11 Bluey Episodes That Were Banned Or Censored & Why

Bluey is known and loved for its adorable characters and valuable life lessons, but there were a number of episodes of the children’s TV show that were banned or censored. Premiering in 2018, the animated series has become an absolute sensation, with people being completely drawn to the sweet family made up of dogs. It has been celebrated as a positive piece of programming, even winning an International Emmy Award for Best Kids: Preschool show. However, not every moment of the series has been commended.

Although mainly a completely innocent and age-appropriate show, there were a number of instances in Bluey deemed not suitable for young audiences, resulting in entire episodes being banned or parts being censored. Many of these changes needed to be made when Bluey was being added to Disney+, as they have strict standards as to what their content can contain. In terms of reasoning, the banned Bluey episodes have a pretty wide variety.

11 Season 1, Episode 8

“Fruit Bat”

One of the earliest episodes of the show, season 1, episode 8, “Fruit Bat”, was edited in the U.S. and the U.K. The premise of the episode is harmless (as are most episodes of Bluey) — Bluey doesn’t want to go to bed but decides that if she dreams about being a fruit bat she’ll be able to stay up as long as she wants (in her mind, at least), as fruit bats are nocturnal.

The reason this episode was edited when shown outside of Australia was due to a specific scene. Earlier in the episode, Bluey was playing a game where she pretended to be a penguin, and involved her slipping and sliding around on the wet tile of the bathroom. This scene was edited out, as it was accused of not setting a good example for children viewers who could recreate the game and get hurt.

10 Season 1, Episode 20

“Markets”

Season 1, episode 20, “Markets” was edited for a reason most viewers would probably not even bat an eyelash at. In it, Bluey and Bingo are looking to spend the money they have, and they come across a “unicorn” (a pony with a horn on her head) handler. The “unicorn,” who is named Buttermilk, ends up pooping on the grass, which causes the girls to scream and run away. In the original episode, audiences are able to see the feces, but this was changed in the Disney+ version.

Interestingly, this episode of Bluey is available completely unaltered outside of Australia. In the US DVD release of Bluey: Seasons 1 & 2, the original version is available as a bonus feature. More intriguing still, the episode has since been aired on Disney Junior with the pooping scene restored.

9 Season 1, Episode 25

“Taxi”

Another episode in season 1 that was edited for a seemingly small reason was season 1, episode 25, “Taxi”. In the episode, Bluey is playing a game where she’s running a taxi service, taking Dad and Bingo to various places. Dad, playing as a businessman, needs to visit the airport. Once they reach their imaginary destination, Bluey decides she’d rather pretend to be a pilot instead, and this is where the censoring comes into play.

Bandit can be seen boarding an imaginary plane and learning that the pretend cab driver from before, who had driven quite recklessly, was the pilot. Upon realizing this, Bingo pretends to throw up on Bandit’s lap. When the episode made its way to the U.S., there was no vomiting scene. This is one of the more peculiar reasons for censoring an episode of Bluey, as plenty of other kids’ shows have shown characters vomiting before — especially young ones like Bingo.

8 Season 1, Episode 48

“Teasing”

While previous episodes had been changed for what seems like silly reasons, Bluey, season 1, episode 48, “Teasing” had serious backlash, beyond children’s safety or bodily functions, that required changes to be made. In the episode, Bluey and Bandit start referring to Bandit using the term “ooga booga”. A viewer complained about this, as it is a term that has racist connotations and a problematic history for Indigenous Australians.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said the use of offensive language was unintentional and that they were sincerely apologetic and committed to helping reduce discrimination and prejudice (per ABC News). ABC made the decision to remove the episode from the air, as well as a season 1 episode called “Daddy Robot,” which used the same phrase. When “Teasing” made its way to Disney+, the phrase was replaced with “shoobi-doo-wop.”

7 Season 1, Episode 51

“Daddy Putdown”

It’s no secret that Disney tries its best to maintain a family-friendly image that does not include anything that can be construed as inappropriate. That is why Bluey, season 1, episode 51, “Daddy Putdown” was censored when added to Disney+. A putdown, as regular Bluey viewers know, is an Australian idiom that simply means an adult putting a child to bed.

However, it’s not the premise of this episode that caused it to become one of the several censored Bluey episodes, but a single line of dialogue. In the episode, Bingo asks her dad, Bandit, how babies get into their mom’s bellies. This line cannot be heard in the episode on Disney+. While the decision of when to teach children about conception is different for every parent, Disney wanted to avoid controversy and thus altered the episode.

6 Season 12, Episode 13

“Dad Baby”

Bluey, season 2, episode 13, “Dad Baby” was censored for a similar reason as “Daddy Putdown.” In this case, however, the episode was banned entirely and cannot be watched on Disney+. In it, Bandit is simulating giving birth to Bluey’s younger sister Bingo. The episode is light-hearted in tone and does not get into anything explicit, but it was not in line with Disney’s strict standards for children’s television.

This was the first episode of Bluey to be removed from the show entirely by Disney when bringing it over to the U.S. The company has never given an official reason for why it wasn’t included, though it’s more than likely because it discusses childbirth. For curious audiences who want to see what all the fuss is about, the episode is available for streaming on Fubo.

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5 Season 2, Episode 15

“Trains”

Bluey, season 2, episode 15, “Trains” was altered in the U.S. for a very similar reason as “Markets.” Just like many of the censored Bluey episodes, the premise and plot weren’t the issue with the content. The set-up is pretty innocuous, and like many Bluey installments focuses on a game of imaginary play Bluey, Bingo, Bandit, and Chilli are engaged in. The reason the episode was altered was because of a single moment that involved feces.

The episode has Bluey playing trains with her dad, who is pretending to be a conductor. When he asks her for her ticket, Bluey hands him something and tells him to rub it all over his face. In the original version, that something was imaginary poop. In the U.S. version, the line was altered to make it an invisible slug instead.

4 Season 2, Episode 16

“Army”

While Bluey is usually very good at dealing with sensitive subjects, many feel they missed the mark in season 2, episode 16, “Army.” “Army” is one of the few Bluey episodes that doesn’t focus on the titular blue Heeler, but instead focuses on Rusty (who was supposed to be the original Bluey main character). In the episode, a character named Jack appears to have ADHD. “Army” was censored for remarkably wholesome reasons compared to some others, and the change helps to promote inclusivity.

Jack does not know why his brain works the way it does, but he recognizes that it’s not the same as other children. In the original version of the episode, Jack tells another character “There’s something wrong with me.” The line was later changed to “There’s something going on with me,” so as to not perpetuate the idea that having ADHD is something inherently wrong.

3 Season 3, Episode 1

“Perfect”

Children’s television, especially that which is aimed towards preschoolers, has little tolerance for things that can be construed as sexual. That is why season 3, episode 1, “Perfect” was censored by the time it arrived in the U.S. In the episode, there is a flashback where Bandit is playing a game of boomerang with Bluey and chatting with Fido.

That chat was initially about getting neutered. It’s easy to see why this is a natural conversation for anthropomorphic dogs to have, as it’s a part of most dogs’ lives and would have been humorous given that it’s one of a few moments the Bluey characters act like canines. However, in the U.S. version, it was changed to a conversation about Bandit’s dog teeth having to be removed. While Bluey often contains subtle hints at more adult subjects, such as premature birth, divorce, and infertility, this particular reference was one step too far for Disney.

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2 Season 3, Episode 23

“Family Meeting”

Bluey, season 3, episode 23, “Family Meeting” presented another issue of potty talk. Unlike most of the censored or banned Bluey episodes, “Family Meeting” was problematic from the premise itself rather than any one specific scene, as the focus is on a mock trial of Bandit after Bluey accuses him of passing gas — or “fluffing” — directly in her face. Chili acts as the judge, and the evidence presented by Bluey includes various food items that are known to cause flatulence.

The episode was initially banned in the U.S. due to a number of references to passing gas. However, the decision was reversed following an outcry that highlighted “Family Meeting” as one of Bluey‘s funniest episodes and accused Disney, the same company that created Pumbaa — a character who famously passes gas throughout The Lion King — of hypocrisy. The episode was subsequently added to Disney+.

1 Season 3, Episode 29

“Exercise”

Fat-shaming has no place on television, especially not on a kid’s show. That’s why there was so much controversy around Bluey, season 3, episode 29, “Exercise.” The episode caused major backlash, as it opened with Bandit weighing himself and being unhappy. He even goes so far as to grab his sides, visibly upset, and then Chilli does the same. This tone is the total opposite of the rest of the show, which has always promoted positivity and self-acceptance, even when it’s dealing with subjects like healthy living.

Parents were furious about the negative body image talk being presented to their children. The first minute of the episode ultimately ended up being removed across all global distributors. “Exercise” is perhaps the only censored Bluey episode where there was no backlash about the decision to alter it and remove it from Disney+, and also the only time that the increasingly beloved cartoon severely missed the mark.

Bluey Isn’t The Only Cartoon With Banned Episodes

Bluey is one of the most wholesome and critically acclaimed cartoons around, so the idea that it has banned and edited installments is a surprise, but it isn’t the only cartoon with banned episodes. There are the obvious ones, such as South Park and Beavis and Butt-Head banning episodes that went a little too far. There is also the cast of The Simpsons, which permanently banned one episode because Michael Jackson voiced one of the characters.

However, like Bluey, several kids’ cartoons have banned episodes for one reason or another. Australia banned the Peppa Pig episode “Mister Skinnylegs” because Daddy Pig assures them the spider they are playing with is harmless. The banning is because in Australia, many spiders are deadly, so the country didn’t want kids trying to play with random spiders. The long-running cartoon Arthur banned an episode for the same reason The Simpsons did. Instead of Michael Jackson and his allegations, “Room to Ride” centered around Lance Armstrong, and was removed post-doping scandal.

Other cartoons had episodes banned for reasons similar to Bluey. In Tiny Toons Adventures, the cartoon tries to show the dangers of alcohol in “One Beer.” Parents didn’t appreciate it, and it ended up being pulled until 2013. Dexter’s Laboratory had an episode called “Rude Removal” that showed how bad it could be when people acted out, but beeping-out words caused Cartoon Network to ban it since people plugged in words they assumed the characters were saying.

There are other cases where the episode’s story has nothing to do with the network banning it. Pokémon has a banned episode titled “Electric Soldier Porygon” that has no objectionable content. However, it was the animation that was the problem. This Pokémon episode caused almost 700 Japanese children to suffer seizures due to the flashing lights. Luckily, nothing in Bluey caused an issue like this, but it shows that not all cartoons are fit for television.

Bluey

Bley is an Australian animated kids’ show centered on a family of talking dogs. Bluey is a female Australian Blue Heeler Cattle Dog, and together with her sister Bingo, Mum, and Dad, Bluey always finds herself in the middle of an adventure.

Cast

David McCormack , Melanie Zanetti , Ninthe van Schie , Brad Elliott , Myf Warhurst , Meg Washington , Dan Brumm

Release Date

September 30, 2018

Seasons

3

Creator(s)

Joe Brumm