Bluey (2018 TV series)

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Bluey

Genre ● Preschool

Created by Joe Brumm

Directed by ● Richard Jeffery

(animation)
● Joe Brumm
(series)

Voices of ● David
McCormack
● Melanie Zanetti

Composers ● Joff Bush

● David Barber

Country of Australia
origin

Original English
language

No. of series 3

No. of episodes 130 (list of episodes)

 Production

Executive ● Charlie
Aspinwall
producers
● Daley Pearson
● Michael
Carrington
(ABC)
● Henrietta
Hurford-Jones
(BBC)

Producer ● Sam Moor

Editor Michael Griffin

Running time 7 minutes

Production Ludo Studio

company

Distributor BBC Studios

Release

Original ABC Kids

network

Original release 1 October 2018 –

present

External links

Official website

Production website

Bluey is an Australian animated television series for preschoolers that premiered on ABC Kids
on 1 October 2018. The program was created by Joe Brumm with Queensland production group
Ludo Studio. It was co-commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the
British Broadcasting Corporation, with BBC Studios holding global distribution and
merchandising rights. The series made its premiere on Disney Junior in the United States and
was released internationally on Disney+.
The show follows Bluey, an anthropomorphic six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy who is
characterised by her abundance of energy, imagination and curiosity of the world. The young
dog lives with her father, Bandit; mother, Chilli; and younger sister, Bingo, who regularly joins
Bluey on adventures as the pair embark on imaginative play together. Other characters featured
each represent a different dog breed. Overarching themes include the focus on family, growing
up and Australian culture. The program was created and is produced in Queensland; its capital
city Brisbane inspires the show's setting.

Bluey has received consistently high viewership in Australia on both broadcast television and
video on demand services. It has influenced the development of merchandise and a stage show
featuring its characters. The program won a Logie Award for Most Outstanding Children's
Program in 2019 as well as an International Emmy Kids Award. It has been praised by television
critics for depicting a modern everyday family life, constructive parenting messages and the role
of Bandit as a positive father figure. Minor shortcomings in regards to inclusive language have
been criticised. Bluey was renewed for a third series in October 2020.

Contents

● 1
● Characters
○ 1.1
○ Main
○
○ 1.2
○ Recurring
○
○ 1.3
○ Notable guests
○
● 2
● Development
○ 2.1
○ Conception
○
○ 2.2
○ Production
■ 2.2.1
■ Writing
■
■ 2.2.2
■ Storyboarding and animation
■
○ 2.3
○ Casting
○
○ 2.4
 ○ Music
○
● 3
● Themes
●
● 4
● Episodes
●
● 5
● Release
○ 5.1
○ Broadcast
○
○ 5.2
○ Home media releases
○
● 6
● Reception
○ 6.1
○ Critical reception
○
○ 6.2
○ Viewership
○
○ 6.3
○ Awards and nominations
○
● 7
● Other media
○ 7.1
○ Books
○
○ 7.2
○ Merchandise
○
○ 7.3
○ Stage show
○
● 8
● Notes
●
● 9
● References
●
● 10
● External links
●

Characters[edit]
The child characters of Bluey are voiced by children of the program's production crew and are
[1][2]
not credited as voice performers.
Main[edit]
[3]
● Bluey Heeler, a six-year-old (later seven-year-old) Blue Heeler puppy. She is
curious and energetic.
[4]
● Bingo Heeler, Bluey's four-year-old (later five-year-old) younger sister, a Red
Heeler puppy.
[5]
● Bandit Heeler / Dad (voiced by David McCormack), the Blue Heeler father of Bluey
[2]
and Bingo who is an archaeologist.
[6]
● Chilli Heeler / Mum (voiced by Melanie Zanetti), the Red Heeler mother of Bluey
[2]
and Bingo who works part-time in airport security.

Recurring[edit]
● 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, who is still
learning to walk on two legs and talk.
● Chloe, a kind and gentle Dalmatian who is Bluey's best friend.
● Lucky, an energetic golden Labrador who is Bluey's next-door neighbour. He loves
sports and playing with his father.
● Honey, a thoughtful beagle who is Bluey's friend. She is sometimes shy and requires
encouragement to fully participate.
● Mackenzie, an adventurous Border Collie who is Bluey's friend from school, and
originally from New Zealand.
● Coco, a pink poodle who is Bluey's friend. She is sometimes impatient when playing
games.
● Snickers, a dachshund who is Bluey's friend. He has an interest in science.
● Jack, a lively Jack Russell Terrier with attention deficit issues.
● Rusty, a Red Kelpie from the bush, whose father is in the army.
● Indy, an imaginative and free-spoken Afghan Hound.
● The Terriers, triplet Miniature Schnauzer brothers.
[7]
● Uncle Stripe Heeler (voiced by Dan Brumm), Bandit's younger brother and the
father of Muffin and Socks.
[8]
● Aunt Trixie Heeler (voiced by Myf Warhurst), Uncle Stripe's wife and the mother of
Muffin and Socks.
○ Warhurst also voices Indy's Mum, an Afghan Hound who sells organic
[9]
baked goods at the market.
[10]
● Mrs. Retriever (voiced by Ann Kerr), a Golden Retriever and Bingo's kindergarten
teacher.
[8]
● Calypso (voiced by Megan Washington), a Blue Merle Australian Shepherd and
Bluey's school teacher.
[11]
● Pat / Lucky's Dad (voiced by Brad Elliot), a Labrador Retriever and Lucky's father,
[12]
who lives next door to the Heelers, and often involves himself in their gameplay.
[12]
● Chris Heeler / Nana (voiced by Chris Brumm), Bandit and Stripe's mother, and
grandmother to their children.
[13]
● Bob Heeler (voiced by Ian McFadyen), Bandit and Stripe's father, and grandfather
 to their children.
[11][14]
● Sam Simmons voices the younger version of Bob.
[15]
● Uncle Rad Heeler (voiced by Patrick Brammall), Bandit and Stripe's brother, a
cross between a Red and Blue Heeler, who works away on an oil rig.
[15]
● Frisky (voiced by Claudia O'Doherty), Bluey's godmother, who develops a
relationship with Uncle Rad.
[16]
● Mort / Grandad (voiced by Laurie Newman), Chilli's father, and Bluey and Bingo's
grandfather, who served in the army when he was younger.
● Wendy (voiced by Beth Durack, series 1–2; Emily Taheny, series 3) a Japanese
Spitz and Judo's mother, who lives next door to the Heelers, and is often disrupted
by or inadvertently involved with their gameplay.

Notable guests[edit]
[8]
● Surfer (voiced by Layne Beachley), a Shetland Sheepdog with a passion for
surfing.
● Postie (voiced by Anthony Field), a Catahoula Leopard Dog who works as a post
[17][18]
office employee.
[19]
○ Field also voices Rusty's Dad, a Red Kelpie who is in the army.
● Jack's Mum and Dad (voiced by Zoë Foster Blake and Hamish Blake), a pair of Jack
[17][18]
Russell Terriers.
[20]
● Alfie (voiced by Robert Irwin), a customer service assistant who works at the toy
store.
[11]
● Bella / Coco's Mum (voiced by Leigh Sales), a pink poodle and Coco's mother,
who is friends with Chilli.

Development[edit]

Conception[edit]

An Australian Cattle Dog, known as a "Blue Heeler", which the character of Bluey resembles.

In July 2017, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC) co-commissioned Bluey as an animated series for preschool children to be
 [21][22]
developed by Queensland production company Ludo Studio. The production received
funding from Screen Australia and Screen Queensland, with the setting of the series drawing
[21]
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
[21]
give the series an Australian voice. Brumm had previously worked on children's programs in
the United Kingdom as a freelance animator and decided to create Bluey as a replica of the
[8][23]
program Peppa Pig for an Australian audience. He conceived the idea independently in
2016, and produced a one-minute pilot through his company Studio Joho, with a small team in
[7]
their spare time. Brumm approached Ludo Studio to develop the series; co-founders Charlie
[7][24]
Aspinwall and Daley Pearson pitched the pilot at conferences such as MIPCOM in France.
[25]
Brumm stated that the first pilot contained some "dangerous" character behaviours which
[7][note 1]
drew the attention of studio executives. Pearson expressed that it was difficult to pitch
[6][26]
the series as it was not high-concept; but rather "just a show about family and games".

The studio developed a five-minute animation sample that was pitched at the Asian Animation
[23][27][28]
Summit in Brisbane in 2016, and was thereby noticed by ABC and BBC executives.
Michael Carrington of the ABC viewed the presentation and secured $20,000 of funding for the
[7][27]
studio to produce a refined, seven-minute pilot. The new pilot was presented at the Asian
[7]
Animation Summit in 2017. The two networks officially ordered 52 seven-minute episodes of
Bluey, with the BBC investing 30 percent of the funding and acquiring the global rights for
[8][21]
distribution and merchandising. The series was produced entirely in Australia by a local
[8]
team, many of whom were first-time animators from Brisbane. The program was announced to
[21][22]
premiere in Australia on ABC Kids, followed by CBeebies.

Production[edit]
Writing[edit]

"There's no counting in Bluey, there's no learning this or that ... just show ’em playing. It's to show parents that the
kids aren't just mucking around. They’re learning to play, learning to share ... and generally you can just put your
 feet up and let ’em do it."

[8]
—Joe Brumm, 2019

[1]
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
[1]
allowing them to develop. He consulted research based on socio-dramatic play, reading the
works of Sara Smilansky and Vivian Paley, who both had backgrounds in early childhood
[25]
education. 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
[1]
roles. Brumm drew inspiration for scripts from his own experiences in watching his daughters
[7][8][22]
play, which he described was "as natural to them as breathing". The program's scripts
show how children can use gameplay to learn lessons and integrate the world of adults into their
own; Brumm noticed how his children would recreate interactions such as visits to the doctor,
[7][29]
through roleplay. Pearson stated that gameplay represents children's first experiences of
[7]
collaboration, cooperation, responsibility and emotions such as jealousy. Brumm discovered
the importance of play-based learning after his daughter struggled with formal education, which
led him to exclude elements of literacy and numeracy in Bluey and focus on the depiction of life
[8]
skills. Brumm stated that he wanted the series to depict his experience as a parent rather than
[25]
aim for children to be explicitly taught something. His creative aims were to make children
[25]
laugh, and show parents what children can learn while engaged in play.

The characters of Bluey each represent a particular dog breed, some of which are drawn from
Brumm's personal life. Brumm had a Blue Heeler named Bluey throughout his childhood, in
[7]
addition to a Dalmatian named Chloe. Bandit is based on a Blue Heeler belonging to his
[7]
father's friend. Bandit's career as an archaeologist was inspired by Brumm's older sibling
[7]
Adam.

Brumm writes the majority of episode scripts, with Aspinwall labelling the series as an
"observational" show, depicting Brumm's family life; and producer Sam Moor describing it as
 [26][27][note 2]
"[Brumm's] life on screen". Brumm's process for writing sometimes begins with
making notes about his family's experiences; including games his children play and the conflict
[7]
that arises between them. For this reason, Brumm has described the process as a challenge
[7]
for other writers on the series. Moor stated that there are few writers besides Brumm, mostly
[7]
animators already working on the series. The program was designed to be a co-viewing
[8][24]
experience for parents and their children to enjoy together. Brumm described the process
[30]
of writing each episode as "a chance to make a short film". The conflict and humour in the
[27]
episodes stems from Bandit's relationship with his daughters. Bluey has been described as
"rough and tumble" by Pearson, with both her and Bingo being seen to subvert the stereotypes
[26]
of female characters, but rather have the characteristics of real puppies. This has led to
[26]
uninformed viewers questioning if the characters are boys or girls. Pearson has credited the
decision of Bluey and Bingo being girls to resemble the real families of Brumm, Aspinwall and
[26]
McCormack. In relation to the humour of the series, Brumm has stated there is a lot of
[30]
physical activity and "craziness".

Storyboarding and animation[edit]

Bluey is animated in-house at Ludo Studio in Brisbane, in Fortitude Valley, where approximately
[25][26]
50 people work on the program. Costa Kassab serves as one of the art directors of the
series, who has been credited with drawing the locations of the series which are based on real
[26][note 3]
places in Brisbane, including parks and shopping centres. Brumm determines the
[26]
specific locations which are to be included. Post-production of the series takes place
[26]
externally in South Brisbane.

Approximately fifteen episodes of the series are developed by the studio at any one time across
[26]
a range of production stages. After story ideas are conceived, the script-writing process takes
[26]
place for up to two months. The episodes are then storyboarded by artists, who produce 500
[26][note 4]
to 800 drawings over three weeks while consulting the writer's script. After the
storyboard is finished, a black and white animatic is produced, to which the dialogue recorded
 [26]
independently by voice artists is added. The episodes are then worked on for four weeks by
[26]
animators, background artists, designers, and layout teams. The entire production team
[26]
views a near-completed episode of Bluey on a Friday. Pearson stated that over time, the
viewings developed into test screenings, with members of production bring their family, friends
[26]
and children to watch the episode. The complete production process for an episode takes
[26]
three months.

During the lockdown period of the 2019–20 COVID-19 pandemic, the production staff of 50
[7]
were required to work on the episodes remotely from home. A skeleton crew of three
[7]
remained working on the series at the studio. After restrictions eased in May, this number
[31]
increased to ten and later 20.

Casting[edit]
The series features David McCormack, from the band Custard, as the voice of Bluey's father,
Bandit. He was initially approached to read what he assumed would only be "a couple of lines",
[5]
but ended up voicing Bandit for the entire pilot. McCormack performs his voice work for the
[5]
series remotely in Sydney, which is then sent to the production company in Brisbane. He
stated that he does not hear any other voice actors or view footage while recording, and that he
[5]
doesn't alter his own voice to produce Bandit's dialogue. Melanie Zanetti provides the voice of
[6]
Bluey's mother, Chilli; she became interested in the series after reading the script for the pilot.
[note 5]

Brumm's mother, Chris Brumm, voices Nana Heeler, while his younger brother, Dan Brumm,
[7][12]
voices Uncle Stripe, as well as working as a sound designer on the series. The child
characters of the series, including Bluey and Bingo, are voiced by some of the children of the
[1][2]
program's production crew.

Music[edit]
Main article: Bluey: The Album
Joff Bush serves as one of the primary composers of Bluey, writing half of the soundtrack
[32][33]
himself and leading a group of additional composers, including David Barber. Bush
graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium, where he met Pearson, and before Bluey
[32]
worked on series such as The Family Law and Australian Survivor. Bush has stated that
each episode has its own unique musical style, and he likes to become involved in the episodes
[32] [32]
as they are scripted. Live instruments are regularly played for the recordings. Every
episode of Bluey is individually scored, a decision made by Brumm, who was inspired by the
[23]
original compositions for Charlie and Lola while working on the series in the United Kingdom.

Classical music is regularly used throughout the underscore, with pieces such as Beethoven's
"Ode to Joy" and Mozart's "Rondo Alla Turca (from Sonata No. 11)" being interpreted by
[34]
composers. Bush composed the theme song for Bluey has been nominated for three APRA
Screen Music Awards, in 2019 for the soundtrack of the episode "Teasing", in 2020 for "Flat
[32][35][36][37]
Pack" as well as for the show's score in 2021. The music for Bluey is licensed by
[35]
Universal Music Publishing on behalf of BBC Worldwide Music Publishing. The first
[38]
soundtrack for the series, Bluey: The Album, was released on 22 January 2021. It debuted at
[39]
number one on the ARIA Albums Chart, and became the first children's album to reach the
[40]
top of the charts in Australia. It won Best Children's Album at the 2021 ARIA Music Awards,
[41] [37]
and has also been nominated for an additional APRA Screen Music Award.

Themes[edit]

Queenslander residential architecture inspires the designs of animated houses in the series.
A central theme of the series is the influence of a supportive family; this is reflected in the
[2]
relationships between Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli. The Heeler family are presented as a
nuclear family. Brumm was eager to reflect contemporary parenting practices, with both adults
shown to be working parents; Bandit as an archaeologist and Chilli working part-time in airport
[2][6][23]
security. Bethany Hiatt of The West Australian explains that the series depicts the
realities of modern-day fatherhood, with Bandit seen regularly doing housework and engaging in
[24]
imaginative play with his children. Chilli's role as a mother is explored as she balances both
[42]
work and family life. Both parents are shown to acknowledge and validate the emotions of
[43]
their children, such as Bluey's distress after the death of a bird. Bluey and Bingo are shown
to navigate their sibling relationship throughout the episodes, learning how to work together,
[30][44]
compromise, and resolve conflicts. Episodes detail the family's contemporary domestic
[27][45]
lifestyle, with Philippa Chandler of The Guardian describing the series as "social realism".

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

[21]
The series also explores Australian culture, and is set in semi-tropical Queensland. The
animation of Australian architecture in the series is designed to reflect the typical Queenslander
residential designs of Brisbane; high-set suburban dwellings with characteristic verandas,
[5]
against representations of Brisbane skylines. The characters speak with Australian accents in
[6]
local and international airings. The series has a focus on the Australian sense of humour with
[27][42]
dry wit frequently expressed through the dialogue. Several episodes detail the exploration
[5]
of Australia's climate and nature. The characters encounter Australian wildlife such as fruit
 [23]
bats, wallabies, kookaburras and ibises. Flora of Australia are also depicted in the series,
[23]
including Poinciana trees and Jacaranda trees. Brumm expressed that he didn't want to
[23]
exaggerate the stereotypes of Australia.

[8]
The series advocates the importance of play throughout childhood. Bluey and Bingo are the
vehicle used to display this theme; the episode "Trampoline" features Bandit imploring Bluey to
[8]
continue creating new games to play. The siblings engage in imaginative play during
[27][29]
"mundane" activities such as visiting the doctor or going to the supermarket. The parents
[43]
are shown to engage in the play with their children. Bluey and Bingo also engage in
imaginative play with their friends; learning lessons such as the importance of following the
[46]
rules. The characters also learn lessons such as the influence of technology, the economy
[44][46]
and personal finance through their gameplay. Pearson has stated that the characters
[26]
experience emotions such as jealousy and regret through their gameplay. He commented
that, while there is no antagonist in the series, these emotions form the central conflicts of the
[26]
program.

The character of Jack is shown to have attention deficit issues; he states that he "can't sit still or
[18]
remember anything". Upon the online character announcement, parents praised the
[18]
representation of children with attention deficit issues.

Episodes[edit]
Main article: List of Bluey (2018 TV series) episodes

The first series premiered in Australia on ABC Kids on 1 October 2018, with 26 episodes airing
[1]
daily throughout October. The following 25 episodes of the series began airing on 1 April
[47]
2019. The final episode of the first series, a Christmas special, aired on 12 December 2019.
[48]
It was reported in March 2019 that production had begun on a second series of 52 episodes;
[8][42]
the order was officially announced in May. The second series premiered on 17 March 2020,
[49][50]
with the first 26 episodes airing daily, through April. The remaining episodes began airing
on 25 October 2020, and were followed by a Christmas special which aired on 1 December
[51][52][53]
2020, and an Easter special airing on 4 April 2021. Preliminary discussions for the third
[7][31][51]
series had begun by April 2020; the series order was made official in October. The third
[54]
series began airing on 5 September 2021 with a Father's Day-themed special, followed by
[55]
further episodes from 22 November 2021.

Series Episodes Originally aired

First aired Last aired

1 52 26 1 October 2018 26 October 2018

26 1 April 2019 12 December 2019

2 52 26 17 March 2020 11 April 2020

26 25 October 2020 4 April 2021

3 [56] 26 5 September 2021 16 December 2021

52

26 2022 TBA

Release[edit]

Broadcast[edit]
In June 2019, the international broadcasting rights to Bluey were acquired by The Walt Disney
Company, with plans to premiere on the Disney Junior television network and be distributed on
the Disney+ streaming service in all territories (excluding Australia, New Zealand and China)
[45][57][58][note 6]
from late 2019. The series premiered on Disney Junior in the United States on 9
September 2019 and was later distributed on Disney+ on 22 January 2020 and in the United
 [61][62][63][64]
Kingdom on 1 October 2020. The series notably features the original voice actors
while airing overseas, after producers were initially asked to replace the Australian accents of
[6]
the characters. The second series debuted on Disney Channel in the United States on 10 July
[65]
2020. In October 2019, Bluey debuted in New Zealand, airing on TVNZ 2 and streaming on
[66][67]
TVNZ OnDemand. The first series made its Australian pay-TV premiere on CBeebies on 4
[68] [69]
May 2020. It made its free-to-air television debut in the UK on CBeebies in April 2021.

Home media releases[edit]

The series was first distributed on DVD in Australia by Universal Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment and BBC Studios, with the first two volumes, entitled Magic Xylophone and Other
[70]
Stories and Horsey Ride and Other Stories released on 30 October 2019. They were
[70]
followed by further volumes at later dates. In the United States, the first season was released
[71]
on DVD in two volumes in early 2020. In the United Kingdom, the first volume will be
[72]
released on DVD in October 2021.

Reception[edit]

Critical reception[edit]
[27]
Bluey has enjoyed a positive critical reception. The series received a seal of approval from
Common Sense Media, with reviewer Emily Ashby commending its positive family and social
[73]
themes. Bluey was praised by Philippa Chandler of The Guardian for its "sharp script" and
depiction of everyday family life, while commenting that its Queensland background set it apart
[27]
from other cartoons on television. Readers of The New York Times's parenting blog
submitted Bluey as their favourite children's show, describing it as charming, smart and "very
[74]
real". The series was called "laugh-out-loud funny" by Stephanie Convery of The Guardian,
[75]
who credited its humour to the "quirky behaviour" of the child characters. In 2019, TV Week
[76]
listed Bluey at No. 98 in its list of the 101 greatest Australian television shows of all time.
Despite only being on air since 2018, the magazine wrote that Bluey "stole Australia's hearts
faster than any other cartoon character" in what it described as a "cute, funny and modern"
[76]
series. The series was listed at No. 14 in Junkee's list of 50 television programs that defined
[77]
the decade, in which it was described as "an absolute delight". In a list published by Rolling
Stone of the top 100 sitcoms of all time, Bluey was listed at No. 96, being the only Australian
[78]
series to be featured.

The series received praise for its constructive parenting messages and depiction of Bandit
[24]
Heeler as a positive father figure. The character was commended for his patient nature,
[24]
willingness to do housework and play with his children. Jennifer McClellan of USA Today
[44]
described Bandit as "sarcastic, sympathetic and silly". He has been received as "more
[27]
emotionally intelligent" than the father from Peppa Pig. Reporters for The Guardian wrote that
the show's messages about parenting align with published literature on parental wellbeing,
noting how the show depicts the importance of play and learning social skills in child
[43]
development. McClellan acknowledged the family dynamic of the characters; she described
Chilli as the "voice of reason" and noted how Bluey and Bingo learn to navigate their sibling
[44][79]
relationship. Convery commented that the sisters are accurate depictions of children, and
[75]
that the roles of the parents are not presented as stereotypical of their respective genders.
The series has also received online praise for its representation of attention deficit issues
[18]
through the character of Jack.

The website of the series was criticised for, in the character description of Chilli, suggesting that
[80]
her return to part-time work prevents her from being as involved a parent as other mothers.
[80]
The description was later altered. A separate incident saw an apology issued by the ABC in
August 2020 in relation to the usage of the term "ooga booga" in the episodes "Teasing" and
"Flat Pack", which was described as a term with "racial connotations and a problematic history
[81][82]
for Indigenous Australians" through a viewer complaint. The ABC claimed that the term
had only been intended as "irreverent rhyming slang made up by children", and maintained their
[82]
commitment to addressing discrimination. The two episodes were temporarily removed from
rotations before being edited to remove the term, which prompted mixed reactions from viewers.
[81][82]

Viewership[edit]
Bluey has received consistently high viewership on ABC Kids in Australia, becoming the most
[24][70]
watched children's program across all channels on broadcast television in 2018 and 2019.
The highest-rating live broadcast of the program, the final episode of the second series,
[83][84]
"Easter", premiered on 4 April 2021 to 607,000 viewers. It was the most-watched
[83]
broadcast across all free-to-air multichannels, and the third most-watched broadcast overall.
[84] [49][85]
In 2019, the series was the most-watched program through time shifting.

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 total
[24]
episode plays. Within one year of the show's premiere, this figure had risen to 152 million,
[7][86]
and by May 2020, there had been 261 million plays of episodes from the first series. It was
[86]
also reported that the second series had totalled 43 million episode plays by May. By May
[60]
2021, episodes from both series had generated over 480 million plays.