7 Fun ‘Bluey’ Facts You Might Not Have Known

Bluey is one of the number 1 shows on Disney+, and for good reason! This sweet, lighthearted series about a young girl and her family is full of quirky fun, imaginative play, and moving life lessons. It’s no wonder that the series is popular with adults and children alike.

There are also some fun and surprising facts underneath the surface of Bluey. Here’s some of the most interesting Bluey trivia we found!

1. The actors playing Bandit and Chilli didn’t meet in person until 2022

Season 1 of Bluey premiered in 2018, but it wasn’t until a November 2022 trip to New York City that David McCormack and Melanie Zanetti, who play Bluey’s parents Bandit and Chilli, met in person. They traveled to New York to appear on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Kimmel, and revealed during the interview that they had never actually met in person, having recorded all their dialogue in separate locations.

2. Bandit is canonically an archaeologist

We think of Bandit as a goofy, fun-loving dad, and since the series focuses on Bluey and Bingo, we don’t see much of their parents’ lives outside of the home. However, thanks to a series of shorts on Bluey’s official YouTube channel, we know that Bandit is an archaeologist.

In one short, which unfortunately isn’t up on the YouTube channel any longer, Bandit gives a presentation on a prehistoric dog bone that he found at an archaeological dig. His colleagues in the audience applaud his discovery, and then Bandit succumbs to his overwhelming urge to gnaw on the bone.

3. Melanie Zanetti didn’t know what a huge deal the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was

In their appearance on The Tonight Show, McCormack and Zanetti shared their reaction to Bluey’s popularity in the United States. In 2022, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade featured a Bluey balloon, which showed what an incredible phenomenon Bluey had become worldwide. However, Zanetti had no idea it was such a big deal, and her American friends had to explain to her just how special the balloon was.

4. The actresses who play Bluey and Bingo are uncredited

If you look at the Bluey credits, you’ll notice that the names of the actors who play Bluey and Bingo never appear. That’s because those actors, who are the children of members of the show’s production crew, are uncredited to protect their privacy.

Melanie Zanetti supported the crew’s decision to keep the actors’ names private in an interview with Kidspot. “All the children on the show are members of the family of people in production,” Zanetti said. “I am so glad that the creatives on the show decided that no one would be in the credits to protect the young cast.” Considering how obsessive fandoms can get, it seems like a smart decision.

5. David McCormack, the voice of Bandit, is also in a rock band

Before he became of the voice of Bandit, David McCormack was a vocalist and guitar player in the band Custard. Formed in 1989 in Brisbane, Queensland, the band has released 13 albums and three EPs since 1992.

6. Blue heelers are a real breed of dog

Australians and dog lovers probably already knew this fact, but I didn’t! Bluey Heeler and her family are modeled after Australian Cattle Dogs, also known as blue heelers. As you can see from the photo above, Bluey nailed the design of the Heelers, with their boxy body shapes and bluish-grey fur. Series creator Joe Brumm chose the blue heeler as the breed of his show’s characters to give them a distinctly Australian flair.

7. Series creator Joe Brumm created Bluey to be Australia’s answer to Peppa Pig

Speaking of Australian flair, there’s more insight into Brumm’s conception of the show. According to an interview with Perth Now, Brumm worked in London as an animator for the children’s series Charlie and Lola and Peppa Pig. When he returned home to Australia, he decided that he wanted to make an “Australian version of Peppa Pig.”

Peppa Pig, of course, features a spunky young girl who has fun with her friends and family, much like Bluey does. Maybe a Bluey/Peppa Pig crossover is the children’s television event we’ve all been waiting for.

(featured image: Disney+)