A Fan-Favorite 'Bluey' Episode Was Banned for a Silly Reason (2024)

Bluey, a popular animated children's program from Australia that airs on Disney+ is unabashedly silly. It's one of those rare shows that kids love and adults can stomach watching, and even outright enjoy. (You aren't even close to being one of those, Teletubbies. Step away). It follows the adventures of Bluey, a six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy, her four-year-old sister Bingo (both Bluey and Bingo are voiced by children of the production crew and are not credited), their Blue Heeler archaeologist father Bandit Heeler/Dad (David McCormack), and Chilli Heeler/Mum (Melanie Zanetti), a Red Heeler who does security at the airport part-time. The show is decidedly uncontroversial, but nevertheless, one episode has never been aired on Disney Junior or on Disney+: Season 2's "Dad Baby." Now, however, the banned Bluey episode is free to watch on YouTube.

Bluey

TV-Y

Animation

Family

The slice-of-life adventures of an Australian Blue Heeler Cattle Dog puppy as she has fun with her family and friends in everyday situations.

Release Date

September 30, 2018

Creator

Joe Brumm

Cast

David McCormack , Melanie Zanetti , Brad Elliott , Daley Pearson

Seasons

3

Production Company

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), BBC Studios, Ludo Studio

The "Dad Baby" Episode of 'Bluey' Is Goofy

"Dad Baby" starts with Chilli and Bandit relaxing in the living room as Bluey cleans up some orange juice she spilled. Bluey gets tired of cleaning and asks Bandit if she has to clean up everything. Bandit's next words will soon haunt him, as he responds with, "If you're going to do something, do it properly." Just then, Bingo enters the room holding something and wondering just what it is. Bandit takes a look and explains that it is a baby carrier, which they used to carry around the children on walks when they were much younger. He puts it on, and Bluey, seizing the opportunity for a funny moment, encourages Bingo to climb into the carrier. With Bingo just fitting in, Bluey suggests a game they can play: Dad Baby. The game is that Bandit has to pretend he's pregnant with Bingo, and if he's going to play, then he has to "do it properly" (see, told you his words would come back).

Bandit has fun with the idea, joking about his sore back and feet, his hunger, and his need for vitamin E cream ("something about stretch marks"). Chilli starts playfully hitting Bandit with the newspaper in return for his mocking, sending the girls and Bandit away. Bandit continues playing up the "pregnancy" by opening the fridge, having a craving for dim sum, only Bingo takes them out of his hand as he tries to eat them. Bluey escorts Bandit outside into the garden as "pregnant people need exercise too." At this point, Bandit is starting to feel pretty uncomfortable and opts to sit down, only to stand when Chilli arrives on the scene. Chilli asks how he's holding up, and Bandit (reluctant to show any weakness, of course) claims it couldn't be easier. "Oh good," Chilli replies with a smile, "Well, soon you'll start feeling the baby kicking." On cue, Bingo starts kicking her father square in the belly. Having had quite enough, Bandit tries to remove the carrier, but Bluey reminds him that he hasn't had the baby yet, and... yep, again... "If you're going to do something, do it properly."

Bingo sticks her head out of the bottom of the carrier, prompting the delivery. Next, we see Bandit lying down in the swimming pool, breathing hard. They soon hear their neighbor Pat (Brad Elliott) in his backyard and call him over to help "deliver the baby." Pat manages to grab Bingo's leg and starts trying to pull Bingo out, only she refuses to come out easily and grabs hold of Bandit's fur tightly. Bluey gets an idea, though, and has Pat push Bingo from the top as she pulls Bingo from the bottom. Soon Bingo is out, and Bandit cradles his "newborn" while Bluey and Pat stand by. Chilli, watching from the porch above, congratulates her husband on his beautiful baby girl. Bluey decides that it's now her turn, and a panicked Bandit looks into the camera as the episode draws to a close.

The Reason This 'Bluey' Episode Gets Banned Is Unclear

Full disclosure: Yours truly has never seen an episode of Bluey until watching "Dad Baby," and it is truthfully hilarious. Strange, yes, but very funny. The banter, the mock pregnancy (right down to Pat, the neighbor, holding Bandit's hand as he "gives birth"), and being able to fully relate to Bandit's stubborn male unwillingness to show any discomfort is all far more amusing than it probably has a right to be, which is a testament to how excellently written the show is. That said, it's completely obvious why the episode has never aired on Disney+, and likely never will. Well, somewhat obvious. Actually, it isn't obvious in the least, not like how a Peppa Pig episode was pulled in Australia for teaching children that spiders are okay, when Australian spiders are anything but (that ban was completely preposterous as well, but at least the rationale made sense).

Disney has never issued a statement regarding the ban, but creator Joe Brumm is hardly fazed by the controversy. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Brumm admits that while he is open to changing words and concepts to cater to what is appropriate, eventually he hits a wall where he is unwilling to change anything, simply because it's too funny as it is. As for why specifically the episode is banned, fans on Reddit and YouTube have taken it upon themselves to theorize. The most prevailing theory? The episode borders on being sex education, and for that reason, it has been deemed inappropriate. Whether that's Disney being sexist, or prudish, or simply unwilling to put themselves in the crosshairs of religious groups is anyone's guess.

Censorship Trumps Having Conversations for 'Bluey' and Friends

That said, there is precedent that would suggest the sex education reasoning to be accurate. "Daddy Putdown," the 51st episode of Season 1, contains a line where Bingo asks Bandit how babies get into their mom's bellies. That line is cut entirely from the episode streaming on Disney+. Season 3's "Perfect" has a scene where Bluey and Fido (Eliot Fish) are talking about Bandit getting neutered. Funny stuff, but instead of Bandit's twig n' berries it was changed to a conversation about Bandit's dog teeth having to be removed. In "Born Yesterday," there's a scene where Bingo and Bluey are teaching Bandit how to use a swing (why an adult needs lessons on playground equipment is beyond me). Those trickster girls place Bandit in a position where the swing will hit him right in the... dog teeth. He yelps, "My groin!" But not in the U.S., where the word is not included in "Chores" either, with Bandit complaining about hurting his groin while attempting Bingo's "Bee-yoop" silly walk. The lesson here, of course, is that it is best to leave silly walks to John Cleese, lest you hurt your dog teeth. And so on. It would seem, then, that Disney+ would rather censor, or ban altogether, content than to have parents facing the possible horrors of speaking to their children about such things.

It is still speculation, however, and until Disney releases a statement, which at this point seems highly unlikely, that's all it will ever be. But that's not always the case, with episodes from Bluey's friends in the genre being banned for far more definitive, but no less ridiculous, reasons. Arthur had a 2019 episode, "Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone," banned in Alabama for having a same-sex marriage, with Mike Mckenzie, director of programming for Alabama Public Television, saying:

“Parents have trusted Alabama Public Television for more than 50 years to provide children’s programs that entertain, educate and inspire. More importantly – although we strongly encourage parents to watch television with their children and talk about what they have learned afterwards – parents trust that their children can watch APT without their supervision. We also know that children who are younger than the ‘target’ audience for Arthur also watch the program.”

Peppa Pig, similarly, had an Italian politician calling for a ban on "Families," an episode that had the audacity to feature two co-parenting lesbian polar bears. Parents having conversations with their little ones about same-sex couples is clearly far too much to ask.

Asking them to have conversations about "panty raids"? Strange, but apparently a big ask as well, with an episode of Spongebob Squarepants being banned for characters staging a panty raid. In "Mid-Life Crutacean," Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown), looking to beat his mid-life blues by doing something wild, convinces Spongebob (Tom Kenny) and Patrick (Bill fa*gerbakke) to go on a panty raid with him. They break into a house and start going through a woman's drawer full of knickers, when the woman catches them in the act. Mr. Krabs' mom. And Mr. Krabs' mom's unmentionables. He's sent to his room, the episode is sent to "inappropriate content" prison.

And if parents don't want to discuss sex, or same-sex couples, or panty-raids with their young ones, it's safe to assume talking about death is also off the table. "Caillou Getting Older," an episode of Caillou, was allegedly banned due to talk about death and a dead bird shown on screen, which didn't nearly get the overwhelming outpouring of praise from parents that came when the series itself was cancelled (seriously, Google "Caillou cancelled" and be amazed at the search results hailing the show's death). At least Fred Rogers had the cojones to be banned for talking about the possibility of death on a global scale. Yes, good old Mister Rogers, infinitely more beloved than Caillou (as is Jack the Ripper, seemingly), saw his iconic show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood have a five-episode arc about the fears of nuclear war, the "Conflict" series, taken out of syndication.

'Bluey' Creator Won't Back Down

A cartoon doggy daddy, pretending to be pregnant, is a far cry from lesbian polar bears, panty raids and nuclear war, which makes Disney's decision to ban "Dad Baby" all the more absurd. But when a giant like Disney says to jump, some creators would likely ask "how high?" and back down from the mighty House of Mouse, but in a refreshing stance, Brumm has made it clear he is ready to face whatever the consequences may be so as not to compromise his work. "Well, we just won't show that entire episode or that scene or that sequence," Brumm says, "Some of them, like 'Dad Baby' for instance, doesn't get shown in America. But what are you going to do, not make 'Dad Baby'? I love it." "Dad Baby" isn't the first time Bluey has been explicitly banned outright, with an episode where Bandit farts famously not available on Disney+ for a time, and Brumm's attitude suggests it may not be the last time either. But by putting the joke ahead of the need to be universally accepted, Brumm has succeeded in delivering a show that the entire family can enjoy. So long as they're okay explaining where babies really do come from, the gentle art of farting, and dog teeth, of course.

Bluey is available to watch on Disney+ in the U.S.

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