Bluey TV Sereis (2020-present)
Bluey is an epitome of children’s show aimed at parenting. The series is available on Cbeebies and Disney+. It chronicles the exploits of Bingo’s sister Bluey. frequently accompanied by either or both of parents. Each episode’s plot is typically built around a single concept drawn from the author Joseph Brumm’s early years or his experiences as a parent: “He made notes on the games his two girls dreamed up. As Bluey revealed to an Australian professor in 2019: “The games… were so weird and bizarre and idiosyncratic, and those memories get lost in the sands of time,” Bluey would become a sort of personal time capsule. Brumm would immortalise them in the culture rather than letting them fade away.
I see a lot of appeal in the concept of constructing a time capsule for memories, recording them in episodes, and animating them. The wording is innocent enough for kids not to be afraid, and the occasional adult humour is done tastefully and intelligently enough for kids not to pick it up. The bond that their father Bandit has with her and her sister is one of the most discussed aspects of Bluey.
The planning and preparation that seems to go into each and every episode pay off in spades as Bluey has fast become of the most well-liked children’s shows of the present. These storylines have the impression of being spontaneous and adventurous.
This is both what I want to use as inspiration for my own animation and the reason I think this show is significant. It is crafted with such love and is just pure, honest fun as it is not just aimed at children but is a treat for parents as well. It gives a lesson to the parents that are watching the show with their children. The colour scheme, particularly the tone of the leaves, served as inspiration for my own artwork. However, Bluey demonstrates what can happen when you put your all into something. How a children’s programme may produce an episode like “Sleepy time.” One might cry at the usage of metaphor to represent the bond between a mother and child and the grandiose soundtrack.
Just like bluey, I adopted the same psyche in my undergrad thesis, where I created a puppet tv show. In it I showed the puppets living in a foster home and with puppet came different problems and each problem was tackled in every episode and the viewers were also taught about its solution. For example, in one episode I showed a cross-eyed puppet being bullied and he realizes that if he owns his disability then no power in the world can take him down.
Hence, in bluey the lessons of love and acceptance of people who are different from yourself, it also shows a father figure and mother figure as significant figures who are worth their weight in gold rather than as clumsy buffoons deserving of scorn and derision.
Bibliography
Pbs.twimg.com. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FZybrZDX0AAikob?format=jpg&name=900×900> [Accessed 10 April 2022].
the Guardian. 2022. The cult of Bluey: how a kids’ cartoon became a bible for modern parenting. [online] Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/jun/11/bluey-australian-children-cartoon-joe-brumm> [Accessed 10 April 2022].
Disneyplus.com. 2022. Watch Bluey | Full episodes | Disney+. [online] Available at: <https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/series/bluey/1xy9TAOQ0M3r> [Accessed 7 April 2022].
Arsalan Awais 