The First Extended Bluey Special Shouldn't Be the Show's Last

It might seem surprising that one of the most popular TV shows right now is a preschool cartoon about anthropomorphic dogs, but Bluey continues to dominate streaming charts. The Australian hit, which first premiered on ABC Kids in 2018 before streaming internationally on Disney+, has developed a loyal fan base amongst kids and adults alike. It’s not just parents watching, either — the show has even become a TikTok phenomenon. 

The series follows the day-to-day life of a lovable, energetic Blue Heeler puppy named Bluey, who lives with her father Bandit (voiced by David McCormack), mother Chilli (Melanie Zanetti), and younger sister Bingo in the town of Brisbane, Queensland. Part of what makes the show so easy to digest is its short format; episodes are only seven minutes long. 

Now, Bluey is shaking things up with its new 28-minute special The Sign. This isn’t the first time the cartoon has done a special episode of sorts — there have been Christmas, Father’s Day, and Easter-themed specials — but The Sign is by far the longest in its history. 

“I’m very interested to see how ‘The Sign’ goes down with the audience,” creator Joe Brumm said in an interview with Deadline ahead of the premiere. “It’s four times as long as a normal episode. Will the audience accept a stint with a longer story?”

Extra-long episodes are increasingly common with streaming, but they tend to be hit or miss. Sometimes a show benefits from straying outside its usual runtime, like the 69-minute Better Call Saul series finale. Other times, it ends up feeling like unnecessary filler, like when The Office had random hour-long episodes for no real reason. Game of Thrones strained viewer patience in its final seasons, a move that Stranger Things adopted with feature-length episodes. Netflix is one of the worst offenders of TV bloat, but it’s hardly the only one. Extended episodes might appeal to hardcore fans, but more time doesn’t necessarily make a story better.

Fortunately for Bluey fans, The Sign not only justifies the lengthier runtime through its stellar writing, but makes a convincing case for more specials like this in the show’s future. The episode centers on the wedding between Uncle Radley (Patrick Brammall) and Frisky (Claudia O'Doherty), in which Bluey, Bingo, and their cousins serve as flower girls. However, things go south when Frisky finds out that Radley wants them to move out west once they get married, which he apparently didn’t bother to discuss with her first. Furious, she spontaneously declares that the ceremony is off and drives away in a huff. With the wedding on the line, Chilli and the kids try to track Frisky down and fix things between the couple before it’s too late. 

Meanwhile, Bluey struggles to deal with a big change on the horizon: the family’s house is for sale. Bandit, who’s an archaeologist, has accepted a new, high-paying job that requires them to move to another city. Bluey understandably doesn’t want to leave her friends and neighborhood behind, and tearfully begs her parents to reconsider. Chilli admits she doesn’t really want to move either, but maintains that Bandit is only trying to do what’s right for their family. “I just want to give [the kids] the best life possible,” he says, but it’s clear that he also has doubts. 

The episode’s 28-minute runtime allows the show to flesh the story out without rushing. Radley and Frisky’s plot line feels akin to a classic sitcom wedding — nothing goes according to plan, there’s a big miscommunication that almost ruins everything, and then the couple somehow works things out and ultimately gets their happily ever after. This theoretically could all be squeezed into a normal Bluey episode (which would be extremely stressful to watch), but it greatly benefits from having room to breathe. Investing more time in the drama only makes it all the more satisfying when Radley and Frisky make up and decide to get married after all. 

The house potentially being sold is also a storyline that works better within a longer runtime. Standard-length Bluey episodes have successfully explored heavier themes in the past — “Onesies” strongly implies that Aunt Brandy faces fertility issues, and “Copycat” deals with death — but the extra time in “The Sign” adds more depth. Saying goodbye to your childhood home is something virtually everyone has to deal with at some point, and the storyline hits much harder when it’s not simply over in seven minutes. 

The extended runtime also means there’s more room for subtle jokes, fleshing out character dynamics, and tying up loose ends. One of Bluey’s strengths has always been its knack for incorporating jokes that only adults will understand, but in a way that feels clever rather than off-putting. When Chilli and the kids reach a secluded parking lot (an obvious spot for drinking and other activities), she clumsily says, “Your aunt and I used to come up here to, um… think!” 

Ultimately, Bluey episodes still work very well within seven-minute confines. Part of what’s special about the show is that it manages to make viewers feel all kinds of different emotions and tell powerful stories in the span of a few minutes. But The Sign demonstrates that the series is capable of delivering excellent longer episodes as well. For the record, Brumm isn’t opposed to experimenting with runtime again in the future. 

“I’m loving going longer on ‘The Sign,’” the creator told Deadline. “I’d love to try to go longer. I definitely would not rule that out.” 

Bluey is available to stream on Disney+. 

Kelly Martinez is a TV Reporter based in Los Angeles. Her previous work can be found at BuzzFeed and People Magazine, among other outlets. She enjoys reading, spending time with her cat, and explaining the plot of Riverdale to people.