Bluey fans rejoice: new details have emerged about the show’s bumper 28-minute episode, due to premiere Sunday 14 April.
The episode, titled The Sign, was previously announced by the ABC in November as part of its 2024 programming slate.
The Sign will air in Australia at 8am on 14 April on ABC and ABC iView, before becoming available to stream globally on Disney+ at a later, as yet undisclosed date.
It is four times as long as the standard Bluey episode, which typically clocks in at seven minutes excluding credits. A regular episode, titled Ghostbasket, will air a week before on 7 April.
Alongside its regular voice cast, the special will also feature guest appearances from notable Australian actors and comedians including Joel Edgerton, Deborah Mailman, Rove McManus and Brendan Williams – all appearing on the show for the first time.
“We’re sure this episode will surprise and delight, so get ready,” said ABC’s head of children and family, Libbie Doherty.
Cecilia Persson, managing director of BBC Kids & Family – which co-produces the show with the ABC – called the special episode “a fantastic springboard … for those new to the show”.
Little is known about the episode’s narrative, though a 26-second teaser released last year shows the titular blue heeler cheering, gasping, and enjoying an ice block alongside her sister and parents.
Bluey has arguably become Australia’s most successful cultural export since its debut in 2018, and has aired in 60 countries. It has been described as “spectacular, boundary-pushing television” watched by adults and children alike.
Last year, Bluey was the second-most streamed show in the US, with viewers clocking up a cumulative 43.9bn viewing minutes, leaving it second only to the drama Suits. When the latest 10 episodes dropped in the US in January this year, it became the most streamed show of the week on Disney+, clocking 1.5bn minutes of viewing in just seven days.
It also holds the top spot on the BBC’s children’s channel CBeebies in the UK.
The show has spawned a video game, a stage show, an award-winning book series, and a 4,000 sq metre tourist attraction currently in development in Queensland, Australia.
