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How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

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Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#241

Post by tclancy »

jboggan wrote: post #18

Bluey is a godsend in our household. It's not annoying and the amount of classical and original music woven into each episode is wonderful. There's one particular episode - "Sleepytime" - which I cannot bring myself to watch anymore because I get so emotional. Every parent I talk to with young kids who has seen the episode agrees and knows what I mean. It's really that good, and despite being a fun little show there…

I guess I better not mention there's a really nicely printed book version of "Sleepytime" then.

https://www.bluey.tv/products/bluey-sleepytime/

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#242

Post by jboggan »

IanCal wrote: post #193
jboggan wrote: post #18

Bluey is a godsend in our household. It's not annoying and the amount of classical and original music woven into each episode is wonderful. There's one particular episode - "Sleepytime" - which I cannot bring myself to watch anymore because I get so emotional. Every parent I talk to with young kids who has seen the episode agrees and knows what I mean. It's really that good, and despite being a fun little show there…

> there are a lot of episodes that are actually art. Indeed, I can't emphasise enough just how much this is underplayed in: > One storyline contrasts the adult dogs struggling to construct flat-pack furniture while the children create their own adventure This is a short episode that's fun for kids to watch with some adventure and a bit of parents struggling to build some furniture. It also covers the evolution of lif…

To expand - most kid shows that adults can stand to watch are written to adults in some sly way that flies over the kids' heads. Often that adult targeted humor is something that kids have no context for (subtle sexual innuendo, pop culture references) - I think the 2016 "The Jungle Book" remake is a good example of this, with extended and funny references to Apocalypse Now and other mature films. But Bluey will have some innocuous fun episode and the subtle context is actually something about death, parental legacy, being an adult with a life predating your children, the pain of miscarriage, etc. I don't know how they pull off addressing those topics but they somehow do and it's magical.

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#243

Post by cruffle_duffle »

jaimex2 wrote: post #83

Bluey is awesome, the one disappointing thing is hearing US and UK media try and modify it. A few episodes have been butchered because something was found offensive - like the kids playing cavemen and saying Ooga Booga or the parents sighing while weighing themselves on a scale. Come on! Just leave it alone and serve it as is. The creators expressed a few times he's almost had enough of edits over dumb things. They a…

> They also tried to get re-dubs done to remove the Aussie accents, luckily that was pushed back on.

There seems to have been a period in television where any "hard" english accent had to have an accompanying subtitle under it. Thankfully I don't seem to see this anymore.

One of the things I liked about Peppa Pig was my kiddo would start to take a british accent and say things like "Ready, Steady, Go!" or "Mum"

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#244

Post by cruffle_duffle »

sandworm101 wrote: post #202

Does anyone else note the underlying racial component? All the dog families seem to be purebred. I don't remember seeing any mutts, any mixed-race dogs. And there are a few references to certain breeds of dog being better at certain things. I'm sure it is totally unintentional and probably cuts on dialoged by identifying which kids are from which parents, but it did strike me as odd.

> And there are a few references to certain breeds of dog being better at certain things.

I mean, different dog breeds have different talents. In Bluey, the Sausage Dog has his moment where he can't run very well but he can roll (at least I think that was how it went). All the different dog breeds get get to use their special talents.

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#245

Post by pylua »

ursuscamp wrote: post #213

Bluey blew me away when I saw it with my daughter. It's sweet, positive, emotional, well written. It's not the slightest bit cynical, handles every issue with tact, doesn't contain heavy handed messaging and has traditional values. It also has a very positive two parent dynamic. This is an absolute unicorn of a show. Note: my usage of "traditional values" is not meant to evoke anything political or intended to be int…

It also sets the bar very high for parents.

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#246

Post by Arubis »

I'm also a girl dad (ages 3 and 4) and Bluey is a total favorite in our (mountain west US) household. In utter contrast to the singsongy dreck of CocoMelon and its imitators, our kids actually take away memorable lessons they enjoy (going to bed like a big girl, like Bingo!), and my wife and I regularly comment that we'd watch the show on our own without the kids for its sheer relatability.

It's an absolute gem, folks.

If you're so inclined, we found a nice cake topper on Etsy for _my own_ birthday this year: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1481048560/inspired-bluey-caket... turns out to be easily adapted to read "Turning 40" rather than "Turning 4". Super cute & the girls adored it.

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#247

Post by jboggan »

madcaptenor wrote: post #146
jboggan wrote: post #18

Bluey is a godsend in our household. It's not annoying and the amount of classical and original music woven into each episode is wonderful. There's one particular episode - "Sleepytime" - which I cannot bring myself to watch anymore because I get so emotional. Every parent I talk to with young kids who has seen the episode agrees and knows what I mean. It's really that good, and despite being a fun little show there…

I CANNOT WATCH THAT ONE, IT MAKES ME CRY. I just wish they'd say what the music is in the credits - my wife and I often hear something that's familiar but can't put our finger on what it is.

I do wish they'd mention the music and inspiration in the credits. S1E17 (Calypso) is built around Camille Saint-Saens' "Organ Symphony" 4th movement. S1E1 (The Magic Xylophone) is based on Mozart's "Rondo Alla Turca". S1E11 (Bike) is derived from Beethoven's Symphony no. 9 4th movement (a.k.a. Ode to Joy). And the original music is awesome.

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#248

Post by cfiggers »

pylua wrote: post #245
ursuscamp wrote: post #213

Bluey blew me away when I saw it with my daughter. It's sweet, positive, emotional, well written. It's not the slightest bit cynical, handles every issue with tact, doesn't contain heavy handed messaging and has traditional values. It also has a very positive two parent dynamic. This is an absolute unicorn of a show. Note: my usage of "traditional values" is not meant to evoke anything political or intended to be int…

It also sets the bar very high for parents.

Yes—in an encouraging way.

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#249

Post by eggy »

Love this show!

Although the Dad never seems to work, plays all day, and sets the bar pretty high for me especially on the last 2 of my 5 children. I'm out of steam.

I too succumb to the emotional episodes, and I am grateful for every tear I share with my kids!

I grew up watching Bugs Bunny, Davy and Goliath, Gumby, and All in the Family as a young kid for a contrast!

Re: How Australia’s ‘Bluey’ conquered children’s entertainment

#250

Post by gadders »

awilfox wrote: post #98

I'm going to be honest here: Bluey means a lot to me, as a 32-year-old childless woman, because this show has really touched me in ways that may not be obvious at first: I've felt more in touch with my own imagination since I started watching Bluey. I've actually been writing music and sketching in my spare time again, which is something I haven't done since before the pandemic. It's actually helped me piece together…

Best of luck - I hope it happens for you.
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