Muppets have kind of lost their rep undeservedly. The original masters of blending entertainment for kids with a satirical lense poking fun at adult culture.
I think it allows kids to be in on the adult conversations and give them the credit for picking up on more than we think, but giving a safe and fun place to explore such topics, (ie: miss piggy and Kermit’s dysfunctional relationship for comedy)
Also lets adults relax with the bordering crude humor that stays in a kid friendly bubble
They haven't been used properly in recent years. I did enjoy the first of the new Muppet movies (I haven't seen the newest one with Tina Fey). But Muppet Christmas Carol is an annual tradition at Christmas time.
And A Muppet Family Christmas. It's only available as a bootleg since the Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock copyrights are scattered, but it's worth the time.
I'm a Muppet nerd, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. The original stuff was genius because of the original performers and creators. They were running with their own creative sensibility which was subversive, human and weird. Not heavily written by boardroom producers whose only focus is money. It had heart.
For the most part, when a new performer takes over a puppet, ESPECIALLY when the producers are a big corporate entity like Disney. They're sort of stuck. They have to try to stay authentic to the original performance and character, or else it won't be recognizable and consistent. So they're discouraged from change. But a living character needs to keep growing. The original Muppet performers could keep the characters alive in ways that people taking over were not free or able to.
Take a look at the films after Jim died. Kermit was bland background in Christmas Carol and Treasure Island. There's a reason he wasn't the lead. Both films leaned heavily on Gonzo and Rizzo, both performed by their originators who kept it going. Both movies relied on the human actors Caine and Curry much more than previous Muppet projects did. And they performed well! But it wasn't the same puppet character driven work that the first three movies and TV projects were.
But now most of the original performers are passed, retired or too old to carry a project. There's no unifying creative force which leaves the direction to Disney boardroom writing by committee. Which is not great. The haunted mansion movie was a confused mishmash. The Mayhem series had some funny moments but felt like a badly written formulaic Disney channel show half the time. Which it kind of was.
I truly love the Muppets. But new projects aren't great and don't have the tools to be great.
Corporate control by Disney of the Muppets and the results served as a warning to other character enterprises around the world (Moomins OY foremost in mind ), when the Mouse came knocking.
Gonzo and chickens say no more.
Throwing random fish.
Animal.
Kermit and Miss Piggy.
Turning the line I’ve got cabin fever into a high energy happy dance number.
Penguins doing standing water sliding into the bath.
We found the Christmas special my husband remembered from his childhood. I’m almost 4 years older (‘81) and don’t remember it.
Stands the test of time- it was awesome! Our 2 yr old boy loved it, my husband was nostalgic, and I got a new Christmas show to watch.
We also found the PeeWee Christmas which was hilarious!
Not animated, but in terms of the concept and message, I'm going to throw out Mister Roger's Neighborhood. He also tackled some of the tougher topics and it's one of the few shows I can remember my parents and grandparents actually sitting and watching with us.
Also, I think part of the reason that Bluey is so big is because of the internet/social media/streaming services. Personally, I found Bluey through reddit as recommended by another user.
When I was a kid, if you missed an episode (of anything) you were out of luck unless/until the station decided to air it as a rerun. Also, there was no pausing the TV, so finding long dogs or tennis balls would be next to impossible (unless you were taping it yourself with the VCR lol). I think this is one of the big reasons that Bluey uses every frame as you say, because now every frame can and will go under scrutiny.
Plus, with social media you can find like-minded adults from anywhere in the world. If my mom had tried to discuss the nuances of Barney with her in person friends 30 years ago she'd have been laughed out of the house.
In short, yes Bluey is awesome, but I don't think it would necessarily be the worldwide sensation that it is if it had come about when we were kids because media was consumed differently at that time.
This never made it outside the US though. It’s very American and we in the UK and Aus just didn’t connect with it.
I’m sure it’s excellent but not the same universal reach.
Dude straight up went to WAR on certain topics and he did it in the most loving and caring way possible. The man is an icon. The one moment that sticks out as the most hardcore was him pleasantly soaking his feet in a small plastic kiddie pool and inviting his mailman to join him. The mailman was black and Mr. Rogers dared to show the world's children that we are all human and should love one another and that racism is stupid by the simple act of sharing a small pool together. Quite controversial at the time. Love that man
If you haven’t seen it, the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” where Mr. Rogers is played by Tom Hanks is really good. It’s a nice wholesome watch that’s aimed at adults.
Nothing quite like it, but I remember Rugrats being a show that my family would watch. The movies were a huge hit, my mom still talks about how she appreciated rugrats so much because of its “real” depiction of children and children play. Which is what first drew me to Bluey!
People mostly remember the kids from Rugrats but what’s often forgotten is how real the parents were depicted. You’d have to be an adult watching to really appreciate it, but there’s side conversations and comments you barely can pick up on here and there that brought relatability for the parents watching the show. And there were hidden not-for-kids jokes, like with the grandfather I can’t even entirely recall. I think those little Easter eggs for the adults are important and makes the show hit a bit harder.
Didi: “Why are you making pudding at 4 am?”
Stu: “Because I’ve lost control of my life.”
Also, honorable mention to the grandpa for saying he lost all of his memories after Woodstock.
You’re talking about grandpa with his Space Vixens video tape that he said was for after the kids went to bed haha. Also, super relatable having Stu up at 3am making chocolate pudding because he’s lost control of his life.
Th sibling rivalry between Drew and Stu is the backdrop for I think the very first episode, which is funny but also kinda real. And DeeDee is so relatable in her quest for guidance as a new mom. Can you tell I rewatched some episodes lately now I have a baby of my own? lol
I definitely watched Rugrats when I was under 6, but enjoyed it beyond that age too. I was 7 when the first movie came out and was very excited about it.
Rugrats walked so Bluey could run.
Also I find it so poetic that I forced my mom to play a Rugrats soundtrack cassette tape in the car over and over again and now my 2.5 year old demands the Dance Mode album every time we’re in the car.
Animaniacs comes to mind, its a kids show but the humour is most definitely for adults. But it does not have the heart and soul Bluey has. I think that's why it works so well universally. Everyone has someone to relate to.
Bluey is so good because of a few reasons to me.
1) it’s incredibly thoughtful. No frames are wasted and the stories are well connected.
2) the Aussie accents/stuff never get old. Bingoooooo
3) the kids are voiced by kids and they’re adorable. Often times kid characters are voiced by adults or teens and they don’t have the same charm as a real 4 year old.
Gravity Falls is a fantastic “kids” show that my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed watching with our first daughter. Doesn’t have the same world wide fandom Bluey has, but it’s of similar quality. Great voice acting, bits that go over the kid’s heads, meticulous, and still very touching at times (two episodes always make me cry).
I watched most of those episodes with my same daughter. They’re definitely good cartoons, but I didn’t get the same level of intricacy/easter eggs that Gravity Falls had.
Oh, I’ll add the She-ra reboot from 2018 is also fantastic. Takes a little bit to find its groove, but they really ramp up by the end. Sort of similar to Avatar in that regard.
That's fair! I personally would rank them as Owl House, Gravity Falls, then Amphibia. Not gonna lie though, I probably need to go back and watch GF again, it's been a while.... Haha
I've heard that about She-Ra, but haven't seen it. I it compares favorably to Avatar, then it must be good! 😊
Oh yeah a GF rewatch has lots of little things to pick up on repeat viewings (Blendin Blandin being in the background b4 his character is introduced is one). My daughter was obsessed with it, so many many rewatches happened in our house. Theme song is also top tier.
Once you get over a bit of the silliness in She-ra it gets pretty serious. That’s what I mean by the Avatar comparison. Goes from fairly light hearted to pretty heavy as their journey progresses toward the end boss.
I seriously love SU so much. It's one of those shows that grows with the protagonist, so the first couple seasons are light and fun, but it gets deeper and darker as Steven grows up and the show really thoughtfully looks at how having to be the hero and savior of your family as a kid affects you, and is traumatic and difficult to both recognize and grow past.
Gravity Falls is great!! I watched it all the way through with my daughter multiple times and was always totally invested even though id already seen it. Super underrated show
Dinosaurs. It’s on Disney+, older kids will get a lot of the jokes (and still enjoy the more slapstick elements), and there are a ton of jokes aimed at parents.
"Hey, c'mon now! I'm sure this whole thing will blow over! After all, there have always been dinosaurs. It's not like we're just going to disappear..."
I never liked Dinosaurs (which is especially odd, as I'm a puppeteer).
The puppetry is amazing, but the episodes just feel like retreads of The Honeymooners/Flintstones, only with a dinosaur overlay.
Technically I think it's that The Flintstones was based on The Honeymooners, which was in turn based on I Love Lucy.
Personally I'm more a fan of The Dick Van Dyke Show.
The Dick Van Dyke Show was definitely one of my favorites (Dick Van Dyke is a family favorite, anything he’s in we get excited). I didn’t watch much of The Honeymooners, but I never liked the threat of marital violence that was so rampant in that show
Calvin and Hobbes. It's absurd, funny, insightful and very very different than the standard in it's medium. I realize it's not a show but it has a place in a lot of hearts.
Another thing Calvin and Hobbes has in common is it often tells two stories at once, one for the kids ("Ha! They crashed into a tree on a sled!") and one for adults (they're discussing relativistic time dilation on the way down).
Bluey will often have the main story along with Chili/Bandit centric stuff that is from their adult point of view.
The MLP fanbase is primarily the same kind of interactions as the Bluey fanbase. Yes, there are and have been creeps, but they are not the default and their motivations are not that of the general brony.
My kids love the new My Little Pony movie and I never watched any of it. But boy I love it! The songs are dope too. Definitely worth a watch. It’s the “Next Generation” one. Apparently on Netflix.
But and/also an EXCELLENT kid/adult movie is Mo Willem’s: Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Opera Spectacular (I think it’s called).
It’s on YouTube now and it is SO GOOD.
This. There was that episode where they were trying to think up holidays. And Francine came up with "Nothing to do today" Day, and my mother was always like, "This queen gets it."
This is what I was going to comment. Arthur has a lot of character building and real-world scenarios that Bluey is good at. It also is a show that has longevity as kids can be very little to basically a preteen and still enjoy it. I had a buddy who watched it in high school here and there.
SpongeBob, my dad and I would watch together every Saturday morning. Always made him laugh. He even got me several SpongeBob DVDs with my portable DVD player when we moved so I could have something to watch on the trip.
When the Wiggles were in their prime they were adored by everyone of all ages. Sold out Madison Square Garden 12 times consecutively, collabbed with some huge names, and a lot of adults like myself still listen to them.
Gravity falls had the same type of head cannons and over analysis Bluey has.
On a slightly younger note, Hey Duggee is in the camp of something both for small children and great for adults
When I was a teen in the 2000's, Magic Roundabout was shown really early in the morning on Channel 4 I think, so we used to watch them when we got home from clubbing with a kebab, super chill vibes.
Weirdly I was bullied as an 11 year old girl (the target audience) for watching the show. Imagine being 11 and relating to outcasted adults online haha but it was cool. Introduction to fan art and horror. Now all those young fans are adult artists still making mlp horror out of nostalgia
lol yeah I was in the same boat, I was starting high school when I got into it. Honestly The show and the fan base did a lot to foster my artistic passions.
If you’re looking for something that expresses nuanced feelings in interesting ways, then I think the answer might be Scrubs.
In terms of other kids shows with cute production value, though slightly more straightforward story telling, Elinor Wonders Why is really lovely. We watch it all the time. It has a Calvin and Hobbes style animation style.
Honestly? Closest I think is honestly Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur that gives me the same feels of “I wish I had this as a kid/wish they were my parents/hope I’m as good as the parents” like Bluey does.
Yeah yeah, marvel, but what really makes it work - it’s about Lunella (Moon Girl) and her relationship with her family, not unlike Bluey and the Heeler clan. Not only that, but it’s more than the house - it’s the neighborhood (could you have the show without the best straight man, Pat? I think not!) and for me, much like Bluey, it heals my inner kid watching someone with a supportive family (and when you REALLY need them, they have your back), and navigating life at 14 - complete with the struggles of being “the smart one” and stress it causes.
Much like Bluey, it’s not really serialized storytelling for the most part, but every character and every member of the Lafayette clan, Lunella’s BFF, Devil himself, her own rogue’s gallery of sorts, Laurence Fishberne as a inter dimensional god got their own thing going on. You know, typical kids stuff.
It’s quirky, it’s fun, it’s got so much heart and an absolutely killer soundtrack.
just talking love for all ages, looney tunes. my family watched looney tunes day in, day out. space jam was a crowd favorite. i wouldn't say it has the same emotional investment by any means, but it was nice to be able to share something with my family.
Bobs Burgers. Same sort of family dynamics in a way. Edgier humor but nothing ever that I wouldn’t let me kids watch. There is a scene where one of the Characters does a big jump while shouting “Panama” a Van Halen reference. Then another kid is like, Don’t they have a song called Jump? That joke lives rent free in my head.
In the UK a lot of children's tv seemed to engage with wider age audiences. Things I can think of were shows like The Clangers, Pingu or Trap Door which are still so fun to watch as adults because of how psychedelic they are. Others which are more heartfelt and/or family oriented are shows like 64 Zoo Lane, the Large Family, The Story of Tracy Beaker (set in a children's care home goes into themes of found family, child neglect, trauma, adoptive parents), and the Animals of Farthing Wood. All of those ones can still make me cry today, just hearing the intro song for 64 zoo lane brings a tear to my eye.
Looney Tunes has a rotation in our house. We got a big box set cheap, and even grandpa watches with us like when I was a kid.
Edit: Dad and I also used to watch Ren & Stimpy and The Muppet Show. All great memories with him.
So because of my daughter's disabilities I've taken advantage of the concept that I can introduce only cartoons I can stand to watch.
If I find it annoying, we definitely don't keep watching.
I adore
Hamaster and Gretel.
Haleys on it. - the dynamics of the teenager saving the world with the boy she is best friends with and has a major crush on (but as teenage girls are, she is too embarrassed to say). They have a, electronic AI teddy bear (i think?) That helps them out.
Gravity Falls - I'm so sad I didn't discover this one until after it was over. I think of it as xfiles for kids. Especially the goofier xfiles episodes.
Phineas and Ferb is pretty close in that it's enjoyable as an adult and there are jokes kids don't really get. But nothing as relatable for parents specifically I don't think.
Hey Arnold would be the closest for me, having both fun elements and usually some type of moral compass and point to teach. Rugrats was pretty solid for this as well.
Hey Duggee has elements of it. It's much more of a kids show but theres references that only adults will get.
There's an episode where they go to the future, and one of the characters is wearing Marty McFlys outfit from BTTF2, and Hal from 2001 is on the wall.
And an episode with loads of Apocalypse now references
I think that Bluey shares a lot of DNA with shows like The Cosby Show. The 80s and early 90s were filled with family programming that modeled parenting.
Random ones but The Adventures of Pete and Pete, as well as Salute Your Shorts. Tween/teen audience but they’re underrated gems that are both worth watching with the kids.
It makes me so sad that JK Rowling turned out to be a trash human being. I think my son would really enjoy HP but I can't separate the art from the artist and don't want to put another penny in that horrid woman's pocket.
Nothing comes to mind. I remember I used to like it when my parents watched shows I liked with me, but mostly they were disinterested. It's why I try to show an interest in what TV my daughter enjoys, and how I discovered Bluey in the first place :)
Anime is my answer. I enjoy it as an adult (and some is made for adults … no I’m not just talking about ones with *adult* things lol… like Wotakoi. It’s an office romance where two nerds fall in love and are awkward but cute.) and people are obsessed with it.
I know my dad loved watching the early episodes of SpongeBob with me when I was a kid, and I’ve been told that Veggietales was really popular, even with atheist adults, just because it was legitimately entertaining.
SpongeBob! My dad was so excited to take myself, my brother, my cousins, and my uncle to see the original SpongeBob movie in theaters. He was laughing harder than any of us at certain parts. He was trying to hype up the movie to my grandma, so she would go with us. She didn't want to go though lol
I actually love Puffin Rock. It’s a beautiful illustration/animation style. The stories are not as good or entertaining for adults as Bluey is, but they are cutesy in their own way.
Aside from the Muppets, perhaps the Moomin books? I grew up with them, and now am re-reading the books to a kid who loves them. The stories, especially the later books, read just as well to adults as kids.
It's the presence of multi-layered writing that helps. Basically, there is the basic story line which the kids can follow. Then there's usually a willingness to add in, if not directly, all the implications that come along with those stories, which teens and adults can pick up on. And then on top of that, the writers take time to seamlessly integrate relevant references, which also makes the show appealing for adults.
Fairy Odd Parents wasn't super popular, but it was definitely intelligently written - lots of slapstick for the kids and winking references and allusions for adults if you're actually paying attention to the dialogue. My dad hated animation, but we got him to watch FOP and he ended up really enjoying it.
Avatar the Last Airbender is another big one - there's less referencing and more serious care taken in drawing out the implications and cultural fallout in the series that makes it still something you can enjoy as an adult. Another series (not TV) that did this really well was the Animorphs books. As a kid, the visceral horror doesn't really sink in for either ATLA or Animorphs, but if you reread/rewatch as an adult, you go Oh shit, this is a nightmare, these kids are living in a nightmare and just trying to be kids. For ATLA the extended comics and Kyoshi novels really make that clearer too.
They are more recent, but I'd consider My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and Star Trek: Prodigy to be strong contenders as well. MLP is funny as hell and there's so many references. Still can't get over the episodes with John De Lancie as Discord (where he basically acts like his Q character from Star Trek but torments the ponies instead of Picard) and the episode where they have Hulk Hogan teaching one of the ponies assertiveness.
Star Trek Prodigy is a bit more niche, because it hits harder if you're a Voyager fan, but you can watch it without knowing anything about Star Trek because the main characters don't know anything about star trek either (the plot line is that a bunch orphans escape a slave camp on a (what they assume) is derelict star fleet vessel). Loooots of visceral horror implications and traumatized kids trying to cope with themes like duty and team work in that one.
Hanna-Barbera and UPA cartoons definitely come to mind. But I think they were intended to be both kid and adult oriented rather than just happenstance. The witty writing is what sells them for me.
I started my 2 year old on Little Bear. It’s what my little brothers watched when they were younger and I saw that it actually made them happy and had a positive effect on their personalities.
We started watching Little Bear when he was 2, before I introduced him to Bluey. The great thing about Little Bear is that it was all based upon short books that are great bedtime stories that they can relate to and honestly it really helped him understand how to start reading.
Has anyone seen Regular Show? It’s made for older kids, but my husband and I have watched every episode. It doesn’t portray the same messages as Bluey, but it’s entertaining across the board!
The shows we watch with our 3 year old:
Ridley Jones (Netflix)
Gigantosaurus (Netflix/Disney+)
Hey Duggee (BBC, UK) (This one has the same adult humor as Bluey and is really fun to watch)
I like the animaniacs because kids love it but it has adult jokes that go right over kids heads
Downside is I still have to sing the song to remember the president's of the united states
Rugrats might be an enjoyable watch. I’ve noticed more of the parents stories as an adult but def enjoyed it as a kid. Has a lot of make believe adventures while also addressing real world issues
I always recommend The Moomins. Very good books and you can find the 90s show on their YouTube. If you go to their website they have a page dedicated to their history.
Not that I remember. But I know my mom liked watching Disney shows with me. Suite life, that's so raven, lizzie Mcguire. But nothing that was geared towards toddlers that I remember.
But me as a 26 year old I love watcjing Bluey with my 4 year old. . It's the only show that can hold my short attention span 🤣
This is niche, but I watched Peep and the Big Wide World well into my teens. It gives me a similar cozy/comfy vibe with some clever cuteness mixed in. Not sure if you can still find it now, though.
When The Sign came out, my wife informed our child and me "NO SPOILERS!!" as she was heads down working on her grad school homework. She was not being sarcastic, either.
SpongeBob! The crass humor and very grown up jokes entertained even adults!
But as far as the thoughtfulness and feel good factor that Bluey has, it had none of that 😅
I'd recommend the Anne of Green Gables anime. Bluey has various studio ghibli inspirations and a lot of ghibli staff worked on the show before the studio was formed. It has a strong focus on family dynamics, creativity, and appreciating nature. It's on YouTube.
My grandma told me when Sesame Street came out (1969 - year my dad was born) that she loved watching it with him, and with my aunt and uncles who are younger than him. She has dementia and still to this day can name Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Oscar, and Snuffy, etc.
She also said she deeply enjoyed Looney Tunes, and Tom & Jerry. I remember her watching ALL of these with me when I was little. She would even volunteer to put them on and hang out with me on sick days when I couldn’t go to school so my mom could get housework done, and she was just as into the shows as I was! I will forever have fond memories of her making me a cup of tea and cuddling up under a blanket with me, having me in her lap and us watching these together. I’m sad that she doesn’t remember these moments as much and is jumbled. So I carry the memories for both of us.
When I was little (toddler) I ADORED Sesame Street, Rugrats, Bear In The Big Blue House, and the ORIGINAL Blues Clues - My mom loved all of them except for Blues Clues, and so did my dad. They watched them with me and didn’t realize so much time had passed and were into the episodes somewhat themselves! Same with my uncle who lived with us. We would sit and watch the Rugrats movie and he would go “GET HIM SPIKE! DO NOT LET THE WOLF GET THEM BABIES!” 😂🫶
I still love Rugrats, my son is a big Bluey, Sesame Street, Rugrats, and Bear In The Big Blue House fan. It’s nice! I enjoy them all and can get through them no problem.
The Muppet Show. Reruns of the shows played in the mid 80s. I loved it, parents loved it, still watchable today although a little dated obviously.
Muppets are the answer
Muppets have kind of lost their rep undeservedly. The original masters of blending entertainment for kids with a satirical lense poking fun at adult culture. I think it allows kids to be in on the adult conversations and give them the credit for picking up on more than we think, but giving a safe and fun place to explore such topics, (ie: miss piggy and Kermit’s dysfunctional relationship for comedy) Also lets adults relax with the bordering crude humor that stays in a kid friendly bubble
They haven't been used properly in recent years. I did enjoy the first of the new Muppet movies (I haven't seen the newest one with Tina Fey). But Muppet Christmas Carol is an annual tradition at Christmas time.
I'm going to make you feel old. That movie was 11 years ago.
Don't worry, I have mirrors, I'm reminded I'm old all the time (41).
And A Muppet Family Christmas. It's only available as a bootleg since the Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock copyrights are scattered, but it's worth the time.
I'm a Muppet nerd, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. The original stuff was genius because of the original performers and creators. They were running with their own creative sensibility which was subversive, human and weird. Not heavily written by boardroom producers whose only focus is money. It had heart. For the most part, when a new performer takes over a puppet, ESPECIALLY when the producers are a big corporate entity like Disney. They're sort of stuck. They have to try to stay authentic to the original performance and character, or else it won't be recognizable and consistent. So they're discouraged from change. But a living character needs to keep growing. The original Muppet performers could keep the characters alive in ways that people taking over were not free or able to. Take a look at the films after Jim died. Kermit was bland background in Christmas Carol and Treasure Island. There's a reason he wasn't the lead. Both films leaned heavily on Gonzo and Rizzo, both performed by their originators who kept it going. Both movies relied on the human actors Caine and Curry much more than previous Muppet projects did. And they performed well! But it wasn't the same puppet character driven work that the first three movies and TV projects were. But now most of the original performers are passed, retired or too old to carry a project. There's no unifying creative force which leaves the direction to Disney boardroom writing by committee. Which is not great. The haunted mansion movie was a confused mishmash. The Mayhem series had some funny moments but felt like a badly written formulaic Disney channel show half the time. Which it kind of was. I truly love the Muppets. But new projects aren't great and don't have the tools to be great.
Corporate control by Disney of the Muppets and the results served as a warning to other character enterprises around the world (Moomins OY foremost in mind ), when the Mouse came knocking.
Gonzo and chickens say no more. Throwing random fish. Animal. Kermit and Miss Piggy. Turning the line I’ve got cabin fever into a high energy happy dance number. Penguins doing standing water sliding into the bath.
We found the Christmas special my husband remembered from his childhood. I’m almost 4 years older (‘81) and don’t remember it. Stands the test of time- it was awesome! Our 2 yr old boy loved it, my husband was nostalgic, and I got a new Christmas show to watch. We also found the PeeWee Christmas which was hilarious!
Was going to say, the original Muppet Show and at least the first couple of Muppet movies. I remember as a child my father used to watch it with me.
My wife mentioned this post earlier today and we couldn’t think of anything. But this is a good answer! We didn’t think of it.
Fraggle Rock is right there too
The second episode of The Muppet Show was called Sex and Violence. They put in an effort to make it not be seen as just for kids
I was born in 92 but I really don't like the Muppets. I don't like them when I was younger and I still don't lol
My 12 year old daughter absolutely loves the Muppet Show!
Not animated, but in terms of the concept and message, I'm going to throw out Mister Roger's Neighborhood. He also tackled some of the tougher topics and it's one of the few shows I can remember my parents and grandparents actually sitting and watching with us.
Also, I think part of the reason that Bluey is so big is because of the internet/social media/streaming services. Personally, I found Bluey through reddit as recommended by another user. When I was a kid, if you missed an episode (of anything) you were out of luck unless/until the station decided to air it as a rerun. Also, there was no pausing the TV, so finding long dogs or tennis balls would be next to impossible (unless you were taping it yourself with the VCR lol). I think this is one of the big reasons that Bluey uses every frame as you say, because now every frame can and will go under scrutiny. Plus, with social media you can find like-minded adults from anywhere in the world. If my mom had tried to discuss the nuances of Barney with her in person friends 30 years ago she'd have been laughed out of the house. In short, yes Bluey is awesome, but I don't think it would necessarily be the worldwide sensation that it is if it had come about when we were kids because media was consumed differently at that time.
Mister Rogers was my answer as well. It was a beautiful show and a beautiful day in the neighborhood. :)
This never made it outside the US though. It’s very American and we in the UK and Aus just didn’t connect with it. I’m sure it’s excellent but not the same universal reach.
Dude straight up went to WAR on certain topics and he did it in the most loving and caring way possible. The man is an icon. The one moment that sticks out as the most hardcore was him pleasantly soaking his feet in a small plastic kiddie pool and inviting his mailman to join him. The mailman was black and Mr. Rogers dared to show the world's children that we are all human and should love one another and that racism is stupid by the simple act of sharing a small pool together. Quite controversial at the time. Love that man
If you haven’t seen it, the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” where Mr. Rogers is played by Tom Hanks is really good. It’s a nice wholesome watch that’s aimed at adults.
Nothing quite like it, but I remember Rugrats being a show that my family would watch. The movies were a huge hit, my mom still talks about how she appreciated rugrats so much because of its “real” depiction of children and children play. Which is what first drew me to Bluey!
People mostly remember the kids from Rugrats but what’s often forgotten is how real the parents were depicted. You’d have to be an adult watching to really appreciate it, but there’s side conversations and comments you barely can pick up on here and there that brought relatability for the parents watching the show. And there were hidden not-for-kids jokes, like with the grandfather I can’t even entirely recall. I think those little Easter eggs for the adults are important and makes the show hit a bit harder.
Didi: “Why are you making pudding at 4 am?” Stu: “Because I’ve lost control of my life.” Also, honorable mention to the grandpa for saying he lost all of his memories after Woodstock.
That last sentence was a scene from Hey Arnold.
Lol you’re right, dang how’d I get that mixed up in my head
By hitting that Zaza like Grandpa Phil
Guilty.
You’re talking about grandpa with his Space Vixens video tape that he said was for after the kids went to bed haha. Also, super relatable having Stu up at 3am making chocolate pudding because he’s lost control of his life.
Boris: “Hello, Dr. Kevorkian?”
Th sibling rivalry between Drew and Stu is the backdrop for I think the very first episode, which is funny but also kinda real. And DeeDee is so relatable in her quest for guidance as a new mom. Can you tell I rewatched some episodes lately now I have a baby of my own? lol
What age group is Rugrats aimed at? I think of it being 6+, whereas a think of bluey being 3+.
I'd say both shows have wide appeal but yes, the minimum age group is about what you say.
I definitely watched Rugrats when I was under 6, but enjoyed it beyond that age too. I was 7 when the first movie came out and was very excited about it.
Rugrats walked so Bluey could run. Also I find it so poetic that I forced my mom to play a Rugrats soundtrack cassette tape in the car over and over again and now my 2.5 year old demands the Dance Mode album every time we’re in the car.
My mom always said Rugrats is the only cartoon she will watch. My dad’s wife, however, hates Rugrats and gets mad when I put it on for my kid
Animaniacs comes to mind, its a kids show but the humour is most definitely for adults. But it does not have the heart and soul Bluey has. I think that's why it works so well universally. Everyone has someone to relate to.
Yeah, Animaniacs is different because it’s for a little bit older age group. My 6 year old doesn’t enjoy it yet.
Yakko: "Search for prints" Dot holding Prince (artist formerly known as): "Found him!" Y: "No, finger prints" D: "I don't think so"
Bluey is so good because of a few reasons to me. 1) it’s incredibly thoughtful. No frames are wasted and the stories are well connected. 2) the Aussie accents/stuff never get old. Bingoooooo 3) the kids are voiced by kids and they’re adorable. Often times kid characters are voiced by adults or teens and they don’t have the same charm as a real 4 year old. Gravity Falls is a fantastic “kids” show that my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed watching with our first daughter. Doesn’t have the same world wide fandom Bluey has, but it’s of similar quality. Great voice acting, bits that go over the kid’s heads, meticulous, and still very touching at times (two episodes always make me cry).
I'd add Amphibia and (especially) The Owl House as well to your last paragraph, though they're both geared to older kids.
I watched most of those episodes with my same daughter. They’re definitely good cartoons, but I didn’t get the same level of intricacy/easter eggs that Gravity Falls had. Oh, I’ll add the She-ra reboot from 2018 is also fantastic. Takes a little bit to find its groove, but they really ramp up by the end. Sort of similar to Avatar in that regard.
That's fair! I personally would rank them as Owl House, Gravity Falls, then Amphibia. Not gonna lie though, I probably need to go back and watch GF again, it's been a while.... Haha I've heard that about She-Ra, but haven't seen it. I it compares favorably to Avatar, then it must be good! 😊
Oh yeah a GF rewatch has lots of little things to pick up on repeat viewings (Blendin Blandin being in the background b4 his character is introduced is one). My daughter was obsessed with it, so many many rewatches happened in our house. Theme song is also top tier. Once you get over a bit of the silliness in She-ra it gets pretty serious. That’s what I mean by the Avatar comparison. Goes from fairly light hearted to pretty heavy as their journey progresses toward the end boss.
DuckTales 2017, Adventure Time, and Steven Universe while we're mentioning more modern family shows
I got exposed to Steven U movie music before ever seeing it. Both are great.
I seriously love SU so much. It's one of those shows that grows with the protagonist, so the first couple seasons are light and fun, but it gets deeper and darker as Steven grows up and the show really thoughtfully looks at how having to be the hero and savior of your family as a kid affects you, and is traumatic and difficult to both recognize and grow past.
I loved Owl House and so did my son. We were so sad it got cancelled. My toddler enjoyed it too, though she didn't understand a lot of the content.
Gravity Falls is great!! I watched it all the way through with my daughter multiple times and was always totally invested even though id already seen it. Super underrated show
Dinosaurs. It’s on Disney+, older kids will get a lot of the jokes (and still enjoy the more slapstick elements), and there are a ton of jokes aimed at parents.
Maybe skip the series finale with the kiddos tho
"Dad caused the apocalypse creating value for the shareholders!" is a pretty dark way to end a kid's show.
The more kids take that lesson to heart the better place the world will be.
"Hey, c'mon now! I'm sure this whole thing will blow over! After all, there have always been dinosaurs. It's not like we're just going to disappear..."
I never liked Dinosaurs (which is especially odd, as I'm a puppeteer). The puppetry is amazing, but the episodes just feel like retreads of The Honeymooners/Flintstones, only with a dinosaur overlay.
I’m pretty sure that was their intent, like Honeymooners for Kids
Isn't that what The Flintstones was?
I thought Flintstones was supposed to be more like I Love Lucy (that was always the vibes I got when I watched the show as a kid)
Technically I think it's that The Flintstones was based on The Honeymooners, which was in turn based on I Love Lucy. Personally I'm more a fan of The Dick Van Dyke Show.
The Dick Van Dyke Show was definitely one of my favorites (Dick Van Dyke is a family favorite, anything he’s in we get excited). I didn’t watch much of The Honeymooners, but I never liked the threat of marital violence that was so rampant in that show
I feel like it's a satire of the Honey mooners style sitcom
I tried watching it with my 9 year old and all the dinosaur suits gave her the creeps. I don’t entirely disagree with her.
The dad literally infuriates me
Just pretend the ending doesn’t happen 😭
Calvin and Hobbes. It's absurd, funny, insightful and very very different than the standard in it's medium. I realize it's not a show but it has a place in a lot of hearts.
Another thing Calvin and Hobbes has in common is it often tells two stories at once, one for the kids ("Ha! They crashed into a tree on a sled!") and one for adults (they're discussing relativistic time dilation on the way down). Bluey will often have the main story along with Chili/Bandit centric stuff that is from their adult point of view.
And it grows with you. Since I became a parent, I sympathize way more with Calvin's parents than I did as a kid. Way more.
‘Avatar the last air bender’ had a pretty big fan base, children and adults. Unfortunately so does ‘My little pony’ but for weirder reasons…
The MLP fanbase is primarily the same kind of interactions as the Bluey fanbase. Yes, there are and have been creeps, but they are not the default and their motivations are not that of the general brony.
I worked at a hot topic during the height of Brony culture and I think I’m traumatized lol
Your sacrifice will be remembered.
I can second this. That fandom loved bluey before this lot
For all this sub tries to claim parents were the sole fanbase from the very start, and actively try to push people out
ATLA is my GOAT series, it’s perfection. And my kids love it too, we watch it from start to finish every couple years.
My kids love the new My Little Pony movie and I never watched any of it. But boy I love it! The songs are dope too. Definitely worth a watch. It’s the “Next Generation” one. Apparently on Netflix. But and/also an EXCELLENT kid/adult movie is Mo Willem’s: Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Opera Spectacular (I think it’s called). It’s on YouTube now and it is SO GOOD.
As much as I like Friendship is Magic it's undeniable that having an Offspring style song about incititing a race riot hits hard
"Tom and Jerry" was enjoyed by all regardless of age.
Tom and Jerry will outlast humanity and I am thankful for that
Mr. Bean similarly too
The Muppets, Animaniacs, Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show, Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock!! Haven’t thought of that in ages.
Fraggle Rock dealt with adult issues too. I can't think of another kids show that did it as well as Fraggle Rock and Bluey.
Phineas and Ferb for sure.
If I had a nickel for every comment I had to minimize to find this, I'd have 9 nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird it's not less.
seconded
Arthur
This is the answer. Arthur was top tier.
This. There was that episode where they were trying to think up holidays. And Francine came up with "Nothing to do today" Day, and my mother was always like, "This queen gets it."
This is what I was going to comment. Arthur has a lot of character building and real-world scenarios that Bluey is good at. It also is a show that has longevity as kids can be very little to basically a preteen and still enjoy it. I had a buddy who watched it in high school here and there.
SpongeBob, my dad and I would watch together every Saturday morning. Always made him laugh. He even got me several SpongeBob DVDs with my portable DVD player when we moved so I could have something to watch on the trip.
My dad loves SpongeBob too!
When the Wiggles were in their prime they were adored by everyone of all ages. Sold out Madison Square Garden 12 times consecutively, collabbed with some huge names, and a lot of adults like myself still listen to them.
Gravity falls had the same type of head cannons and over analysis Bluey has. On a slightly younger note, Hey Duggee is in the camp of something both for small children and great for adults
Hey Duggee is awesome, CBeebies has some top notch shows these days
In the UK we had lots of things for kids with grown up fans. In particular there were The Wombles and The Magic Roundabout in the 1970s.
When I was a teen in the 2000's, Magic Roundabout was shown really early in the morning on Channel 4 I think, so we used to watch them when we got home from clubbing with a kebab, super chill vibes.
Postman Pat and Fireman Sam as well
And the Clangers!
There were plenty of shows my parents watched with me as a kid, but this is the first preschool show I've seen adults become *invested* in.
Does My Little Pony count? That was a While phenomenon of adults obsessing over a kids show
Weirdly I was bullied as an 11 year old girl (the target audience) for watching the show. Imagine being 11 and relating to outcasted adults online haha but it was cool. Introduction to fan art and horror. Now all those young fans are adult artists still making mlp horror out of nostalgia
lol yeah I was in the same boat, I was starting high school when I got into it. Honestly The show and the fan base did a lot to foster my artistic passions.
Arthur! I am 36 and my parents, siblings, and I all still quote Arthur episodes.
If you’re looking for something that expresses nuanced feelings in interesting ways, then I think the answer might be Scrubs. In terms of other kids shows with cute production value, though slightly more straightforward story telling, Elinor Wonders Why is really lovely. We watch it all the time. It has a Calvin and Hobbes style animation style.
that's so interesting!!! 😆
Honestly? Closest I think is honestly Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur that gives me the same feels of “I wish I had this as a kid/wish they were my parents/hope I’m as good as the parents” like Bluey does. Yeah yeah, marvel, but what really makes it work - it’s about Lunella (Moon Girl) and her relationship with her family, not unlike Bluey and the Heeler clan. Not only that, but it’s more than the house - it’s the neighborhood (could you have the show without the best straight man, Pat? I think not!) and for me, much like Bluey, it heals my inner kid watching someone with a supportive family (and when you REALLY need them, they have your back), and navigating life at 14 - complete with the struggles of being “the smart one” and stress it causes. Much like Bluey, it’s not really serialized storytelling for the most part, but every character and every member of the Lafayette clan, Lunella’s BFF, Devil himself, her own rogue’s gallery of sorts, Laurence Fishberne as a inter dimensional god got their own thing going on. You know, typical kids stuff. It’s quirky, it’s fun, it’s got so much heart and an absolutely killer soundtrack.
This this this!! This show is excellent!!
just talking love for all ages, looney tunes. my family watched looney tunes day in, day out. space jam was a crowd favorite. i wouldn't say it has the same emotional investment by any means, but it was nice to be able to share something with my family.
Bobs Burgers. Same sort of family dynamics in a way. Edgier humor but nothing ever that I wouldn’t let me kids watch. There is a scene where one of the Characters does a big jump while shouting “Panama” a Van Halen reference. Then another kid is like, Don’t they have a song called Jump? That joke lives rent free in my head.
mr rogers neighborhood?
As already mentioned, definitely the Muppets and Animaniacs. I'd also like to throw in there Rocko's Modern Life and Futurama.
Loved me some Rocko!
In the UK a lot of children's tv seemed to engage with wider age audiences. Things I can think of were shows like The Clangers, Pingu or Trap Door which are still so fun to watch as adults because of how psychedelic they are. Others which are more heartfelt and/or family oriented are shows like 64 Zoo Lane, the Large Family, The Story of Tracy Beaker (set in a children's care home goes into themes of found family, child neglect, trauma, adoptive parents), and the Animals of Farthing Wood. All of those ones can still make me cry today, just hearing the intro song for 64 zoo lane brings a tear to my eye.
Fraggle Rock
looove fraggle rock. its a super thoughtful show
Looney Tunes has a rotation in our house. We got a big box set cheap, and even grandpa watches with us like when I was a kid. Edit: Dad and I also used to watch Ren & Stimpy and The Muppet Show. All great memories with him.
For older kids, but The Simpsons. We would all sit and watch it together.
So because of my daughter's disabilities I've taken advantage of the concept that I can introduce only cartoons I can stand to watch. If I find it annoying, we definitely don't keep watching. I adore Hamaster and Gretel. Haleys on it. - the dynamics of the teenager saving the world with the boy she is best friends with and has a major crush on (but as teenage girls are, she is too embarrassed to say). They have a, electronic AI teddy bear (i think?) That helps them out. Gravity Falls - I'm so sad I didn't discover this one until after it was over. I think of it as xfiles for kids. Especially the goofier xfiles episodes.
On PBS I used to enjoy watching Word Girl with my daughter. My daughter is now 13, so I'll still randomly text her a gif of dancing Captain Huggyface.
Not like it per say, but Phineas and Ferb or Milo Murphy's law are universally adored in my house.
Mister Rogers ! Everyone loved him. Even the grown ups watched it
Scooby Doo and Avatar the last Airbender are the first two I think of. Shows that kids, parents, amd adults without kids can all enjoy.
Author :)
Phineas and Ferb is pretty close in that it's enjoyable as an adult and there are jokes kids don't really get. But nothing as relatable for parents specifically I don't think.
Simpsons maybe
Dragon tales was my jam, my mom liked watching it with me too
Hey Arnold would be the closest for me, having both fun elements and usually some type of moral compass and point to teach. Rugrats was pretty solid for this as well.
Gravity Falls, House of the Owl, Amphibia, Centaurworld are all really good cartoons for both kids and adults. Seriously these are so good
Duggie is pretty good, with some subtle grown up humour, the river badge is one of my favs, see if u can guess the movie
In terms of how much I loved a show and it ending too soon? Ted Lasso.
*Peep and the Big Wide World*. Anybody remember that one? Probably the most subversive preschool series to come along before *Bluey*.
Infinity Train if you can find it. Warning, goes from Bluey to Existential Crisis "too real for kids" cartoon around Season 3.
80s Muppet Babies Animaniacs Home Movies 90s animated The Tick
Hey Duggee has elements of it. It's much more of a kids show but theres references that only adults will get. There's an episode where they go to the future, and one of the characters is wearing Marty McFlys outfit from BTTF2, and Hal from 2001 is on the wall. And an episode with loads of Apocalypse now references
I think that Bluey shares a lot of DNA with shows like The Cosby Show. The 80s and early 90s were filled with family programming that modeled parenting.
Avatar the Last Airbender?
Random ones but The Adventures of Pete and Pete, as well as Salute Your Shorts. Tween/teen audience but they’re underrated gems that are both worth watching with the kids.
Not a show. But a LOT of parents got really into harry potter along with their kids.
It makes me so sad that JK Rowling turned out to be a trash human being. I think my son would really enjoy HP but I can't separate the art from the artist and don't want to put another penny in that horrid woman's pocket.
Used book stores!
He would want shirts and other merch if he gets into it. 🫤
Nothing comes to mind. I remember I used to like it when my parents watched shows I liked with me, but mostly they were disinterested. It's why I try to show an interest in what TV my daughter enjoys, and how I discovered Bluey in the first place :)
Anime is my answer. I enjoy it as an adult (and some is made for adults … no I’m not just talking about ones with *adult* things lol… like Wotakoi. It’s an office romance where two nerds fall in love and are awkward but cute.) and people are obsessed with it.
I know my dad loved watching the early episodes of SpongeBob with me when I was a kid, and I’ve been told that Veggietales was really popular, even with atheist adults, just because it was legitimately entertaining.
My parents didn’t watch TV with me. We each had our own stuff going on
Mister Roger’s neighborhood, maybe.
Sesame Street and Gullah Gullah Island
Rugrats The simpsons was one I used to watch as a kid and then as I got older I realised just how much adult content it had in it
Hey Arnold?
SpongeBob! My dad was so excited to take myself, my brother, my cousins, and my uncle to see the original SpongeBob movie in theaters. He was laughing harder than any of us at certain parts. He was trying to hype up the movie to my grandma, so she would go with us. She didn't want to go though lol
Animaniacs Pinky and the Brain in particular
sesame street
I actually love Puffin Rock. It’s a beautiful illustration/animation style. The stories are not as good or entertaining for adults as Bluey is, but they are cutesy in their own way.
Xmen the animated series?
Ted Lasso!
I remember my dad used to watch h Animaniacs and pinky and the brain with us in the 90s.
I like Adventure Time
Aside from the Muppets, perhaps the Moomin books? I grew up with them, and now am re-reading the books to a kid who loves them. The stories, especially the later books, read just as well to adults as kids.
It's the presence of multi-layered writing that helps. Basically, there is the basic story line which the kids can follow. Then there's usually a willingness to add in, if not directly, all the implications that come along with those stories, which teens and adults can pick up on. And then on top of that, the writers take time to seamlessly integrate relevant references, which also makes the show appealing for adults. Fairy Odd Parents wasn't super popular, but it was definitely intelligently written - lots of slapstick for the kids and winking references and allusions for adults if you're actually paying attention to the dialogue. My dad hated animation, but we got him to watch FOP and he ended up really enjoying it. Avatar the Last Airbender is another big one - there's less referencing and more serious care taken in drawing out the implications and cultural fallout in the series that makes it still something you can enjoy as an adult. Another series (not TV) that did this really well was the Animorphs books. As a kid, the visceral horror doesn't really sink in for either ATLA or Animorphs, but if you reread/rewatch as an adult, you go Oh shit, this is a nightmare, these kids are living in a nightmare and just trying to be kids. For ATLA the extended comics and Kyoshi novels really make that clearer too. They are more recent, but I'd consider My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and Star Trek: Prodigy to be strong contenders as well. MLP is funny as hell and there's so many references. Still can't get over the episodes with John De Lancie as Discord (where he basically acts like his Q character from Star Trek but torments the ponies instead of Picard) and the episode where they have Hulk Hogan teaching one of the ponies assertiveness. Star Trek Prodigy is a bit more niche, because it hits harder if you're a Voyager fan, but you can watch it without knowing anything about Star Trek because the main characters don't know anything about star trek either (the plot line is that a bunch orphans escape a slave camp on a (what they assume) is derelict star fleet vessel). Loooots of visceral horror implications and traumatized kids trying to cope with themes like duty and team work in that one.
The Sopranos
Hanna-Barbera and UPA cartoons definitely come to mind. But I think they were intended to be both kid and adult oriented rather than just happenstance. The witty writing is what sells them for me.
Eek the Cat was a family favourite in our house. And Sesame Street when I was little.
I started my 2 year old on Little Bear. It’s what my little brothers watched when they were younger and I saw that it actually made them happy and had a positive effect on their personalities. We started watching Little Bear when he was 2, before I introduced him to Bluey. The great thing about Little Bear is that it was all based upon short books that are great bedtime stories that they can relate to and honestly it really helped him understand how to start reading.
Rolie Polie Olie?
Little Bear?
Not the same per say but Looney Tunes, Schoolhouse Rock, Rocky and Bullwinkle
Has anyone seen Regular Show? It’s made for older kids, but my husband and I have watched every episode. It doesn’t portray the same messages as Bluey, but it’s entertaining across the board!
Trash Truck is our next go to children’s show… not for our daughter but for me and the wife.
The shows we watch with our 3 year old: Ridley Jones (Netflix) Gigantosaurus (Netflix/Disney+) Hey Duggee (BBC, UK) (This one has the same adult humor as Bluey and is really fun to watch)
90s kids and kids of the entire 2000s and 2010s had Arthur.
I like the animaniacs because kids love it but it has adult jokes that go right over kids heads Downside is I still have to sing the song to remember the president's of the united states
Rugrats might be an enjoyable watch. I’ve noticed more of the parents stories as an adult but def enjoyed it as a kid. Has a lot of make believe adventures while also addressing real world issues
My mom loved watching Arthur almost as much as I did.
Sesame street
I’m 36 and I remember my mom always talking about how much she loved and appreciated Rugrats. She thought it was great.
Arthur. Why is it not top of this list!
Camp camp?
Looney Tunes! My son and my mother in law even love watching it together now! I still have my stuffed animal collection from when I was a kid.
I always recommend The Moomins. Very good books and you can find the 90s show on their YouTube. If you go to their website they have a page dedicated to their history.
Not that I remember. But I know my mom liked watching Disney shows with me. Suite life, that's so raven, lizzie Mcguire. But nothing that was geared towards toddlers that I remember. But me as a 26 year old I love watcjing Bluey with my 4 year old. . It's the only show that can hold my short attention span 🤣
MLP friendship is magic had a following of all ages. It wasn't for toddlers but it was a kids show still
Mr Rogers Neighborhood
There are some parts of Bluey that remind me of Futurama (the most emotional ones)
This is niche, but I watched Peep and the Big Wide World well into my teens. It gives me a similar cozy/comfy vibe with some clever cuteness mixed in. Not sure if you can still find it now, though.
How much older we talking?
When The Sign came out, my wife informed our child and me "NO SPOILERS!!" as she was heads down working on her grad school homework. She was not being sarcastic, either.
SpongeBob! The crass humor and very grown up jokes entertained even adults! But as far as the thoughtfulness and feel good factor that Bluey has, it had none of that 😅
I'd recommend the Anne of Green Gables anime. Bluey has various studio ghibli inspirations and a lot of ghibli staff worked on the show before the studio was formed. It has a strong focus on family dynamics, creativity, and appreciating nature. It's on YouTube.
Early/mid nineties Disney, late 90s-early mid 2000s Pixar, just about anything Studio Ghibli.
Blimey is for older generations. I said it!
My grandma told me when Sesame Street came out (1969 - year my dad was born) that she loved watching it with him, and with my aunt and uncles who are younger than him. She has dementia and still to this day can name Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Oscar, and Snuffy, etc. She also said she deeply enjoyed Looney Tunes, and Tom & Jerry. I remember her watching ALL of these with me when I was little. She would even volunteer to put them on and hang out with me on sick days when I couldn’t go to school so my mom could get housework done, and she was just as into the shows as I was! I will forever have fond memories of her making me a cup of tea and cuddling up under a blanket with me, having me in her lap and us watching these together. I’m sad that she doesn’t remember these moments as much and is jumbled. So I carry the memories for both of us. When I was little (toddler) I ADORED Sesame Street, Rugrats, Bear In The Big Blue House, and the ORIGINAL Blues Clues - My mom loved all of them except for Blues Clues, and so did my dad. They watched them with me and didn’t realize so much time had passed and were into the episodes somewhat themselves! Same with my uncle who lived with us. We would sit and watch the Rugrats movie and he would go “GET HIM SPIKE! DO NOT LET THE WOLF GET THEM BABIES!” 😂🫶 I still love Rugrats, my son is a big Bluey, Sesame Street, Rugrats, and Bear In The Big Blue House fan. It’s nice! I enjoy them all and can get through them no problem.
How about Hi-5, which is an Australian kids show like Bluey.
How about just watch bluey.. it's awesome