Why Aussies can’t get enough of Bluey

Bluey is one of the most beloved shows on television and there’s a surprising reason why Aussies can’t get enough of it.

COMMENT

As a nation, we find it hard to agree on things.

We can’t agree on where the best hot chips are from. We haven’t unanimously decided whether we should forgive Michael Clarke for upsetting Karl Stefanovic’s sister-in-law, and we definitely can’t agree on politics.

These days it feels like there’s not much we are on the same page about, until you turn on Bluey and realise some things will always unite us.

I don’t have children, but even I understand the power of the animated show aimed at children, because it is universally charming and quintessentially Australian.

This week’s 7-minute episode titled Cricket really drove home why the show hits so hard with us.

People on Facebook went nuts for it.

“I cried. It is a beautiful episode and should make the cricket world very proud,” someone wrote.

“What a wonderful episode for those who love cricket and those who don’t,” another commented.

“I cried too! I couldn’t believe they got me again,” someone shared.

“Cried twice, one of the best things I’ve ever seen,” another noted.

The episode was very, very sweet. Picture: ABC

It was released in conjunction with the launch of the Ashes series, and on day five of the World Test Championship Final and it was the top-rated non-news show of Sunday with 563,000 viewers, beating Australia wrapping up its latest world title, which peaked with 524,000 metro viewers.

It was a home run.

The episode was simple.

It followed a game of backyard cricket where it became immediately apparent that Rusty was a star batter.

I’m not a cricket fan, although sport with a lunch break does appeal to me, but this episode had me in an emotional chokehold.

I was shocked, too!

I’m so anti-cricket that the reason my family became a two-television household growing up was because I pleaded my case that it was unfair we had to share the television with Dad during peak cricket times.

So how on earth did an episode about cricket get me so emotional?

Well, it is the power of Bluey – the show takes universal themes and gives them a tremendous amount of heart.

The episode follows a backyard cricket game in which no one can get Rusty out. Through flashbacks, we discover he loves the game deeply and practises whenever he can.

We also learn that his Dad is currently working away from the family, unable to play with him.

Like anyone who ever loved a sport would know, there are moments where you hit a wall and you wonder if you’ll ever be able to reach the next level and get past it.

In flashbacks, Rusty’s Dad sends him a letter offering some encouragement as he struggles to master the game of cricket.

“As you grow, you’ll face harder things than a cricket ball, and you’ll have two choices. Back away and get out or step in front and play a full shot … keep your eye on the ball and look after your little sister,” he wrote.

Rusty took care of his sister. Source: ABC

He took the advice from his Dad to heart. Source: ABC

As the episode went on it became really clear that no one could get Rusty out, even Mr Heeler didn’t stand a chance.

Meanwhile, his little sister was in the field eagerly hoping to catch a ball. So, Rusty deliberately hit the ball out, so his little sister could catch it.

She was absolutely delighted.

Are you crying? I was crying!

He lost, so his sister could win.

“This is what cricket is about kid,” Mr Heeler noted when he cottoned on to why Rusty suddenly lost.

He isn’t wrong, but what he said is far beyond what cricket is about. It is also what being Australian is about.

It’s about loving sport, coming together in the backyard and playing not just win but with a sense of mateship that should ultimately matter more than ambition.

This episode was a love letter to cricket, yes, but it was also a love letter to the lessons that sport can teach us and what we value in Australian culture.

Bluey’s cricket episode is proof that it isn’t just great television but it is something that unites Aussies.