As a Queenslander now living in the UK, seeing Bluey for the first time filled me with homesickness in a way that no other media has.
Despite the huge media industry in SEQ, it's so rare to see it actually represented as itself (rather than dressed up as Manhattan, eg). I also remember growing up and feeling that there was never really any media I could relate to; everything "Australian" is set in Sydney, Melbourne, or some non-descript outback setting. There was always a feeling of being second best - always America in the news, not Australia; always NSW or Victoria for settings, not Queensland; always Sydney or Melbourne, not Brisbane.
The first time I watched Bluey, immediately I could see not just vague Australianisms, but actual places and sights I recognised. From small details like the bus stop signs to scenes which I can pinpoint exactly in Brisbane. Combine that with stories which I don't just identify with, but which I feel I can remember viscerally.
I'm surprised I haven't seen a "visit Brisbane" (or at least "visit Australia") tourism campaign featuring Bluey anywhere. The show makes it look like an amazing place to visit and live.
As a life long Melbournian, I absolutely loved how intensely Brisbane Bluey is. I know from the outside many see oz as the unified thing but the differences between cities can be drastic. Even between Hobart and Launceston in Tassie is significant.
It is like the works of Stuart McMillen (https://www.stuartmcmillen.com/), and how they depict Canberra in a way the locals can really appreciate.
I live right in Red Hill. Bluey is literally my home! This is my neighbourhood! This is the first time I've ever felt that... and its amusing to feel that as a person in my mid 30s from a childrens show.
I love Brisbane so much, and this article captures the uniqueness so well.
You should watch Harrow, too. It’s a bit cliched as a police procedural, but they show a “TV version” of Brisbane: everyone lives in beautiful big Queenslanders, it’s sunny all the time, etc.
I actually didn't realise how Brisbane it is until I stayed at southbank and wandered around the CBD a little bit. Even curlews were new to me, I couldn't believe it when I first saw one, I thought it was a statue.
When my son was in the last stages of leukemia, Bluey was on repeat all day. He was completely immersed in that world and we, his parents were there with him too.
Now, 5 years after his death, he's little brother is also in love with the show and we watch an episode at least once a day.
There will never be another TV show like this one for those personal reasons and also because it's just too good.
My wife and I watched the episode about infertility with our little niece who kept asking when she'd have a cousin. Despite its subtlety it completely broke me. It addresses the subject in the best of ways. Well here we are 7 IVF cycles later and still trying.
Bluey is the best children's cartoon of this generation. The art is a joy to see, being full of color and well-defined lines/objects, without being overwhelming. I sincerely appreciate the creator's resistance to engineer the show for maximum attention and, instead, focus on telling a good story with relatable characters. The show can move slowly when appropriate and isn't afraid to keep the scene mostly static. The music is great and well directed to capture meaningful emotional moments without being campy. The episode length of ~7 minutes is perfect, especially for families wanting to limit screen time, as it covers a quick breakfast/lunch (or laundry/dishes break) and provides a natural stopping point to move to the next activity. I can't praise it enough and just hope its success inspires more studios to avoid the brain-rot algorithmic-lead nonsense.
My only complaint is that I am a grown-ass man and shouldn't be tearing up every other episode of a children's cartoon...
> Bluey is the best children's cartoon of this generation
Bluey is the best children's cartoon _for adults_ of this generation.
Our kids are about the same age and age difference as Bluey/Bingo are portrayed, and I can't express how much relief it gives to watch it see your own life played out line for line.
Some days, as a parent you wonder how (badly) you're doing, and Bluey takes some weight off as you realise (and talk to other parents about Bluey) that some things are just universal and you're possibly doing better than you think.
Writing and writers changing every few decade. Reacting to the output of the previous gen.
Popular shows of 80-90s avoided trauma and ambiguity. Everything was simple and morally clear.
Then there was a huge counter reaction overload where we got Anti-Heroes, Moral Ambiguity, Trauma, "Realism" etc in every other show.
As viewers got tired and yearn for hope, faith, meaning, sincerity we got another wave (Ted Lasso, Reservation Dogs etc). Similar to the writing in Bluey they takes us back to Sincerity, but much smarter since they don't avoid Trauma. And show the viewer how healing and connection happens without power struggles.
Its basically a response to cynicism and fatigue. With comfort and care.
I would argue it's the best children's cartoon ever.
Also, as a dad, Bandit's character is so well written. I relate to him in every single episode that I've watched. Nearly every other dad character in children's programming is a flat, 2-dimensional, drooling idiot that nobody respects.
> My only complaint is that I am a grown-ass man and shouldn't be tearing up every other episode of a children's cartoon...
Or maybe you should! Maybe we shouldn't be making people feel bad for being emotional! Maybe it's really successful art to be making so many people feel so strongly!
I'd say Bluey is a better Peppa Pig. Now, hear me out -- it's surprising how many gags meant for grownups are there in Peppa Pig (e.g. "one must become one with the mud" is not humor for kids), but the art is... well, it's intentionally flat and boring. But Bluey has a lot of the same kind of humor, with visually appealing characters and world.
Not just the best children's cartoon, but one of the best TV shows I've ever seen in terms of how close it comes to realizing its full potential. I have a hard time finding points to criticize.
My only complaint is the children’s bedtime story books are incredibly effective at delivering their core task - they deliberately draw the stories out so long that they put both parties asleep.
Such a lovely show! It’s always fun to see examples of how it takes so much intention to make something that appears simple.
For any adults who have either never heard of Bluey, or never thought of watching a “kids” show, maybe try to an episode the next time you can’t figure out what to stream next. “Sleepy time” (season 2 episode 26) is one of the most renown, but they’re all pretty good! (https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-2/sleepytime/)
"Flat Pack" (S2 E24)
and
"Baby Race" (S2 E49)
Are my most favorite and bring out tears every time.
Then there is "Granny Mobile" (S3 E33) which cracks me up every time.
Even my 7 year old daughter knows this and uses Bluey to cheer me up if I am in sour mood.
Don't even get me started on Shaun the Sheep. My daughter and I have re-watched everything there is about Shaun the Sheep and laugh in anticipation before the funny things actually happen.
Edit: I absolutely love the minisodes where Bandit tells kids bedtime stories (Goldilocks and Three little pigs). I wouldn't be surprised if the voice actor just went off and made up bunch of stuff which they animated later.
There was a brief moderation error, in which I changed the capitalisation to "How we built Bluey’s World", assuming that the article was about the immersive attraction called "Bluey’s World" [1,2], which has been open in Brisbane since last November.
I can attest that it is incredible; we took our kid a few weeks ago and it exceeded expectation. Probably more exciting for the parents even than the kids. Strongly recommended if you can get to Brisbane or if it comes to a city near you some day.
My niece would love this! As it is, we have to pay over a hundred dollars for our family to go watch bad acting in - not even costumes - but masks on sticks held up in front of faces. Seriously, that was a real, official show over here. Never again.
As someone who has lived in Brisbane, I can attest that it does a really good job of capturing the colour of the city. There is a unique golden hour shade there like no other city I have lived in.
As a companion to this, I'd recommend the podcast 20 Thousand Hertz: their two-party on the sounds of Bluey was excellent, and as a parent immersed in Bluey, really enjoyable. Seems like they put a lot of thought and care into nearly every aspect of the show.
Bluey is by far the best children's show I've ever watched. My son and I love watching it together. It's so refreshing after having to watch Peppa Pig for a year or so before we discovered Bluey. I disliked Peppa Pig and I was relieved when my son said he no longer wish to watch it after finding Bluey.
Bluey is so good that it's worth the subscription to Disney+ all on its own. It is hands down, the best children's cartoon I've ever seen. My kids are starting to outgrow it unfortunately, but when they were younger they would constantly ask me and their mother to play "Bluey games" with them. It's a great show to encourage parents and kids to play together imaginatively.
I agree with you on Tumble Leaf as well, it's a really good show. I also recommend Puffin Rock if you have Netflix.
It's an incredible show but the finale "season" catapults it into my personal top 3 children's shows of all time. They did an incredible job of bringing it full circle and tying a bow on it. Tumble Leaf doesn't normally make you cry the way Bluey does, but the finale will have you bawling.
Mr Roger’s and Reading Rainbow will always be the best children’s programs ever made. No other show in history has been able to entertain children with real people as successfully as they were. You won’t know unless you let your children watch it. It’s just amazing because they engage with it and when you turn it off they don’t have a tantrum like many animated shows or Ms Rachel
Just seeing the sketches of the Heelers' kitchen brings a smile to my face, reminding me of one of my favorite episodes of Bluey, Pavlova. If you haven't seen it before, take the seven minutes to watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERyw2dz2-ZM
Despite being a cartoon specifically aimed at little kids, it's an absolute delight. I think my wife and I like Bluey more than our toddler does, actually.
Kudos Catriona Drummond for letting the secret out of Brisbane, and perseverance to become a visual artist. What really attracts people to Bluey is the art. Seriously, it can be on mute and it's mesmerizing (not that the music is not awesome, because it totally makes it 10x better, too).
The artistic mature here is also off the charts, to recognize that innate sense of what makes things amazing:
> Appeal is such an intangible element to visual art, I could try and harp on in some pseudo-scientific way about what I personally think creates that deep satisfaction when viewing something ‘visually appealing’. I think there’s a whole weird matrix of things firing off in our monkey brains to illicit it. But I’ll just leave it at: we know it when we see it. I wanted to make something that was truly delicious to look at.
I love that its Brisbane. I hate that, the parts of brisbane you see are largely financially out of reach. I used to have a house on my street that was extremely similar to the Heelers, and it sold for 2 million, then the place next door to them went for 1.7.
I spend most episodes in financial distress wondering how to practically afford the lifestyle, and how my kiddo would ever be able to afford that lifestyle.
Even in terms of Nostalgia for the older generations, the suburbs depicted were well out of reach for a friends family. His father used to tell me he dreamed of moving into one of those suburbs but it was too expensive for their combined income, where one income was an aviation engineer.
She didn't touch on how visually captivating the colour scheme is for kids. It's unsettling just how much it draws their attention, it's like a drug. It's also (partly) why I prefer Peppa Pig for my 3 year old, it's much easier to him to naturally disengage after 15-20 minutes.
[+] [-] rmccue|7 months ago|reply
Despite the huge media industry in SEQ, it's so rare to see it actually represented as itself (rather than dressed up as Manhattan, eg). I also remember growing up and feeling that there was never really any media I could relate to; everything "Australian" is set in Sydney, Melbourne, or some non-descript outback setting. There was always a feeling of being second best - always America in the news, not Australia; always NSW or Victoria for settings, not Queensland; always Sydney or Melbourne, not Brisbane.
The first time I watched Bluey, immediately I could see not just vague Australianisms, but actual places and sights I recognised. From small details like the bus stop signs to scenes which I can pinpoint exactly in Brisbane. Combine that with stories which I don't just identify with, but which I feel I can remember viscerally.
[+] [-] movedx|7 months ago|reply
As a Brit now living in Queensland, thanks for swapping places with me. Appreciated. Cheers mate. Enjoy the rain and moaning.
[+] [-] afavour|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] nlawalker|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] SlowTao|7 months ago|reply
It is like the works of Stuart McMillen (https://www.stuartmcmillen.com/), and how they depict Canberra in a way the locals can really appreciate.
[+] [-] girvo|7 months ago|reply
I live right in Red Hill. Bluey is literally my home! This is my neighbourhood! This is the first time I've ever felt that... and its amusing to feel that as a person in my mid 30s from a childrens show.
I love Brisbane so much, and this article captures the uniqueness so well.
[+] [-] underwater|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] hamish-b|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] ghiculescu|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] anitil|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] giann|7 months ago|reply
Now, 5 years after his death, he's little brother is also in love with the show and we watch an episode at least once a day.
There will never be another TV show like this one for those personal reasons and also because it's just too good.
[+] [-] verst|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] x187463|7 months ago|reply
My only complaint is that I am a grown-ass man and shouldn't be tearing up every other episode of a children's cartoon...
[+] [-] alias_neo|7 months ago|reply
Bluey is the best children's cartoon _for adults_ of this generation.
Our kids are about the same age and age difference as Bluey/Bingo are portrayed, and I can't express how much relief it gives to watch it see your own life played out line for line.
Some days, as a parent you wonder how (badly) you're doing, and Bluey takes some weight off as you realise (and talk to other parents about Bluey) that some things are just universal and you're possibly doing better than you think.
[+] [-] joules77|7 months ago|reply
Popular shows of 80-90s avoided trauma and ambiguity. Everything was simple and morally clear.
Then there was a huge counter reaction overload where we got Anti-Heroes, Moral Ambiguity, Trauma, "Realism" etc in every other show.
As viewers got tired and yearn for hope, faith, meaning, sincerity we got another wave (Ted Lasso, Reservation Dogs etc). Similar to the writing in Bluey they takes us back to Sincerity, but much smarter since they don't avoid Trauma. And show the viewer how healing and connection happens without power struggles.
Its basically a response to cynicism and fatigue. With comfort and care.
[+] [-] _mlbt|7 months ago|reply
Also, as a dad, Bandit's character is so well written. I relate to him in every single episode that I've watched. Nearly every other dad character in children's programming is a flat, 2-dimensional, drooling idiot that nobody respects.
[+] [-] metaltyphoon|7 months ago|reply
This, so, many, times :)
[+] [-] nosignono|7 months ago|reply
Or maybe you should! Maybe we shouldn't be making people feel bad for being emotional! Maybe it's really successful art to be making so many people feel so strongly!
[+] [-] ezekg|7 months ago|reply
You should try moving across the country with littles, after selling their childhood home, and then watching the finale...
[+] [-] the_af|7 months ago|reply
I'd say Bluey is a better Peppa Pig. Now, hear me out -- it's surprising how many gags meant for grownups are there in Peppa Pig (e.g. "one must become one with the mud" is not humor for kids), but the art is... well, it's intentionally flat and boring. But Bluey has a lot of the same kind of humor, with visually appealing characters and world.
[+] [-] rootforce|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] greggsy|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] _carbyau_|7 months ago|reply
Cricket. Every time. .. I love it.
[+] [-] twalkz|7 months ago|reply
For any adults who have either never heard of Bluey, or never thought of watching a “kids” show, maybe try to an episode the next time you can’t figure out what to stream next. “Sleepy time” (season 2 episode 26) is one of the most renown, but they’re all pretty good! (https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-2/sleepytime/)
[+] [-] theSuda|7 months ago|reply
Then there is "Granny Mobile" (S3 E33) which cracks me up every time.
Even my 7 year old daughter knows this and uses Bluey to cheer me up if I am in sour mood.
Don't even get me started on Shaun the Sheep. My daughter and I have re-watched everything there is about Shaun the Sheep and laugh in anticipation before the funny things actually happen.
Edit: I absolutely love the minisodes where Bandit tells kids bedtime stories (Goldilocks and Three little pigs). I wouldn't be surprised if the voice actor just went off and made up bunch of stuff which they animated later.
[+] [-] superxpro12|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] knlam|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] oaxacaoaxaca|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] tomhow|7 months ago|reply
I can attest that it is incredible; we took our kid a few weeks ago and it exceeded expectation. Probably more exciting for the parents even than the kids. Strongly recommended if you can get to Brisbane or if it comes to a city near you some day.
[1] https://www.bluey.tv/blueys-world/
[2] https://www.bbcstudios.com/news/bluey-s-world-opens-in-brisb...
[+] [-] stronglikedan|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] valtism|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] Amorymeltzer|7 months ago|reply
https://www.20k.org/episodes/thesoundofbluey
https://www.20k.org/episodes/thevoicesofbluey
[+] [-] hollywood_court|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] donpott|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] johndhi|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] _mlbt|7 months ago|reply
I agree with you on Tumble Leaf as well, it's a really good show. I also recommend Puffin Rock if you have Netflix.
[+] [-] guywithabike|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] The-Bus|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] ericcholis|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] blondie9x|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] trumbitta2|7 months ago|reply
Many people in Italy think the same of L'Albero Azzurro.
[+] [-] breakingcups|7 months ago|reply
Good read so far! Chapter 3 delves more into the highs and lows of working on the show.
[+] [-] aaronbrethorst|7 months ago|reply
Despite being a cartoon specifically aimed at little kids, it's an absolute delight. I think my wife and I like Bluey more than our toddler does, actually.
[+] [-] asciii|7 months ago|reply
The artistic mature here is also off the charts, to recognize that innate sense of what makes things amazing:
> Appeal is such an intangible element to visual art, I could try and harp on in some pseudo-scientific way about what I personally think creates that deep satisfaction when viewing something ‘visually appealing’. I think there’s a whole weird matrix of things firing off in our monkey brains to illicit it. But I’ll just leave it at: we know it when we see it. I wanted to make something that was truly delicious to look at.
[+] [-] protocolture|7 months ago|reply
I spend most episodes in financial distress wondering how to practically afford the lifestyle, and how my kiddo would ever be able to afford that lifestyle.
Even in terms of Nostalgia for the older generations, the suburbs depicted were well out of reach for a friends family. His father used to tell me he dreamed of moving into one of those suburbs but it was too expensive for their combined income, where one income was an aviation engineer.
[+] [-] smugma|7 months ago|reply
Which I found here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43816546
[+] [-] nmfisher|7 months ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|7 months ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] russellbeattie|7 months ago|reply
Cute show, but it doesn't hold a candle to Phineas and Ferb.
[+] [-] dcchambers|7 months ago|reply