One of the world’s most popular TV shows Bluey is coming back after rumors of its cancellation circulated online, a producer said.
Fans of the animated Australian children’s show that follows an anthropomorphic puppy named Bluey and his family, known as the Heelers, were left in panic after an ominous “For Sale” sign was placed outside the family home in the latest episode.
The episode’s closing credits were also the first in history to feature no music, leading parents to fear it might end.
The next episode of the show, titled ‘The Sign’, will have an extended running time of 28 minutes, four times longer than the usual seven minutes, sparking rumors that the show may reach its finale.
But now Bluey producer Sam Moor has quashed the rumors after appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today program this morning to confirm Bluey would return.
Fans of the animated Australian children’s show that follows an anthropomorphic puppy named Bluey and his family known as the Heelers were left panicking after rumors spread that it was coming to an end
Bluey producer Sam Moor has confirmed that the hit TV show would return
Viewers were left in shock last week when the lovable Heeler family decided to sell their classic Queenslander home after an ominous ‘For Sale’ sign was placed outside the family home in the latest episode.
Asked if the show had come to an end, she told the BBC’s Nick Robinson: ‘It’s the question on everyone’s lips. No, it’s not the end for Bluey. I’m sure we have many more surprises in store for you.
“We have more in store and we are thinking about what the next step would be.”
Ms Moor’s reassurance that Bluey will return will allay parents’ fears after they voiced their concerns on social media in recent days as rumors swirled.
She said the extra-long episode would allow writer and show creator Joe Brumm to create a much longer story with many layers.
It is thought that the moving plot in the episode ‘The Sign’ will allow the show to explore another facet of childhood.
Brumm has previously said the house is “kind of a fifth Heeler character,” because it’s such a mainstay that an actual replica was listed on Airbnb in 2022.
In the show, the walking house is located in trendy Paddington, Brisbane, and features a wrap-around veranda and 15 to 20 rooms.
The Sign will be simulcast on Australia’s ABC and Disney+, a first in Bluey’s storied history.
When asked about the upcoming new extra-long episode, Ms Moor said: “The team worked really hard to get that out, everyone put all their love and effort into it, so yes, 28 minutes this Sunday The Sign .’
Fans were stunned when they saw the ‘For Sale’ sign and started coming up with theories about how the show would end
Bluey executive producer Daley Pearson spoke to Australia’s Sunrise on Friday morning and also confirmed the show would go ahead.
He said, “Lately it’s only a half-hour episode that we’ve been working on, but we’ll be making more Bluey.
“It was a concentration on this half-hour episode. We’ll see where it goes. “I think when we’ve taken risks, that’s when it’s the most exciting and I think that’s when the audience enjoyed it the most,” he continued.
“So whatever it will be, it will be something that we’re not quite sure we can do. But we hope it can be done.’
The producer further revealed that it would be a “dream” to make the cartoon into a feature-length film.
He added that Sunday’s 28-minute special “The Sign” will be a test to see how audiences react to a longer episode.
Bluey executive producer Daley Pearson spoke to Australia’s Sunrise on Friday morning and also confirmed the show would go ahead
In the show, the walking house is located in trendy Paddington, Brisbane
Fans of the ABC animated series Bluey have flooded social media with speculation about the future of the global hit
Bluey debuted in Australia in 2018 and was later picked up by Disney. In 2023, Bluey was the second most-watched series, behind legal drama Suits, beating the likes of NCIS, Grey’s Anatomy, Friends and Gilmore Girls.
This is despite the fact that these shows have much longer episode runs and more established fan communities.
There are only three seasons of Bluey, with approximately 50 episodes each, lasting seven minutes per episode.
Episodes usually involve seven-year-old Bluey and her sister, Bingo, five, while Bandit, their exuberant father, and Chilli, their more down-to-earth mother, play games.
Brumm has said that his inspiration has always been watching his children navigate the world, listening as their imaginations run wild. He marveled that they almost never need props and that a ‘shared bizarreness’ usually emerges.
He said: ‘When they play these games they are usually trying to emulate the adult world, but they don’t know enough about it to get it 100 per cent right. And so a very funny environment is created for the parents.’
Ms Moor also explained why she thought Bluey had been such a success. She said: ‘It’s a co-viewing show, it’s something mums, dads, grandparents and children can watch together. You can enjoy it on different levels, but also for the same reasons.
‘It’s very recognizable, we’ve had emails from people saying it was like having a camera in my living room. And it’s Australian, which is very exotic.’
Rolling Stone even included Bluey on its list of the 100 best sitcoms of all time.
But ABC and BBC Studios have yet to say anything about greenlighting a fourth series of the hit show.
The show is overseen and produced by a small company in Brisbane, Australia called Ludo Studio. But a deal was struck early in the show that gave BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC group, the rights to distribute Bluey everywhere except Australia.
It has been an extremely lucrative deal for the BBC and has helped it reach an annual turnover of £2 billion for the first time, partly thanks to sales of Bluey consumer products.