The show follows Bluey, an anthropomorphic six-year-old (later seven-year-old) Blue Heeler puppy who is characterised by her abundance of energy, imagination and curiosity about the world.

The young dog lives with her father, Bandit; mother, Chilli; and younger sister, Bingo, who regularly joins Bluey on adventures as the pair embark on imaginative play together.

It has been praised by television critics for depicting a modern everyday family life, constructive parenting messages, and the role of Bandit as a positive father figure.

Bluey's friends and classmates include Coco (a pink Poodle), Chloe (a Dalmatian), Honey (a Beagle), Indy (an Afghan Hound), Mackenzie (a Border Collie), Rusty (an Australian Kelpie), Snickers (a Dachshund), and Winton (an English Bulldog).

The children explore the world around them through creative roleplay, overseen by the kind and caring Australian Shepherd teacher Calypso (voiced by Megan Washington).

Brumm wanted to portray the importance of children participating in imaginative play, creating the title character Bluey as a Cattle Dog to give the series an Australian voice.

[12] Brumm approached Ludo Studio to develop the series; co-founders Charlie Aspinwall and Daley Pearson pitched the pilot at conferences such as MIPCOM in France.

[12][13][14] Brumm stated that the first pilot contained some "dangerous" character behaviours which drew the attention of studio executives;[12] this included Bandit pushing Bluey on a swing in an unsafe way.

[12] The two networks officially ordered 52 seven-minute episodes of Bluey, with the BBC investing 30 percent of the funding and acquiring the global rights for distribution and merchandising.

[6] He consulted research based on socio-dramatic play, reading the works of Sara Smilansky and Vivian Paley, who both had backgrounds in early childhood education.

[12] Brumm discovered the importance of play-based learning after his daughter struggled with formal education, which led him to exclude elements of literacy and numeracy in Bluey and focus on the depiction of life skills.

[16] Locations featured in the series have included Queen Street Mall and South Bank, as well as landmarks such as The Big Pelican on the Noosa River.

Pearson stated that over time, the viewings developed into test screenings where members of production would bring their family, friends and children to watch the episode.

[27] Every episode of Bluey is individually scored, a decision made by Brumm, who was inspired by the original compositions for Charlie and Lola while working on the series in the United Kingdom.

[30] Megan Washington, who voices Calypso, re-recorded her song "Lazarus Drug" from the album Batflowers to feature prominently in the ending scene of "The Sign".

[31] Bush composed the theme song for Bluey, and he has been nominated for several APRA Screen Music Awards, in 2019 for the soundtrack of the episode "Teasing" and in 2020 for "Flat Pack".

[3][4][11] Bethany Hiatt of The West Australian explains that the series depicts the realities of modern-day fatherhood, with Bandit seen regularly doing housework and engaging in imaginative play with his children.

[53] Her struggles with newborn motherhood and encounters of competitiveness in a parenting group are depicted through flashbacks of Bluey experiencing significant developmental milestones.

[17][53] Several episodes detail the exploration of Australia's climate and nature,[5] with characters encountering Australian wildlife such as fruit bats, wallabies, kookaburras and ibises.

[58][75][76][77][78][79][80] The series notably features the original voice actors while airing overseas, after producers were initially asked to replace the Australian accents of the characters.

[17] The series received a seal of approval from Common Sense Media, with reviewer Emily Ashby commending its positive family and social themes.

[99] Bluey was praised by Philippa Chandler of The Guardian for its "sharp script" and depiction of everyday family life, while commenting that its Queensland background set it apart from other cartoons on television.

Despite only being on air since 2018, the magazine wrote that Bluey "stole Australia's hearts faster than any other cartoon character" in what it described as a "cute, funny and modern" series.

[56] McClellan acknowledged the family dynamic of the characters; she described Chilli as the "voice of reason" and noted how Bluey and Bingo learn to navigate their sibling relationship.

[111][112] The ABC claimed that the term had only been intended as "irreverent rhyming slang made up by children", and has stated that it maintains its commitment to addressing discrimination.

[115][116] Bluey has received consistently high viewership on ABC Kids in Australia, becoming the most watched children's program across all channels on broadcast television in 2018 and 2019.

[81][173] In January 2020, Bluey partnered with Bonds to release a clothing range for children, including pyjamas and socks featuring character designs.

[184][185] A live stage show developed in 2019, titled Bluey's Big Play, toured in fifty theatres around Australia and featured the characters from the series.

[190] Ahead of the release of the long-form episode "The Sign" in April 2024, Moor stated that it was "not the end for Bluey", while Pearson expressed interest in creating a feature film based on the series.

[201] A companion podcast produced by the ABC entitled Behind Bluey was first released on 10 April 2023, in which Brumm and other creatives discuss the production of the series and its latest episodes.