One of the world’s most popular TV shows, Bluey, will return after rumors of its cancellation circulated online, according to a producer.
Fans of the animated Australian children’s show that follows an anthropomorphic pup called Bluey and his family known as the Heelers had been panicking after an ominous “For Sale” sign was posted outside the family home in the latest episode.
The episode’s closing credits were also the first in its history to not include music, causing parents to fear it might be ending.
The show’s next episode, titled ‘The Sign’, will have an extended running time of 28 minutes, four times longer than the usual seven minutes, sparking rumors that it could be the show coming to an end.
But now Bluey’s producer Sam Moor has quashed the rumors after appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today show this morning to confirm that Bluey would be returning.
Fans of the animated Australian children’s show that follows an anthropomorphic pup named Bluey and his family known as the Heelers had panicked after rumors circulated that it was coming to an end.
Bluey producer Sam Moor has confirmed the hit TV show would return.
Viewers were shocked last week when the adorable Heeler family decided to sell their classic Queensland home after an ominous “For Sale” sign was posted outside the family home in the latest episode.
Asked if the show was ending, he told the BBC’s Nick Robinson: “It’s the question on everyone’s lips.” No, it’s not the end for Bluey. We are sure to have many more surprises in store for you.
“We have more in reserve and we’re thinking about what’s next.”
Ms Moor’s assurance that Bluey will return will calm parents’ fears after they took to social media to voice their concerns over the past few days as rumors circulated.
He said the extra-long episode would allow writer and show creator Joe Brumm to create a much longer story with many layers.
It is believed that the moving plot in the episode ‘The Sign’ will allow the show to explore another facet of childhood.
Brumm has previously said that the house is “kind of like a fifth Heeler character,” being such a mainstay that a real-life replica was listed on Airbnb in 2022.
In the series, the rambling home is located in trendy Paddington, Brisbane, and features a wraparound terrace and between 15 and 20 bedrooms.
The Sign will be simulcast on Australia’s ABC and Disney+ in another first for Bluey’s history.
When asked about the upcoming new extra-long episode, Ms Moor said: “The team worked really hard to get it out, everyone put all their love and effort into it, so yeah, 28 minutes this Sunday, The Sign.”
Fans were stunned to see the ‘For Sale’ sign and started coming up with theories about how the show would end.
Bluey executive producer Daley Pearson spoke to Australian channel Sunrise on Friday morning and also confirmed the show would continue.
He said: “For the last while we’ve been working on this half-hour episode, but we’ll be doing more Bluey.”
‘It’s been 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 been most exciting and I think that’s when the audience has liked it the most as well,” he continued.
“So whatever it is, it’s going to be something we’re not really sure we can do.” But we hope we can do it.’
The producer also revealed that it would be a “dream” to make a feature film of the cartoon.
He added that Sunday’s 28-minute special titled ‘The Sign’ will be a test to see how audiences respond to a longer episode.
Bluey executive producer Daley Pearson spoke to Australia’s Sunrise on Friday morning and also confirmed the show would continue.
In the series, the rambling house is located in modern 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 acquired by Disney. In 2023, Bluey was the second most-watched show after the legal drama Suits, surpassing shows like NCIS, Grey’s Anatomy, Friends, and Gilmore Girls.
This is despite those shows having much longer episode lengths and more well-established fan communities.
There are only three seasons of Bluey, with around 50 episodes in each, lasting seven minutes per episode.
Episodes typically involve seven-year-old Bluey and her five-year-old sister, Bingo, with Bandit, their exuberant father, and Chilli, their more sensible mother, playing.
Brumm has said that her inspiration is always watching her children navigate the world and hearing their imaginations soar. He marveled that they almost never need accessories and that what emerges is usually a “shared weirdness.”
He said: “When they play these games, they’re usually trying to recreate the adult world, but they don’t know enough about it to do it 100 percent right. And so what you end up with for parents is a really fun environment.”
Moor also explained why he felt Bluey had been so successful. She said: “It’s a co-viewing programme, it’s something mums, dads, grandparents and children can sit and watch together.” You can enjoy it on different levels but also for the same reasons.
‘It’s very relatable, we’ve had emails from people saying it’s like you have a camera in my living room. And he’s Australian, which is very exotic.
Rolling Stone even included Bluey on its list of the 100 Greatest Sitcoms of All Time.
But ABC and BBC Studios have yet to say anything about greenlighting a fourth season of the hit show.
The show is controlled and produced by a small company from Brisbane, Australia called Ludo Studio. But early in the show a deal was struck which 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 allowed it to boast annual revenues of £2bn for the first time, thanks in part to the sale of Bluey consumer products.