Without BBC Studios, Bluey would never have been a hit
Back in 2017, the ABC signed a deal to co-commission a new kids cartoon called Bluey. You’ve probably heard of it. You have probably heard quite a number of times jokes at the ABC’s expense about letting co-commissioner BBC take the rights to international sales, including merchandise.
In hindsight it was a bad deal. Bluey is said to make around $2.5 billion a year.
But, in true contrarian fashion, I’m here to ask: Was this a bad deal?
Last week Charlie Gearside posted a YouTube video where he criticised the deal. What he said was nothing new, but thanks to his outsized profile (he’s the co-founder of Eucalyptus, an online health company that sells dick pills, weight loss injections, skin care products, etc – it just sold to US company Hims & Hers for $A1.6 billion), it sparked a robust conversation over the weekend about what losers the ABC are.
I’m throwing out there two counterpoints to all of this.
First of all, Bluey, like almost every commission, wasn’t a sure thing. There was no reason to believe that Bluey would be a smash hit. Instead, it was more likely than not to be a nice and cheery kids show that would fit on its schedule alongside other commissions like Kangaroo Beach, and Flower & Flour. Like every Australian broadcaster, the ABC is cash-strapped and the way local productions tend to be made nowadays is by having an international partner on board.
Would Bluey have been made without the BBC on-board as a production partner? Maybe. Maybe not. I’d contend that the ABC’s purpose is to be making shows for Australian viewers, like the dedicated ABC Kids audience. If the choice is between the ABC having a good kids show with BBC making oodles from it through BBC Studios, or the show not being made at all, then the ABC made the right choice here.
And just on a side note… ABC Kids is a really f**king awesome service. The curation of kids shows on it is second to none and they do a remarkable job with scheduling as well. Is it perfect? Heavens no. But it is pretty great and probably the most valuable service the ABC delivers.
But the second crucial point I think is important to consider: If ABC had gone it alone on Bluey and retained international distribution and merchandise rights (while covering the cost of that), does anybody actually believe that Bluey would still be a smash hit show?
Back in 2018/19 in the earliest days of Bluey as a success story, I, a mature (adjacent) adult man without a kid in my life, knew of Bluey through articles and discussion online about hot-dad Bandit and how he was seen as a perfect father. The show was generally praised as being pretty good, but Bandit Heeler was the breakout talking point surrounding the show.
Had the ABC somehow managed to get the show on the air without co-producer BBC, I’d suggest that burst of energy around the show is probably about as far as it would have gotten.
A show isn’t a success because it is good. It helps a show to become a success because it is good, but it takes more than just quality. BBC Studios has runs on the board in terms of supporting TV shows with international distribution and merchandising deals.
Through the strength of the Bluey YouTube channel, through key sales like the 2019 sale of the show to Disney for the US market, through the launch of stage shows and licensed public appearances, through the endless supply of Bluey merchandise (I cannot turn my head in my house without some sort of Bluey presence thanks to Little Miss 4 in my house, the future publisher of Always Be Watching). BBC Studios is behind all of that.
BBC Studios has built up the muscle required to make all of that happen.
Could ABC Commercial have made that happen? I’m far from convinced.
Gen X loved Andor
Tied with May The Fourth (an online fan-driven Star Wars celebration that has gotten bigger than the message boards could ever have imagined), Nielsen has released a point exploring what Star Wars product people are actually watching. Among the findings:
44 per cent of fans are watching Star Wars movies vs 39 per cent watching the live action shows and 17 per cent watching the cartoons.
The most-watched Star Wars show in 2025 was Andor. THR tries to explain this away as recency bias, but I’d also counter that Andor is the only live action show that feels integral to the experience of watching the movies. I can’t imagine not sliding that series in if I’m going to watch Rogue One as part of a Star Wars movie rewatch.
While Andor is number one, its success is generational. Millennials (ages 30-45) and Gen X (46-61) viewers are watching it, but Gen Alpha (2-13) and Boomers (62-80) are watching The Mandalorian. Meanwhile Gen Z (14-29) are watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Yes, Gen Z are the lamest generation.
The most-streamed titles:
Are the two Ewok TV movies from the 80s on Disney+? If so, I’m not sure how Caravan of Courage didn’t make the top 10…
News Desk
Amazon’s Head of Nonfiction Jenn Levy says that they are looking at a US version of its international comedy stunt show LOL: Last One Laughing. Read: Deadline
Jenna Elfman will star in new Fox series The Interrogator opposite Stephen Fry. Read: Variety
Barack Obama has pointed out the obvious reasons he isn’t popping off more about the current state of politics in an interview with the New Yorker. Don’t expect Barry to launch his own podcast anytime soon. Read: New Yorker
Netflix’s The Night Agent will end after four seasons. Read: Variety
Son of a Critch will end after five seasons at CBC. Read: Deadline
Denis Leary comedy Going Dutch has been cancelled after two seasons. Read: THR
BBC News will lose around 2000 of its head count (about 15% of its staff). Read: The Guardian
Neon has acquired the movie adaptation of oral history book I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution. I don’t really get what the narrative focus of a film like this is, but it is a very entertaining book. Read: Deadline
In this interview about the upcoming Netflix is a Joke Festival, Netflix stand-up chief Robbie Praw basically confirms we have seen the end of John Mulaney’s talk show Everybody’s Live. Read: Variety
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (which I am desperate to visit) has just announced its first Star Wars installation. Star Wars in Motion will showcase the various modes of transport on display in the films & TV shows. Now that’s what I call pod racing! Read: THR
Trailer Park
Following on from the worst ending of a TV show in 2025 is season 2 of The Four Seasons on Netflix. It returns May 28.
PAC-MAN: Snack Breaks debuts on the official PAC-MAN YouTube channel May 22.
That’s the newsletter for the today.
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