US cartoon Chip Chilla accused of being a direct rip-off of Bluey and fans are fuming
Oh, biscuits! The colours, the jokes, the animal characters... it appears as though our US pals are trying to put an end to the global obsession with Bluey.
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We knew Bluey was good the moment it aired on Aussie TV screens. So good that in just five years, it has become the most downloaded show in ABC iView history, has won a string of impressive gongs (including a BAFTA, Emmy and Logie), and continues to be one of the most streamed cartoons across the globe.
But you already knew all that. And you also know that our American pals are such huge fans that even their kids are speaking in little Aussie accents.
And while this is hilarious to us, it has made them, well, a little jelly!
So jelly, in fact, that they've now created their own animated series that looks mysteriously like the one featuring our favourite Heeler pups.
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Is Chip Chilla the new Bluey?
The Daily Wire, the US conservative media brand founded by American commentator Ben Shapiro, has teamed up with film maker Jeremy Boreing to create a new cartoon hosted on their subscription streaming platform called Bentkey.
The animated series is called Chip Chilla and it's about a family of chinchillas who are homeschooled by their parents and get up to all sorts of normal and fun things in their everyday lives.
Sound familiar? Because it is!
"The cartoon style, the colours, even the music is very similar to our very own Bluey," a reporter for Today claimed.
RELATED: Bluey celebrates 5th birthday and fans are all invited
The knock-off animation, as fans have declared it, has caused a huge stir. Even Brisbane's Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has claimed it's a "phoney" US version of Bluey.
Today's Brooke Boney claimed the move to 'copy' our much-loved show was a "dog act" and that the whole ordeal is a "national disgrace."
And she wasn't the only one to think so.
RELATED: Wild theory claims Bluey’s parents are ‘criminals’
Fans claim they're barking up the wrong tree
Kidspot reached out to ABC and LUDO for a word from Bluey's creators, and while they remain tight-lipped on the matter, it hasn't stopped fans from airing their own grievances online for them.
"Definitely won’t be on the same level as Bluey!!" one fan commented on Facebook.
"Doesn’t matter if they try and copy it - it will never be as good as Bluey!" another agreed.
Another fan was able to see the positive in the move from the US: "Imitation is the best form of flattery though!"
While others claimed Aussies just need to chill out.
"Does it really matter? We’re Aussies not whingers.. we can share the screen."
What do you think?
Originally published as US cartoon Chip Chilla accused of being a direct rip-off of Bluey and fans are fuming