A secret episode of Bluey that was hidden from TV listings and streaming services around the world has suddenly been dropped, amid wider panic among parents that the popular cartoon is coming to an end.
The Emmy Award-winning Australian cartoon series, which was the second most watched show in the US last year, follows a pup called Bluey and her family, the Heelers. On Sunday morning, Australian time, a new episode was released, titled “The Surprise,” in which Bluey and her sister Bingo make their father play two different games with them at the same time.
ABC, which broadcasts the show in Australia, incorrectly listed a rerun of an earlier episode of Bluey in its TV guides.
Libby Doherty, head of children and families at the ABC, told The Guardian that the episode was kept secret in order to surprise viewers.
“Bluey's hallmark is that it's always surprising, and we like to do things differently to keep fans thinking,” she said. “Our goal was for fans to wake up to their regular ABC Kids Sunday slot at 8 a.m. and be amazed by a brand new episode.”
The Surprise was broadcast simultaneously in the United Kingdom on CBeebies, having been billed as a show called Something Special. It is now available to stream on ABC iView in Australia and Disney+ in the UK and US.
The secret episode comes a week after a 28-minute episode, four times longer than the usual Bluey episode, which is broadcast around the world. The episode, titled “The Sign,” saw the Heller family put their house up for sale – a plot that appears to be causing consternation among parents and journalists.
“Is this the end for Bluey? Parents are worried about selling the cartoon house Read a headline in the British newspaper The TimesHe made the marketing decision to list the Heeler house for sale in the real estate pages of the Sydney Morning Herald as a sign of the end.
But Bluey producer Sam Moore He told the BBC Today programme That the show will definitely come back after the mark.
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“No, this isn't the end for Bluey. I'm sure we have many surprises in store for you,” she said. “We have more in store and are thinking about what will happen next.”
Asked whether the 28-minute episode paves the way for a longer Bluey film, show creator Joe Broom told The Guardian: “I like the idea of doing something longer, so we'll see how that goes. Maybe a movie, who knows? That's a good way to test the situation.”
Bluey is broadcast in over 60 countries. It streamed more than 20 billion minutes on Disney+ in the US last year, accounting for nearly a third of all TV viewing on the streaming device.