NEW, September 2024: Bluey is now the most watched show in America! Details here.
Story continues:
Dads, let me tell ya: I love this show. Some days, if I’m feeling a bit down on the world, I’ll park my butt up on the couch and watch Bluey on my own while folding the clothes.
Funnily enough, I’m more obsessed with it than my kids are: My 4YO boy has moved on to ‘big kid’ stuff, and my little 2YO girl is (blessedly?) not all that big on TV time, so I end up watching it by myself more often than not!
Update, 2023: The kids are now 8 and 5, and both will happily watch Bluey. Usually it’s my little girl who will put it on from time-to-time, but if the boy is nearby and hears it playing, he’ll often plonk himself next to for a bit. How good is that!
DadBase’s rating:
I can’t say enough good things about Bluey.
It landed at just the right time in my parenting journey, giving me something both cute and relatable to relax with, and be inspired by – and when I can get my little boogers to watch it with me, it’s a beautiful shared experience.
If you’re not up to speed already, here’s the gist: Bluey is an Aussie animated series, co-funded by the ABC and the UK’s BBC. It’s set in Queensland (I’m not sure if they ever specify that, but it’s obvious), and it revolves around a pup named Bluey and her family.
It’s quickly won families over, and it now has global syndication on the Disney Junior and Disney+ platforms. It airs all over the world, and the toys have really blown up too. Even in Germany!
The kids love Bluey for all the obvious reasons, and parents love it because it’s so ridiculously true to life – almost cringingly so, at times.
There are loads of “yep, that’s about right” moments for parents, both in how the pups behave and how their dad Bandit and mama Chilli get through the day.
Bandit in particular is the most Aussie dad you’ve seen on TV in a while, played perfectly to all the classic stereotypes, but in a way that never feels tacky or cliché.
Most importantly, he’s a great dad, doting on his little girls. As a papa, I find the character quite inspiring – but he’s almost infuriatingly good at the dad gig. I don’t think I’ve ever displayed the near endless patience he has for his little ratbags!
From a broader parenting perspective, Bluey focuses on the importance of unstructured play and allowing kids to explore their imaginations without boundaries.
Their parents Bandit and Chilli encourage this and participate, so there’s a clear emphasis on engaged parenting (rather than dumping them in front of a gadget, which has its place in learning but tends to be overindulged sometimes).
If you’re into aesthetics, the show wins on that front, too. Beautiful colours that really play up the necessarily slow and relaxed pace of life in far north Queensland, and authentic design in their Queenslander home and the surrounding ‘burbs and shops. The soundtrack is a perfect match, too.
It’s the kind of look and feel that sends you road-tripping in search of the place, never really accepting that it’s a far more whimsical, fantastical take on Australian life than you’ll find in most places – although most of our country and coastal towns will bring you close to the vibes. (It’s set in Queensland, by the way!)
Check out Bluey’s Wikipedia article for a surprisingly in-depth breakdown on how it all comes together, with a bunch of links to some great interviews at the bottom of the page.
What’s your fave kids show? Pop into the comments below, or chime in on Facebook, Threads and Insta!
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