How Bluey Beat X-Men ’97 To Become Disney+’s #1 Show In The U.S.
There are hundreds of excellent animated kids’ shows to watch, but not all of them stand the test of time. The classic 90s kids shows that still hold up today deal with themes and issues that are relevant to any audience, even if the show uses fantasy or sci-fi to convey the message. 1992’s X-Men: The Animated Series tackles major social and political issues, with superhero characters who remain relatable despite having special abilities. With such a timeless approach, it is not surprising that the series was revived, with season 2 of the rebooted X-Men ’97 streaming now. At first glance, the animated Australian kids’ show Bluey has very little in common with the much more explosive and action-packed X-Men franchise, but while Bluey is aimed at young children, the two shows have a similar focus on presenting significant and complex issues for a younger audience. Bluey explores issues like neurodiversity, childhood development, and trauma, and there are several extremely deep episodes of Bluey that adults have found just as impactful. Bluey deserves its crown as 2024 and 2025’s most streamed show, and despite X-Men ’97’s second season debuting to a perfect 100% positive critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, Bluey has still beaten the series to the top spot in the streaming charts. According to Flixpatrol, the top streaming TV show on Disney+ both in the US and worldwide is currently Bluey Compilations, with X-Men ’97 in second place. This is an extremely impressive achievement, as Bluey has no new episodes out, with people rewatching the show anyway.
Why Bluey Is Still A Masterclass In Storytelling
calyspo teaches nursery class in bluey
Like The X-Men, Bluey uses fantasy characters to tell its story. However, in Bluey’s case, it is a family of lovable talking blue heeler dogs rather than mutants. Through characters like Bluey and her diverse group of family and friends, the series gives issues affecting children the same respect and care as a cinematic drama would rather than trivializing them. Some TV shows aimed at kids can be repetitive, but Bluey feels intelligent and grounded, without patronizing its viewers. The show does not just highlight themes that children might struggle with, but instead explores everyday life in a secure family, including some hilarious episodes and moments that both parents and children will find relatable. The most rewatchable episodes of Bluey often include hidden details that are only apparent on a second viewing, and at around six minutes per episode, the entire series is the perfect family binge-watch.
Instead of spelling out the final lesson in each episode, Bluey credits the viewer with the intelligence to take the message on board without the need to state it, perfectly embodying the “show, don’t tell” writing philosophy. The many-layered episodes include details that will only be apparent to parents while children focus on other aspects of the story, resulting in a show that is endlessly rewatchable for audiences of all ages. The show’s formula has made it a resounding success, with some reviewers feeling that Bluey is even more important for adults than children.
Bluey Is Only Going From Strength To Strength
Bandit and Bingo Heeler in Bluey
Bluey’s characters were instant hits, becoming the subjects of merchandise and franchise expansions, from a stage show and theme park attractions to video games and books that were published at the end of 2019 and had sold 5 million copies by October 2022. The series has even found success with crossovers, with a “Bluey Medley” track in 2026’s Just Dance game, and a Minecraft collaboration. After so much acclaim, it has seemed like only a matter of time before Bluey arrived on the big screen.
Bluey has won over 100 major awards, including an International Emmy Kids Award.
According to Deadline, the Bluey movie is scheduled to be released in August 2027, and has been written and directed by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, who has stepped away from making the show to work on the movie, which will reportedly feature the voice actors familiar from the show. While Brumm’s absence from the series has made some viewers concerned, his commitment to the movie makes the upcoming project feel like a welcoming extension of the Bluey franchise.
Source: Flixpatrol, Deadline
Release Date
2018 – 2024-00-00
Directors
Richard Jeffery, Joe Brumm
Writers
Joe Brumm
Diterbitkan : 2026-07-14 16:37:00
sumber : screenrant.com
