Bluey continuously delights preschoolers and parents alike, thanks to its good humor and realistic depiction of early years parenting – a pretty unusual feat for a cartoon about a family of Australian dogs. While not strictly abiding by the rules of human (or animal) reality, the anthropomorphic Heeler family does marry together the worlds of pets and people in the name of creative license.
How old are Bluey and Bingo?
At the start of the series, Bluey and Bingo were canonically six and four years old, respectively. Later, in season 3, episode 14 “Pass the Parcel”, Bluey has aged up to seven years old. Similarly, in the episode “Chest” from the same season, Bingo is now five years old. For real dogs, a puppy becomes a dog when it is one year old, but Bluey and Bingo remain puppies.
It is unusual for cartoon characters to age up, often living as forever children – for example, Bart Simpson has remained 10 for the best part of 35 years. However, Bluey’s intention as an educational program means that the show’s producers will likely want the characters to age along with its audience, helping its youngest viewers confront the trials and tribulations of growing up.
This is pretty similar to the format Sesame Street has been using for over five decades, where the puppets switch back and forth from being roughly preschool age, to more adult situations, such as having a job. While they may not follow an exact timeline, aging children’s TV characters when appropriate allow a show to address new situations and act as a teaching moment.
