Big Play,” a stage show that is coming to Newark and Morristown.
Watching “Bluey” before bed each night is something we look forward to as a family. When a new batch of episodes dropped last summer, my wife and I popped open a bottle of wine and watched them on our own after the kids went to sleep.
The show has lessons, but it’s not preachy. It’s funny, but never negative. I watch that family of dogs live their life and take away genuine wisdom from it. In an episode where my kids might learn about the value of helping others, I’ll leave with my own lesson about patience. Truly, there have been episodes of “Bluey” that make me aspire to be a better father. I should not be envious of a cartoon dad dog, but here I am.
Plenty of other shows have come and gone in the three years since we started watching it, yet “Bluey” remains, and the quality of the episodes hasn’t dipped one bit. The most recent collection of new episodes was released last month and were good enough to inspire me to write this column!
As the show has grown in popularity over the years (at 43.9 billion minutes viewed on Disney+ in 2023, it was the second most streamed show of the year), I have felt excited that more people are discovering this wonderful show, while also mildly annoyed that it no longer felt like my own little secret. I’m sure anyone who has had a favorite band “sell out” knows the feeling.
A few years ago, if someone saw me in my Bandit shirt and gave me a knowing nod, it felt like a secret shared between two parents in the thick of it. Now, similar shirts line the shelves at Target and Walmart. It took quite a while for the amount of merchandise to catch up with the show’s popularity but we have certainly arrived. But that’s just fine. I’m happy to share the joy of a show that has brought me so much joy in return. There were a lot of things I expected when I became a dad, but developing an undying devotion to a family of talking dogs was not one of them.
For anyone looking to give this show a chance (and I do believe that you can enjoy this show without kids if you watch it with an open mind), here are ten of my favorite episodes, which provide a nice introduction to all the series has to offer. In all, watching them will take a little more than an hour: “Takeaway,” “Dance Mode,” “Duck Cake,” “Escape,” “Camping,” “Rain,” “Relax,” “Baby Race,” “Copycat,” and “Sleepytime.” Enjoy!
