Lauren P. Koester

Started watching Bluey with my son and get the hype. The “Sleepytime” episode is perfect (and too real). One of the few kid shows can actually enjoy with him…and a streaming juggernaut, per Bloomberg: ▫️Brand valued at $2B ▫️731 million viewing hours in 2023 (2nd most-streamed show after Suits) ▫️29% of all Disney+ TV views in Q4 of 2023 The show was created by Joe Brumm, a veteran TV animator (he worked on “Peppa Pig”). After moving from the UK back to Australia, he made a 1-minute “Bluey” sample in 2015 and showed it to Brisbane-based Ludo Studios. People enjoyed the teaser but didn’t know the intended audience. Brumm had initially considered an R-rated version of Peppa Pig but went with a show targeted at preschoolers (of note: the real Peppa Pig sold for $4B to Hasbro in 2019). With the kid's focus, Ludo convinced the country’s national broadcaster (Australian Broadcasting Corporation aka ABC) to give Brumm $13k for a 5-minute episode. Brumm delivered with the Heeler family, who are 4 cattle dogs living in Brisbane: title character Bluey (7-years old), her sister Bingo (5-years old) as well as Chilli (mom) and Bandit (dad). Material for the show was borrowed from Brumm’s own life as a father of two girls. ABC liked the episode and greenlit $5m+ for a first season. Unable to foot the whole bill, ABC partnered with BBC Studios (the business segment of the UK’s national broadcaster). BBC got the global distribution, licensing and merchandising rights for Bluey (outside of Australia). In other words, ABC is barely profiting from one of the country’s largest cultural exports since Mad Max, AC/DC, Kyle Minogue or Crocodile Dundee. Brumm has written every episode by himself and it was a deliberate choice. He told The Hollywood Reporter that established kids TV writing is too “formulaic”. He integrated adult themes into the show because he wanted “a good co-viewing show where the parents could genuinely watch it with the kids” and there weren’t many options for the “the preschool stage”. Important topics treated with care include infertility, mental health and alcohol. “Whale Watching” is my favourite episode and is about parenting while hungover — see a spot-on excerpt at the (1:59) mark in the clip below. There have been 150 episodes (~7 minutes each) over 3 seasons. Some are worried Brumm’s run is coming to an end: ▫️His daughters have gotten older (less material) ▫️ The voice actors — including some Brisbane-based children — are also getting older (and voices changing) ▫️Also, the season 3 finale on April 14 is suspiciously long (at 28 minutes) However it shakes out, Brumm has created a masterpiece…and given a few go-to quotes in my house including “I slipped on ma’ beans!”, “a tactical wee” and “pass the sauce, dude!”