I Genuinely Can't Watch "Bluey" The Same Way After Learning These 15 Facts About The Heelers

There are many milestones I've experienced as a first-time toddler parent — first words, first steps, and, of course, first time watching Bluey.

Bluey solo on the title card

Of course, that's not surprising. According to Nielsen, Bluey was the second most streamed show of 2023 with a whopping 43.9 billion viewing minutes on Disney+. Families everywhere love the adventures of Bluey, Bingo, Bandit, and Chilli, and in celebration of the beloved Heeler fam, here are 15 facts you probably didn't know about the show:

1.Show creator Joe Brumm was largely inspired by his own two daughters when he came up with the idea for the show — and he also drew inspiration from his childhood dog who was named Bluey.

Bluey Bingo and Bandit at the kitchen table eating breakfast

2.And before Bluey became the main character who we all know and love, Joe originally planned to center the show around Rusty, a kelpie. Eventually, Rusty would become a side character and one of Bluey's friends on the show.

Rusty and friends in a boat

3.In case you've ever wondered, this is what a Blue Heeler dog looks like in real life.

A blue heeler sitting on a bench in the fall

The official name is Australian Cattle Dog, and they're nicknamed Blue Heeler (like Bluey and Bandit) or Red Heeler (like Chilli and Bingo) based on their fur color.

Fischer S. / Getty Images/iStockphoto

4.Joe's vision for the show was that it should be something that both parents and kids alike genuinely enjoy sitting down to watch together.

The heeler family on their front porch

5.But at one point early on in the show's development, he considered pivoting the show to be for adults only and centering the realities of parenthood.

The heelers at home in their living room playing a game

6.Bluey and Bingo's parents, Bandit and Chilli, both have jobs that allude to the point that they are, in fact, dogs. Bandit is an archaeologist (like Joe Brumm's brother), which is a playful nod to the fact that dogs like to dig up bones. Meanwhile, Chilli works part-time at the airport, a nod to the use of sniffer dogs in security.

Bandit presenting about archaeology

7.There is a viral theory that the color scheme of the Heelers has a deeper meaning because it's been proven that dogs can see a limited color spectrum of blues and yellows (sound familiar?) but this seems to be just a lovely coincidence.

Chilli and the kids looking out a window

However, many TikTok commenters have noted that their dogs do, in fact, love to watch the show.

Disney+

8.It takes a whopping five months to create a single episode of Bluey — but the production overlaps so that several episodes are worked on at the same time.

The heeler family standing under a tree with bingo in a toy car
Disney+

9.Dave McCormack and Melanie Zanetti, who voice Bandit and Chilli only met each other in person for the first time in 2022 — four years after the show premiered.

Dave and Melanie at the tonight show with the captions dad and mum

10.Dave and Melanie told Jimmy Fallon they would love to see a Bluey movie — and I'm pretty sure they're not alone in that sentiment.

Dave and Melanie on Fallon

"A trilogy," Dave joked. Come on, Hollywood, get on it!

Nbc / Rosalind O'Connor / NBC via Getty Images

11.And you might be wondering about who voices the characters Bluey and Bingo, but the show has been very intentional about keeping the child actors' identities private and they've never been revealed, which is just so lovely to see.

Bingo and Bluey playing in the dirt
Disney+/Courtesy Everett Collection

12.The show has such an emphasis on play, and you'll never explicitly see the kids "learning" or "counting" — in fact, the show is a first of its kind for depicting "unstructured childhood play."

Bluey and friends playing

13.Each episode of the show is famously seven minutes long, which was the sweet spot between a longer show like Charlie & Lola (11 minutes) and a shorter show like Peppa Pig (5 minutes).

Bluey and bingo dressed up in costume

14.The delightful Heeler family games throughout the show (everything from freezing to magic statues to Keepy Uppy) were often inspired by real-life games played by Joe Brumm and his family. However, there is one game that didn't make the cut, which definitely seems to be a blessing in disguise for parents.

Bingo, Bluey and Bandit playing ticklecrabs

15.Finally, it wouldn't be a complete article without mentioning the show's supremely catchy theme song. Composer Joff Bush reflected on creating the now-iconic song, and explained that it was essentially a "game of musical statues."

The Bluey title card

You can stream (billions of minutes of) Bluey on Disney+.