With heartfelt characters, silly moments, and valuable life lessons, Bluey is the epitome of children's entertainment.
I am always looking for new shows to watch. And when I say "always," I mean it. I am a notorious binge-watcher and seem to either finish a series like it's nothing or start a show only to lose interest about halfway through before moving on to something else entirely.
One night, I was roaming through what felt like an endless stream of TV shows and movies, unable to find anything remotely interesting (see what I did there?). That's when I remembered hearing good things about an Australian show called Bluey. I'd seen it pop up on Disney+ every now and then, but figured it was just "another kids' show." But, seeing as I'd run out of options, I decided to give Bluey a shot ... and, well, now it's safe to say that I'm hooked!
For those of you unaware of the sheer adorableness that is Bluey, allow me to give you a brief synopsis. Bluey follows the adventures of Bluey, a Blue Heeler puppy who lives with her mum and dad, Chilli and Bandit, and little sister, Bingo. The series originated in Australia and didn't come to the U.S. until September 2019, but it has grown quite a following among parents and kiddos. (And those without kiddos, present company included.)
The series has won numerous awards, including the Logie Award for Most Oustanding Children's Program (2019), the AACTA Award for Best Children's Program (2019, 2020), and the International Emmy Kids Award for Preschool (2020), among others.
I can't tell you how quickly I've fallen in love with Bluey! It's so wholesome, refreshing, cute, and genuinely real. Within a couple of days, I watched every episode—I've already started rewatching the seasons again; I'm that desperate for more!
One of the key components of the series is its focus on imaginative play. A lot of kiddos today are consumed by tablets and television screens, so the need for them to express themselves creatively is more important now than ever.
Enter Bluey. The show is full of great ideas and games that little ones can play themselves, from "keepy-uppy"—a game where you can't let a balloon touch the ground—to various role-playing activities, like "taxi," "doctor," and even "grannies," that allow kids to use their imaginations to create these wonderfully silly worlds we all wish we could live in.
What I find the most endearing, though, is the talented group of voice actors who take on the roles of Bluey and Bingo. Despite being animated puppies, the characters feel real and act as children do, and that's because they're voiced by real children—something that many kids' cartoons can't seem to get right, with their over-the-top and hyper depictions of what they think kids are like. After doing some research on the show, I found out the voice actors are actually children of the production crew. How cute is that?
Also, can we please talk about how flipping adorable their accents are? It's the sweetest thing ever! Seriously, just give the clip a watch below; you won't regret it!
Bluey has a little bit of everything, and I can't count how many times I have laughed out loud at the antics these Blue Heeler puppies and their friends get up to!
Now, I do want to make it clear that I am not a mom. I don't have kids of my own, so it may be a bit odd reading a review on a children's animated series when the reviewer herself isn't even a parent. I get it. But as a former preschool teacher, I will tell you that had Bluey been on while I was teaching, it would have been my go-to form of entertainment for the kids in my classroom.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that Bluey is one of the best shows I have watched in a very long time. If you're a parent, teacher, or someone who simply could use some uplifting and sweet content amidst the crazy times we're living in—and let's be real, who doesn't need some escapism from the hectic world right now?—I highly recommend giving Bluey a try.
