Actor Melanie Zanetti,who voices seven-year-old pup Bluey’s mother Chilli,is not immune toBluey’s ability to hit one right in the feels. Most recently,when she watched the heavily anticipated 28-minute episodeThe Sign,she found herself blubbering.
Bingo,Socks and Muffin in Bluey’s special 28-minute episode The Sign.Supplied
“Usually,I don’t get to watch the episodes before they air,” says Zanetti. “This one I did. I was wiping tears off my chin. I had the full gamut of emotions. So I’m really excited for everyone who lovesBluey to go on that journey.”
The Sign,Bluey’s final episode of season three,is the Logie and Emmy-winning cartoon’s most ambitious endeavour so far,with the super-sized plot not only dealing with the major news that the Heelers’ iconic,but also featuring that biggest of televisual events – a wedding.
“It’s actually quite Shakespearean in a comedy for it to end with a wedding,so it just feels momentous and joyous,” says Zanetti. “There’s a lot that gets explored that we can’t really do in seven minutes and I think that’s one of the exciting things about the 28-minute episode.”
ForBlueyexecutive producer and Ludo Studio co-founder and director Daley Pearson,the creation of the episode was “an Everest to climb”. “It felt like a new challenge to see if we could do it.”
Since debuting in 2018,despite being unabashedly Australian in its vernacular and aesthetic,Bluey has,airing overseas on the BBC and Disney.
For Zanetti,Bluey has resulted in her appearing onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and presenting at the International Emmy Awards. Pearson points to Bluey having her balloon at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as a pinch-me moment.
“What Joe[Brumm] has created is so truthful and such a real experience of families and parenting at that age,” says Zanetti. “It’s got such beautiful messaging without being didactic. It’s funny and bizarre and heartfelt. And I think it’s the paradox of by being so specific in his work,it becomes universal. That’s really the magic of the show.”
Blueyis the rare children’s program that is equally beloved by adults. Zanetti most recently noticed the difference between the fan groups at an appearance at the Lexington Comic and Toy Con in America. “We had a panel and kids will ask things like,‘do you love dogs in real life?’ And adults will ask existential questions about life and being a parent.”
The series has also become a drawcard for celebrity vocal cameos with big-name fans such as,Natalie Portman and Eva Mendes lending their voices to the show.The Signis no exception,featuring theBluey voice debuts of Joel Edgerton,Deborah Mailman and Rove McManus.
“It’s all very organic,” says Pearson. “Lin-Manuel was just a fan ofBluey. I think we met Natalie Portman hanging out on the set ofThor while she was in Australia and we realised she liked it. It didn’t start out as:‘Do you want to do this?’ It started out that they connected to the show. There’s definitely some Australian people we love in this episode a lot.”
Pearson also says the extra-long episode could be a stepping stone to a possibleBluey movie down the track.
“As it grew,it was always there that it would be a dream to do that,” says Pearson. “We’re still figuring it out,but we’d love to do a movie. It’s probably no secret that this was used as a bit of like,‘Is this possible? How doesBluey feel as a longer thing?’ It wasn’t the only reason,but it definitely was in the back of everyone’s head. To do a movie,we’d love to,but time will tell.”
Bluey’s special 28-minute episode airs on Sunday,April 14,at 8am on ABC Kids.
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