Queensland-based animation company Ludo has thanked fans for tuning into Bluey’s special 28-minute episode, but has stopped short of confirming whether the children’s favourite will continue past its current third season.
“It is a privilege for all of us to have Bluey be welcomed into family’s homes around the country,” the company said in a statement.
“Whatever comes next, we hope that families love it as much as we’ll love making it for them.”
The show, which screens in 60 countries and has been dubbed into 20 languages, looks set to continue to be made out of its Brisbane base, though creator Joe Brumm is still yet to make an official announcement.
In a recent interview with Deadline, the Queensland-born creative refused to confirm its future, with the publication noting, “Brumm… is either an expert at misdirection or genuinely isn’t sure” before adding the reaction to the show’s extended episode may be the decider.
But given fan response, and the fact the Bluey brand is now estimated to be worth in excess of $US2 billion — the show is the second most-watched on US screens, notching up an astonishing 44 billion minutes on Disney Plus — saying farewell to the globally beloved series seems highly unlikely.
ABC, which shows the series here, also refused to confirm its future, saying in a statement: “Thank you to Aussies, big and small, who have woken up on a Sunday morning to share this wonderfully special episode.
“As we’ve always said, the brilliant fans will be the first to know when we have news to share.”
Speculation that the multi-award-winning, globally beloved series could come to an end reached fever pitch after an episode titled ‘Ghostbasket’ went to air on April 7, showing a ‘For Sale’ sign in front of the iconic Heeler house in the closing moments of the episode.
Fans jumped on social media to share their theories that the show was finishing up for good, speculating that Sunday’s special extended episode, titled ‘The Sign,’ would be the show’s last.
Now that the episode has aired, fans aren’t so sure.
The episode concluded with the house sale falling through, with Bandit emotionally ripping out the house’s ‘For Sale’ sign.
The family then gather in their empty home for a makeshift fish and chip dinner on their Watermelon rug, scenes that certainly hint that the family will not be moving interstate after all, staying put in their iconic Queenslander.
In an exclusive interview with The West Australian, Melanie Zanetti, who plays Chilli Heeler admitted she was similarly in the dark as to the show’s future, but would be prepared to continue playing the iconic Heeler matriarch for the foreseeable future, saying “for me, it’s like, ‘Whenever they want me, I’ll go in (to voice it).’”