Bluey isn't ending, but Sunday's special will get emotional. Here's what we know about it (2024)

Bluey fans are being treated to an extra-long special episode on Sunday morning.

It comes after a cliffhanger of an episode last week, which has some fans anxious about what could happen.

But while the show is broadcast on the ABC, we here in the ABC newsroom are as much in the dark about the show as everyone else.

So we spoke to Bluey executive producer Daley Pearson to get some answers.

When is the Bluey special?

8am AEST Sunday.

Where can I watch the Bluey special?

You can stream it on ABC iview.

It'll also be broadcast on free-to-air TV onABC Kids/ABC TV Plus.

Is Bluey ending?

No.

Don't worry, we've double-confirmed that with an ABC spokesperson.

"We have no plans to end the show," they said.

Mr Pearson spoke about big plans for Bluey — more on that later.

Why do people think Bluey is ending?

They might be a bit spooked after the last episode, called Ghostbasket, dropped last week (if you've not seen it yet, prepare yourself for spoilers below).

And because this came before an extra-long special, some fans feared it was gearing people up for a final episode.

But that's not the case.

Mr Pearson says Sunday's special was something of a trial run to see how fans respond to a longer episode.

What was Ghostbasket about?

It started off with Bandit pretending to be a "house-selling person" showing the Heeler house to Chilli, a prospective buyer.

Bluey and Bingo were in character as grannies Rita and Janet, who didn't want to sell the house and pretended it was haunted.

It all looked like another one of the family's make-believe games, but the final seconds of the episode revealed that it wasn't exactly all pretend, with a "for sale" sign out the front of the house.

It was also the first-ever Bluey episode without any music in the end credits

Instead, there were a few gentle piano notes as the words "to be continued…" came up on the screen.

This poignant ending prompted emotional reactions from some viewers.

Here's a collection of Instagram comments:

"THEY’RE SELLING THE HEELER HOUSE????"

"This move is gonna be harder for me than it is for them.

"The episode made me laugh until the ending which caught me off guard. I still can't believe that the Heelers are moving."

What do we know about the Bluey special?

It's called The Sign and Mr Pearson hinted that it could be a tear-jerker.

"It's the most beautiful episode we've made," he said.

"It's taken people by surprise and got through a chink in their armour."

Being four times longer than a regular episode, it was a big effort from everyone at Ludo Studios — the Brisbane animation company that makes the show.

"We had a crew screening where everyone cried … but we're not sure if that was just because they were relieved," Mr Pearson said.

"It was a very emotional experience for everybody."

It's going to have a bunch of new characters, includingRove McManus, Deborah Mailman, Brendan Williams and Joel Edgerton.

And some fan favourites will be back, including Patrick Brammall as Uncle Rad, Megan Washington as Calypso, Claudia O'Doherty as Frisky, Myf Warhurst as Trixie and Rose Byrne as Brandy.

Here's the trailer for it:

As well as a trailer, the studio also put up a fake real estate online listing for the house, which is described as a "quaint, animated family home nestled in an undisclosed Brisbane location, that could be in Red Hill or The Gap (we'll never tell)".

The agent is listed as Bucky Dunstan, who is apparently very busy selling houses because calls to his number go directly to voicemail.

The last line on the description seems to hint about what's to come in The Sign.

"This is an exciting opportunity for all families around the world to see if this beloved, iconic house becomes home to a lucky new family," the listing says.

Is the Bluey house for sale?

Yes.

Is Bluey moving house?

Some fans speculated that maybe, just maybe, the Heelers won't sell the house after all.

Mr Pearson didn't confirm or deny any of this.

What's in the future for Bluey?

We don't know.

There's huge demand for more Bluey but despite its global popularity, the creators plan on sticking to the same approach they've had with the show all along.

"We have to love it ourselves first," Mr Pearson said.

"We have to love these characters and find it funny ourselves.

"It was never a teachable show — it was always about making people laugh.

"As long as we're making something we love and we're proud of and believe in, I think we'll be alight."

The children in the show are voiced by real children — not grown-ups pretending to be kids.

So will that mean Bluey and her mates will grow up with them? That's a bridge the team will cross when they get to it.

"Kids grow up, we can't stop it," Mr Pearson said.

"We're good for now and we’ll hang on to our voices as long as we can and as much as we can."

Why do so many people love Bluey?

Bluey is currently the number one show in the US — and that's not just kids' shows, but television shows overall.

And while it's popular with kids, there's something about Bluey that resonates with adults.

Each episode is inspired by real life, drawing largely from creator Joe Brumm's experiences with his own daughters.

"They're those moments from kid's lives that you can't make up," Mr Pearson said.

"Once they happen, they’re gone, you forget about it and they grow up."

But the team behind Bluey take those moments and immortalise them in beautifully colourful animations.

It's those fleeting moments that might remind older viewers of times in their childhood.

"It's cartoon dogs but beneath that it's unedited real life," Mr Pearson said.

“A massive thank you to the audience for welcoming Bluey into their homes.

“It's the biggest privilege that we've never taken lightly."