Why Bluey is one of the best shows on TV right now

9:44Why Bluey is one of the best shows on TV right now

Bluey is an animated kids show from Australia that is beloved by kids, grown-ups and TV critics alike.

A new season just dropped on Disney+, and each seven-minute episode is a masterclass in storytelling. The show follows the titular six-year-old puppy, as well as her mom, dad, and younger sister Bingo. Each episode feels like a short movie, where imagination and playtime help kids unearth some big truths about the real world.

Guest host Amil Niazi and Vulture culture critic Kathryn VanArendonk talk about what makes Bluey one of the best shows on TV right now.

We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow the Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud podcast, on your favourite podcast player.

It packs a lot into a small amount of time

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Bluey, VanArendonk says, is its ability to fit so much action into each short episode.

"It is able to be so incredibly dense in the way it tells a seven-minute story," VanArendonk says.

The show covers a wide range of childhood experiences — from the usual storylines like learning to ride a bike or tidying up after themselves, to kids finding a sense of belonging and overcoming painful experiences.

"That density is not just impressive from an abstract narrative perspective — although it very much is. It is also extremely functional because what it means is that every one of those seven-minute pieces has parts that a kid is going to look at and feel reflected and interested in."

WATCH | Two Bluey's Are Better Than One:

It speaks to audiences of all ages

VanArendonk shares that within her own household, she's noticed that Bluey has a rare staying power with both of her children.

"There are very, very few shows that my kids will come back to," she says. "I have been really fascinated to watch the way my older one, who is nine, will still happily sit down with Bluey and rewatch all of them with her younger sister."

VanArendonk adds that Bluey appeals not only to all sorts of children, but their family members too.

"[There are] elements that are going to speak to a parent, and elements that are going to speak to everyone in the family. CoComelon does its job, which is to appeal to a preschool-aged crowd. It is not trying to get the parents; it doesn't need to, because the kids will just sit and absorb it."

Niazi and VanArendonk specifically point to "Onesies," an episode from season three that deals with an estranged family member and her infertility issues, praising the way it broke down such complex themes in a way kids can digest and understand.

"Bluey is aiming for a much higher, much harder bar to clear."

WATCH | Full episode — Magic Asparagus:

It portrays parents as humans

As a parent, VanArendonk says it doesn't get much better than Bluey's portrayal of parenthood.

"[Bluey] is most remarkable in the way that it is able to find human realities for parents and for kids to relate to. It allows kids to sort of see parents as people, which is so rare, and it allows parents to look at their kids in a way that is slightly less of the "I am exhausted, could you please just put your socks on?" kind of way, and instead to think about what is happening in their brain — what they care about, what they're anxious about."

The show does such a stellar job with its parent characters, in fact, that VanArendonk and Niazi agree Bluey might even be setting too high a standard.

"I think the — not criticism, but the bone to pick from parents is that these parents are amazing. They always seem to have time to play. They manage to immerse themselves in their kid's world in a way that isn't always realistic," Niazi says.

"I am exhausted by it. I am so appreciative of it. I admire it. I resent it," VanArendonk says. "I come to it with all of the mixed feelings that I feel about any piece of parenting advice that I know that is probably right in some kind of perfect world that doesn't exist, and that I can never actually replicate."

Ultimately, Niazi and VanArendonk agree that it's nice to have an ideal to look up to, even if the source material is two cartoon dogs.

"I think it is okay to have these models," VanArendonk says. "I think it is okay for us to aspire to models, and then fail. I think the key is to distinguish between the models that are reminding us of what can be, and the models that make us feel shame for not hitting them.

"They're cartoon dogs, at the end of the day. It would be great for kids if they had parents that were that emotionally available all the time. But Bluey is also capable sometimes of these scenes that remind kids that parents also need a break. It is maybe not as frequent as I seem to need a break in my own life, but it is just this gorgeous fantasy world that emphasizes how magic childhood is, and that is its key priority above all."

"I'll watch the show," Niazi says, "and I'll remind myself: I can say yes. I can be in that world. I can dance. I've rarely felt guilted by the show. I'm mostly inspired to be a better parent."

WATCH | Family Moments with Bluey:

As for what the success of Bluey signals for the children's entertainment industry at large, VanArendonk hopes the takeaway for the decision-makers is simple.

"My hope is that the existence of a show like Bluey can be this beacon for demonstrating how much better it is for everyone when that creative side is emphasized.

"I very much hope that all executives sit down with CoComelon and Bluey, and think about which one they'd rather watch with their kids."

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Interview with Kathryn VanArendonk produced by Jean Kim.