Due to this article at The Conversation:
Why are adults without kids hooked on Bluey? And should we still be calling it a ‘kids’ show’?
I have to confess: apart from the ever-so-slight interest factor of having a major international hit show set in a Brisbane house, on the rare occasions I have tried to watch it to see what the fuss is about, I have found it dull, and the kids' voices and giggling pretty irritating, to be honest. And I say this as an adult who has happily watched other kids shows over the years. (Shows aimed at older kids, though - AstroBoy springs to mind, for example.)
I think we need more adults to "out" themselves as being in the group "grown ups who can't understand why other grown ups would ever find Bluey worth watching."
The giggling can be annoying, a hangover and influence from the show creator's experience on Peppa Pig, I think. I often wonder how they get the kid actors to giggle convincingly.
ReplyDeleteBut the show is very good, some very very funny stories and the occasional episodes that will just floor you, plus a general willingness to experiment that results in some things you have never seen on kids telly before.
I confess I have never watched bluey
ReplyDeletePerhaps I need to be pointed to a particularly funny episode to be convinced, Tim.
ReplyDeleteIt's worth looking up 'Dunny', which is a favourite of mine (though they almost all are) - it's just the four dogs lying in the big family bed together, having a yak. It ends in a literal and metaphorical pile up as the two kids try to convince their mum that they should be allowed to say 'dunny' instead of 'toilet'. 'Dad Baby' is also very good. It was banned from Disney for nebulous reasons, but it's basically about Bandit (the dad) carrying his four year old around in a baby carrier he has, the kids acting like he's pregnant, and yes, there is a birth scene.
ReplyDeleteSometimes the humour gets a bit vulgar (as in 'Family Meeting' - a family court case over a fart, or in 'Fancy Restaurant', my favourite - basically a witty send up of the romance genre).
If the giggling particularly puts you off, it's also worth checking out 'The Quiet Game', where the kids mostly don't speak, for reasons that will become obvious. Also 'Rain', which is just seven minutes of Bluey playing in the rain, but that episode is just incredibly sweet (though it does have some funny jokes in it).
I think I've said too much!