Disney's Most Beloved TV Show Returns With New Special

Disney has announced the next installment of the hit children's program Bluey will include an extended special and will premiere this April. It marks the first special since the show's premiere in 2018. The first new episode, titled "Ghostbasket," will premiere on Sunday, April 7. The 28-minute special, "The Sign," will premiere on Sunday, April 14. Both episodes will air first on ABC Kids in Australia and become available on Disney+, Disney Junior, and Disney Channel in all other available regions (except China and New Zealand). "The Sign" will be the show's longest-ever episode. 

Bluey was the No. 1 series for preschoolers and kids in 2023, and was the No. 2 most-streamed series across all audiences, according to Nielsen, per a press release announcing the new special. Ten new episodes of the series premiered on Disney+ in January 2024 and will begin rolling out on Disney Channel and Disney Junior beginning March 25-April 5.

The show has been praised for its pure portrayal of family life and celebration of play time and joy. The series follows Bluey, a Blue Heeler dog who lives with her Mum, Dad, and little sister, Bingo. Bluey has been recognized with awards that include a fifth consecutive AACTA Best Children's Programme award, International Kids Emmy® Award, the Television Critics Association Award, BAFTA Children & Young People Awards, Critics' Choice Award nominations and others. 

In an interview with NPR, the creators, Juana Summers talks with Joe Brumm, spoke about the inspiration behind the show. "There's not a great deal to the idea of "Bluey." It's talking dogs. I'm not the first to do talking dogs, and I'm sure I won't be the last," Brumm said. "But I guess it's more in the execution and what the stories ended up being about and how it really focused on play. I think that was fairly unique. Beyond dogs and stuff like that, I really just wanted to show that parents would enjoy watching with their kids rather than you just sort of tolerate it. Because I thought that that must be a really great experience for a young kid, you know, a 4-year-old, a 5-year-old, to be sitting on a couch laughing together with their parents at their favorite show."