{{Use Australian English|date=April 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox television episode | series = Bluey | image = The Sign (Bluey) title card.jpg | image_alt = A screenshot for the title card for the Bluey episode, "The Sign", featuring two garden gnomes donned in wedding attire in front of a blue background. | caption = Title card | series_no = 3 | episode = 49 | director = * Richard Jeffery<ref name="awn">{{Cite news |last=Sarto |first=Debbie Diamond |date=2023-11-14 |title=BBC Studios Kids & Family Share 'Bluey: The Sign' Teaser |url=https://awn.com/news/bbc-studios-kids-family-share-bluey-sign-teaser |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417223505/https://www.awn.com/news/bbc-studios-kids-family-share-bluey-sign-teaser |archive-date=17 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-14 |work=Animation World Network}}</ref> * Joe Brumm<ref name="bluey-ep">{{Cite episode |title=The Sign |episode-link=List of Bluey episodes#ep153 |series=Bluey |series-link=Bluey (TV series) |network=ABC |date=14 April 2024 |season=3 |number=49}}</ref> | writer = Joe Brumm<ref name="mashable-20240409">{{Cite news |last=Yeo |first=Amanda |date=2024-04-09 |title='Bluey' is moving, and has listed its iconic house for sale |url=https://mashable.com/article/bluey-moving-house-sign-domain-disney-plus |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414122017/https://mashable.com/article/bluey-moving-house-sign-domain-disney-plus |archive-date=14 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-14 |work=Mashable}}</ref> | music = "Lazarus Drug" by Megan Washington | airdate = {{Start date|2024|04|14|df=y}} | length = 28 minutes | guests = * Joel Edgerton * Deborah Mailman * Rove McManus * Brendan Williams | prev = Ghostbasket | next = Surprise! | season_article = Bluey series 3 | episode_list = List of Bluey episodes }} "'''The Sign'''" is the 49th episode of the third series of the Australian animated television program ''Bluey'', and the 153rd episode overall. In the episode, Bluey's family—the Heelers, including her sister Bingo and their parents Bandit and Chilli—contend with selling their Brisbane home and moving away, along with an upcoming marriage between Bandit's brother Radley and Bluey's godmother Frisky.
Animated by Brisbane's Ludo Studio, and inspired by creator Joe Brumm's real-life moving experiences, "The Sign" is the show's first special episode, and also the longest, at 28 minutes. Promoted as the series 3 finale, it was produced as a test drive for a potential feature-film adaptation. It was broadcast on 14 April 2024 on Australia's ABC service (to an audience of nearly 2.3{{nbsp}}million), and overseas on Disney's cable and streaming platforms. Reception was mainly positive, while views on the ending were mixed; various outlets also took note of the episode's emotional impact on viewers and fans. A bonus ''Bluey'' episode, "Surprise!", was released the following week.
==Plot== While the Heelers prepare for Rad and Frisky’s upcoming wedding, Bluey is feeling uneasy about her parents selling their house,{{efn|As revealed in the previous episode, "Ghostbasket".}} because Bandit has taken a better-paying job in another city. While Chilli is outwardly supportive of Bandit’s decision to move the family, she is also unsure if they are making the right decision, and Bingo is unusually calm about the situation.
At school, after Bluey reveals to the class she is moving away, Calypso reads them a pop-up book called "The Farmer". The tale concerns a character who goes through many ups and downs, facing each turn of fortune with the phrase "We'll see..." When Bluey asks what the story means, Calypso explains that everything will work out how it's supposed to. Bluey takes this to mean that her family will remain in their house, but that afternoon, a pair of Old English Sheepdogs agree to buy it, crushing her mood again.
During the wedding rehearsal, Bluey, Bingo, Muffin and Socks attempt to take down the "For Sale" sign in front of the house, thinking it will prevent the sale to the Sheepdogs. The girls believe Frisky is helping them when she tries to take the sign down for the duration of the wedding, but when she and Rad get into an argument over where they will live after their marriage, she calls off the wedding and drives away.
Chilli goes after Frisky, bringing all four girls with her. Various turns of good and bad luck befall the group before they eventually catch up to Frisky at the Mount Coot-tha Lookout, where Bluey learns that removing the sign will not prevent the sale, and also learns Chilli's own uncertainties about leaving the house. The girls attempt to use a lucky coin Bluey has found to look through a pair of binoculars, but the coin gets stuck in the slot. Muffin comments that it was not a lucky coin at all; Bluey ponders, "We'll see...", slowly learning the meaning of those words. Rad and Frisky make up, decide to stay in Brisbane, and get married at the Heeler home, with numerous guests in attendance.{{efn|Among them are Chilli's sister Brandy, who is pregnant following her implied infertility issues in "Onesies", and Bandit's father Bob, who is revealed to have been on an extended trip to India following his last appearance in "Grannies".}}
The next day, movers begin packing up the Heeler home, and it finally dawns on Bingo that selling the house means leaving it. Bluey attempts to calm her sister down by telling her the story about the farmer. Bandit wonders if he is making a mistake, which Chilli confirms he may be, but reassures him that they will make it together. Meanwhile, at the lookout, the Sheepdogs use Bluey's lucky coin to operate the binoculars, through which they see another house up for sale{{efn|The house of Bluey's classmate Winton; he and his father appear to be moving in with the Terrier family.}} that has the pool they always wanted, causing them to pull out of buying the Heeler home. Upon receiving the news, Bandit rips the "For Sale" sign out of the ground, much to the joy and relief of his family. The Heelers head back inside and later peacefully eat a takeaway dinner in the house's playroom.
==Voice cast== ===Main=== *David McCormack as Bandit Heeler *Melanie Zanetti as Chilli Heeler *Megan Washington as Calypso *Patrick Brammall as Radley Heeler *Claudia O'Doherty as Frisky Heeler *Dan Brumm as Stripe Heeler *Myf Warhurst as Trixie Heeler *Chris Brumm as Chris Heeler *Sam Simmons as Bob Heeler *Lawrence Newman as Mort Cattle *Rose Byrne as Brandy Cattle{{efn|Byrne is credited even though Brandy has no dialogue in the episode. She previously voiced Brandy in the episode "Onesies".}} *Emily Taheny as Wendy (uncredited) The child characters are voiced by children of the series' production staff and are not credited on screen as voice actors.<ref name="tv-tonight-2018">{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=2018-09-04 |title=Airdate: ''Bluey'' |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2018/09/airdate-bluey.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419063919/https://tvtonight.com.au/2018/09/airdate-bluey.html |archive-date=2019-04-19 |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=TV Tonight}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Goulis |first=Leah |date=2022-11-23 |orig-date=November 2021 |title=Bluey star reveals why fans will never know who the voices are behind Bluey and Bingo |url=https://kidspot.com.au/lifestyle/entertainment/bluey-star-reveals-why-fans-will-never-know-who-the-voices-are-behind-bluey-and-bingo/news-story/89c5891a4a05f4dbda116a6f81878589 |access-date=2024-04-20 |work=Kidspot |publisher=news.com.au}}</ref>
===Guest appearances=== *Joel Edgerton as Policeman<ref name="guardian-seale">{{Cite news |last=Seale |first=Jack |date=2024-04-13 |title='Paradigm-shattering': Bluey's biggest episode ever is packed with magic |url=https://theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/13/paradigm-shattering-blueys-biggest-episode-ever-is-packed-with-magic |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414005006/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/13/paradigm-shattering-blueys-biggest-episode-ever-is-packed-with-magic |archive-date=14 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-14 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> *Deborah Mailman<ref name="smh">{{Cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Thomas |date=2024-04-15 |title=Bluey shows inflation can dog even the most popular |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/3038056677 |url-access=registration |access-date=2024-04-19 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |page=13 |id={{ProQuest|3038056677}} }}</ref> and Brendan Williams<ref name="deadline">{{Cite news |last1=Whittock |first1=Jesse |last2=Tinoco |first2=Armando |date=2024-03-25 |title='Super-Sized' 'Bluey' Special Episode 'The Sign' Gets Trailer |url=https://deadline.com/video/bluey-special-episode-sign-trailer/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416043344/https://deadline.com/video/bluey-special-episode-sign-trailer/ |archive-date=16 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-14 |work=Deadline}}</ref> as the Sheepdogs<ref name=bluey-ep/> *Rove McManus as Bucky Dunstan<ref name=smh/> *Jazz D'Arcy as Cookie<ref name=bluey-ep/>
==Production== {{quote box|width=25%| "If you think of ''Bluey'' as a sitcom, they all have a wedding episode, so I fancied a crack. The idea lodged in my head and the story grew from there." |—Show creator Joe Brumm on the genesis of "The Sign"<ref name="canberra">{{Cite news |last=Giuffre |first=Liz |date=2024-04-19 |title=Bluey's first 28-minute special was the ultimate wedding television |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/3040612977 |url-access=registration |access-date=2024-04-19 |work=The Canberra Times |agency=Nine Entertainment |id={{ProQuest|3040612977}} }}</ref>}} ''Bluey'' is animated and produced by Brisbane's Ludo Studio for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), with support from Screen Queensland and Screen Australia, and distribution/financing by BBC Studios. The program explores playtime, imagination, and family life as seen and experienced through the titular character, a Blue Heeler puppy, and her family and friends.<ref name="tv-tonight-2018" />
Promoted as its third-series finale,<ref name="7news">{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Caleb |date=2024-04-12 |title=Bluey producer reveals show's future amid fears season finale will spell the end of the beloved cartoon |url=https://7news.com.au/sunrise/bluey-producer-reveals-shows-future-amid-fears-season-finale-will-spell-the-end-of-the-beloved-cartoon-c-14286709 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414141943/https://7news.com.au/sunrise/bluey-producer-reveals-shows-future-amid-fears-season-finale-will-spell-the-end-of-the-beloved-cartoon-c-14286709 |archive-date=14 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-14 |work=7news Sunrise}}</ref>{{efn|The actual third-series finale would be the unpromoted episode "Surprise!".}} "The Sign" is ''Bluey''{{'s}} first special episode,<ref name=deadline/> as well as its longest at 28 minutes in length;<ref name="guardian-hogan">{{Cite news |last=Hogan |first=Michael |date=2024-04-12 |title='I end up hugging complete strangers and crying': inside the epic episode that might change Bluey forever |url=https://theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/12/bluey-the-sign-joe-brumm-episode |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240415003724/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/12/bluey-the-sign-joe-brumm-episode |archive-date=15 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-14 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Amy Amatangelo of the ''Los Angeles Times'' likened it to a two-hour film by the show's standards.<ref name="la-times">{{Cite news |last=Amatangelo |first=Amy |date=2024-04-14 |title=How 'Bluey' special 'The Sign' was created: 'It's one of the most beautiful episodes we've made' |url=https://latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-04-14/bluey-the-sign-special-behind-the-scenes |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414100526/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-04-14/bluey-the-sign-special-behind-the-scenes |archive-date=14 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-14 |work=Los Angeles Times |page=E.1 |id={{ProQuest|3038254507}}}}</ref> According to Ludo co-founder Daley Pearson, the episode serves as a potential test drive for a feature-length installment,<ref name=la-times/><ref name="sun-herald">{{Cite news |last=Elphick |first=Nicole |date=2024-04-14 |title=More Bluey is never enough: PICK OF THE WEEK |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/3037805863 |url-access=registration |access-date=2024-04-14 |work=The Sun-Herald |agency=Nine Entertainment |id={{ProQuest|3037805863}} }}</ref> and will be followed by Series 4 on a future date.<ref name=7news/> It was also inspired by show creator Joe Brumm's real-life moving experiences,<ref name=mashable-20240409/> and makes many references to previous ''Bluey'' episodes.<ref name="mashable-20240415">{{Cite news |last=Yeo |first=Amanda |date=2024-04-15 |title='Bluey' special episode 'The Sign' had a ton of Easter eggs for fans |url=https://mashable.com/article/bluey-the-sign-easter-eggs-brandy-pregnant-winton-dad |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420043445/https://mashable.com/article/bluey-the-sign-easter-eggs-brandy-pregnant-winton-dad |archive-date=20 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-19 |work=Mashable}}</ref><ref name="vulture">{{Cite news |last=VanArendonk |first=Kathryn |date=2024-04-15 |title=For Sale: ''Bluey'' Gives Us a Sign |url=https://vulture.com/article/bluey-ending-the-sign-episode-explained.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416190411/https://www.vulture.com/article/bluey-ending-the-sign-episode-explained.html |archive-date=16 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-16 |work=New York Vulture}}</ref>
On the "epic" scope of "The Sign",<ref name=sun-herald/> two of the program's personnel said:
{{blockquote| It's actually quite Shakespearean in a comedy for it to end with a wedding, so it just feels momentous and joyous. There's a lot that gets explored that we can't really do in seven minutes and I think that's one of the exciting things about the 28-minute episode.<ref name=sun-herald/> |author=Melanie Zanetti}} {{blockquote| We always said wouldn't it be incredible if we could do three seasons and a movie. We would love to do beyond that but that wouldn't be an Everest to climb. I think this is a version of delivering on that promise. It was such a great creative challenge that we had to do it.<ref name=la-times/> |author=Daley Pearson }}
Episodes of ''Bluey'' are made by four different teams at Ludo; "The Sign" was the first time they worked on one together, "a big production challenge in itself" in Pearson's words.<ref name=la-times/> Zanetti and David McCormack recorded their lines in a two-part session, not knowing in the process how the story would end or if the Heelers' move would succeed.<ref name=la-times/> The episode also featured guest appearances by Rove McManus (as real-estate agent Bucky),<ref name=smh/> Joel Edgerton (as a roadside policeman),<ref name="guardian-seale" /> and Deborah Mailman<ref name=smh/> and Brendan Williams as the couple who nearly purchase the Heeler home.<ref name=deadline/>
In December 2024, Brumm announced that "The Sign" would be his final writing credit for the series to date, as he would be taking a hiatus from writing episodes<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Letter from Joe Brumm |url=https://www.bluey.tv/blog/a-letter-from-joe-brumm/ |access-date=19 December 2024 |website=Bluey Official Website |publisher=BBC Studios |quote=Fast forward through a tonne of contracting and we're about to embark on making an animated Bluey movie! [...] I always said I wouldn't keep making the show if I thought I couldn't make any new season as good as the last. This would have been the case for me with a potential season four, so I've decided to take a break from my involvement in the TV series. In the event I can't wrap my head around doing more seasons myself, The Sign will mark my TV finale for Bluey and I wrote it as such.}}</ref> in order to focus on an upcoming ''Bluey'' feature film.<ref>{{cite web |last=Weprim |first=Alex |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/bluey-movie-disney-bbc-2027-cg-animated-1236088411/|title='Bluey' Hitting The Big Screen: Feature Film in the Works From Disney, BBC Studios|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=17 December 2024}}</ref>
==Music== As with the rest of the program, Joff Bush served as composer of "The Sign", and contributed with an extended version of the Series 2 cue "Dance Mode".<ref name="iw">{{Cite news |last=Shachat |first=Sarah |date=2024-04-16 |title=An Ode to the Music of 'Bluey' |url=https://indiewire.com/features/craft/bluey-the-sign-music-joff-bush-meg-washington-1234973578/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417171732/https://www.indiewire.com/features/craft/bluey-the-sign-music-joff-bush-meg-washington-1234973578/ |archive-date=17 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-18 |work=IndieWire}}</ref> Megan Washington, the voice of Calypso, performed a re-recording of "Lazarus Drug" (from her 2020 album ''Batflowers'') during the final scene;<ref name=iw/> Brumm "fell in love with" the song in 2020, and planned to use it on ''Bluey'' sometime afterward.<ref name="daily-telegraph">{{Cite news |last1=Moran |first1=Jonathon |last2=Rutherford |first2=Karlie |last3=Wilkes |first3=Mikaela |date=2024-04-15 |title=Meg so addicted to Bluey |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/3038207152 |url-access=registration |access-date=2024-04-19 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=Surry Hills, New South Wales |page=31 |id={{ProQuest|3038207152}} }}</ref> During a preview screening of the episode, Washington was "moved to tears" when the song played,<ref name=daily-telegraph/> and later said that its appearance was "a small miracle" for her<ref name="mary-sue-2">{{Cite news |last=Glassman |first=Julia |date=2024-04-15 |title=All About That Gorgeous Final Song in Bluey's 'The Sign' |url=https://themarysue.com/lazarus-drug-by-meg-washington-in-bluey-explained/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418105024/https://www.themarysue.com/lazarus-drug-by-meg-washington-in-bluey-explained/ |archive-date=18 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-18 |work=The Mary Sue}}</ref> and "a beautiful crossover."<ref name=daily-telegraph/> The score for ''The Sign'' won the 2024 APRA Screen Music Award for Best Music for Children's Television; it is the third episode of ''Bluey'' to win the award after "Teasing" and "Flat Pack".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Knox |first=David |date=30 October 2024 |title=Screen Music Awards 2024: winners |work=TV Tonight |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/10/screen-music-awards-2024-winners.html |access-date=31 October 2024}}</ref> The score also won the AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score in Television.
==Themes== {{quote box|width=25%| {{ubl| '''Bluey:''' "Why do stories always have happy endings?"| '''Calypso:''' "I guess because life will give us enough sad ones."}} |—Dialogue from "The Sign", which Utah's ''Deseret News'' found reflective of the episode's exploration on the challenges children face while moving.<ref name="deseret">{{Cite news |last=Walter |first=Meg |date=2024-04-15 |title=Why the season finale of 'Bluey' might leave you in tears |url=https://deseret.com/entertainment/2024/04/15/blue-special-episode-the-sign/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418105021/https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2024/04/15/blue-special-episode-the-sign/ |archive-date=18 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-18 |work=Deseret News}}</ref>}} "The life lesson [in 'The Sign']," wrote Jack Seale of ''The Guardian'', "is that adults sometimes have to make major life changes, and that although these might look as if they will cause unhappiness, it is hard to know what is around the corner – especially since the grownups themselves don't know either."<ref name=guardian-seale/> The episode's message about dealing with life's uncertainties and hoping for the better was noted by Amatangelo,<ref name=la-times/> as well as Andy Swift of ''TVLine''.<ref name="tvline">{{Cite news |last=Swift |first=Andy |date=2024-04-14 |title=Bluey Wedding Special Is an Emotional Roller Coaster With a Too-Real Lesson for Dogs (and Humans) of All Ages |url=https://tvline.com/recaps/bluey-the-sign-review-wedding-special-ending-explained-1235200286/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414230026/https://tvline.com/recaps/bluey-the-sign-review-wedding-special-ending-explained-1235200286/ |archive-date=14 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-15 |work=TVLine}}</ref> The assurance Calypso, Bluey's teacher, gives her on fairytales having happy endings "was real as hell. Was that lesson part of her school-approved curriculum?" wondered Swift. "Probably not. But it's a literal dog-eat-dog world out there, and she'll be damned if she doesn't prepare these puppies for it."<ref name=tvline/> ''Vulture''{{'s}} Kathryn VanArendonk deemed the Heelers' decision to stay "electrifying, ecstatic news" for Bandit's relatives, and also found it "a bizarre choice for a children's show that has, until this point, prioritized empathy and acceptance toward normal life events that cause real anxiety and turmoil for young kids."<ref name=vulture/> In the ''National Catholic Reporter'', Eric A. Clayton said,{{efn|In reference to this essay: {{cite magazine |last=Gilbert |first=Sophie |date=2024-04-15 |title=Is This the End for Bluey? |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2024/04/the-sign-bluey-season-3-review/678074/ |url-access=subscription <!-- |url-status=live, but don't add this parameter, so the freely accessible archived version is prioritized--> |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416180314/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2024/04/the-sign-bluey-season-3-review/678074/ |archive-date=2024-04-16 |access-date=2024-04-17 |magazine=The Atlantic |issn=2151-9463 |oclc=1399171809}}}} "I don't know if Bandit was clinically depressed [over the prospects of moving], but I do believe he was—to use a bedrock term of the Ignatian tradition—in a state of desolation."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clayton |first1=Eric A. |title=What 'Bluey' teaches us about times of spiritual desolation |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/3059173260 |access-date=2024-05-25 |work=National Catholic Reporter |date=May 24 – June 6, 2024 |volume=60 |issue=17 |pages=13, 16 |id={{ProQuest|3059173260}} |url-access=registration }}</ref> Thomas Mitchell of ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' saw the episode as a commentary on Australia's housing crisis.<ref name=smh/>
As Oliver Brandt of ''Men's Journal'' surmised, "The Sign's" plot echoed the undertones of a venerable Australian proverb, "She'll be right", which is used to express uncertainty during a given situation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brandt |first=Oliver |date=2024-04-15 |title=Bluey's 'The Sign' Tackles Uncertainty in the Most Australian Way |url=https://mensjournal.com/streaming/bluey-the-sign-australian-culture |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418105021/https://www.mensjournal.com/streaming/bluey-the-sign-australian-culture |archive-date=18 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-18 |work=Men's Journal}}</ref> Moreover, the episode references Chinese philosophy through the tale of ''The Farmer''—from the ancient Chinese text ''The Huainanzi''—according to Julian Glassman of ''The Mary Sue''.<ref name="mary-sue">{{Cite news |last=Glassman |first=Julia |date=2024-04-16 |title=How Bluey's 'The Sign' Uses an Ancient Parable to Tell a Wonderfully Complex Story |url=https://themarysue.com/what-is-bluey-the-sign-about-explained/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418105022/https://www.themarysue.com/what-is-bluey-the-sign-about-explained/ |archive-date=18 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-18 |work=The Mary Sue}}</ref>
Amanda Yeo of technology-news site ''Mashable'' stated that "fans [responded] with disbelief, sorrow, and denial" over the reveal of the "For Sale" sign at the end of the preceding episode, "Ghostbasket". As Yeo added, "The idea that we may have to say goodbye to this series stalwart [the Heeler house] is not one many viewers care to contemplate."<ref name=mashable-20240409/> Various U.S., Canadian, British, and New Zealand outlets reported that audiences were largely left in tears while watching "The Sign", and were worried over whether the show would end with it.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lagatta |first=Eric |date=2024-04-15 |title=Parents are sobbing over 'Bluey' episode 'The Sign.' Is the show ending? What we know |url=https://usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/04/15/bluey-the-sign-special-episode-ending/73327358007/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417015512/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/04/15/bluey-the-sign-special-episode-ending/73327358007/ |archive-date=17 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-16 |work=USA Today}}</ref><ref name="cbc">{{Cite news |last=Stechyson |first=Natalie |date=2024-04-15 |title=The Bluey season finale is here and grownups are not OK |url=https://cbc.ca/news/entertainment/bluey-the-sign-1.7173743 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416070655/https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/bluey-the-sign-1.7173743 |archive-date=16 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-16 |work=CBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Butt |first=Maira |date=2024-04-15 |title=Bluey: 'Heartbreaking' special episode leaves parents in tears |url=https://independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/bluey-the-sign-disney-episode-b2528975.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416102352/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/bluey-the-sign-disney-episode-b2528975.html |archive-date=16 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-16 |work=The Independent}}</ref><ref name="nz-herald">{{Cite news |last=Alves |first=Vera |date=2024-04-19 |title=Bluey's special episode, The Sign, available in New Zealand next week - here's what to expect |url=https://nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/blueys-special-episode-the-sign-available-in-new-zealand-next-week-heres-what-to-expect/AQDBSKOLWRA2RDEPJZZ6LS7V2Y/ |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420043458/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/blueys-special-episode-the-sign-available-in-new-zealand-next-week-heres-what-to-expect/AQDBSKOLWRA2RDEPJZZ6LS7V2Y/ |archive-date=20 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-19 |work=The New Zealand Herald}}</ref>
==Release and marketing== "The Sign" was announced by the ABC in early November 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Panagopoulos |first=Joanna |date=2023-11-09 |title=ABC announces its 2024 line-up |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2887842947 |url-access=registration |access-date=2024-04-14 |work=The Australian Online |location=Canberra |id={{ProQuest|2887842947}} }}</ref> A teaser was released on the 14th of that month,<ref name=awn/> and a trailer the following 25 March;<ref name=deadline/> the day before it aired, Ludo uploaded a "Previously on..." recap on YouTube covering all three series.<ref name=mashable-20240415/> The lead-up to its broadcast was shrouded in secrecy on BBC Studios' part.<ref name="bloomberg-bw">{{Cite magazine |last=Leonard |first=Devin |date=2024-04-03 |title=How Bluey Became a $2 Billion Smash Hit—With an Uncertain Future |url=https://bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-04-03/is-bluey-ending-disney-s-worried-biggest-kids-show-ever-is-at-risk |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419044250/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-04-03/is-bluey-ending-disney-s-worried-biggest-kids-show-ever-is-at-risk |archive-date=19 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-18 |magazine=Bloomberg Businessweek |pages=32–39 |issue=4816 |issn=0007-7135 |id={{EBSCOhost|176417774}}}}</ref>
Following 7 April's prelude episode "Ghostbasket",<ref name=mashable-20240409/> "The Sign" aired on 14 April 2024<ref name=guardian-hogan/> on ABC Television/ABC Kids<ref name=sun-herald/><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wigney |first=James |date=2024-04-10 |title=Apocalypse game on |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/3034829629 |url-access=registration |access-date=2024-04-14 |work=Herald Sun |location=Melbourne |page=25 |id={{ProQuest|3034829629}} }}</ref> and ABC iView<ref name=guardian-hogan/> in Australia, along with Disney+ and Disney Junior/Disney Channel outlets elsewhere;<ref name=deadline/> it also premiered on New Zealand's TVNZ+ on the 22nd.<ref name=nz-herald/> On its broadcast day, a crowd of hundreds gathered at Melbourne's Federation Square for a special screening.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=McMillan |first1=Ashleigh |last2=Mitchell |first2=Thomas |date=2024-04-15 |title=True Bluey fans flock to special episode |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/3038056887 |url-access=registration |access-date=2024-04-19 |work=The Age |location=Melbourne |page=31 |id={{ProQuest|3038056887}} }}</ref>
In advance of "The Sign's" premiere, the Heeler family's home was "listed" (with an address in Brisbane's Oxley suburb) on Domain, an Australian real-estate site.<ref name=mashable-20240409/> Almost two weeks after the episode aired, Zillow launched a commercial paying homage to it, produced by Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort company. Featuring real-life dog actors who resembled the original animated characters, it was narrated by the series' sound designer Dan Brumm (who also voices Uncle Stripe).<ref name="usa-today">{{Cite news |last=Lagatta |first=Eric |date=2024-04-26 |title=Zillow to parents after 'Bluey' episode 'The Sign': Moving 'might just be a good thing' |url=https://usatoday.com/story/money/business/2024/04/26/zillow-bluey-the-sign-ad-ryan-reynolds/73467539007/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240501201927/https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2024/04/26/zillow-bluey-the-sign-ad-ryan-reynolds/73467539007/ |archive-date=1 May 2024 |access-date=2024-04-28 |work=USA Today}}</ref>
A graphic novel adaptation titled ''Bluey: The Sign'' was released on 4 November 2025.<ref>{{cite book |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=4 November 2025 |title=Bluey: The Sign |url=https://www.penguin.com.au/books/bluey-the-sign-9781761352812 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=9781761352812 |access-date=16 December 2025}}</ref>
"The Sign" is set to release in Japanese theatres on 12 June 2026.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bluey.tv/blog/the-sign-airs-in-aeon-cinemas-in-japan/ |title=The Sign Airs in Aeon Cinemas in Japan! |access-date=26 February 2026 |website=Bluey.tv}}</ref>
==Reception== ===Ratings=== Over its first two ABC airings, "The Sign" received an audience of 2,288,000 viewers,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=2024-04-15 |title=Sunday 14 April 2024 |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/04/sunday-14-april-2024.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240415105102/https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/04/sunday-14-april-2024.html |archive-date=15 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-15 |website=TV Tonight}}</ref> topping Australia's National TV Audience (OzTAM) ratings chart.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=2024-04-15 |title=Massive ''Bluey'' ratings top Sunday |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/04/massive-bluey-ratings-top-sunday.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420034158/https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/04/massive-bluey-ratings-top-sunday.html |archive-date=20 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-21 |website=TV Tonight}}</ref> It is currently the highest-rated ''Bluey'' broadcast in Australia; previously, series two's "Easter" held that feat.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=6 April 2021 |title=''Bluey'' breaks another record at Easter |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2021/04/bluey-breaks-another-record-at-easter.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406234400/https://tvtonight.com.au/2021/04/bluey-breaks-another-record-at-easter.html |archive-date=6 April 2021 |access-date=11 April 2021 |website=TV Tonight}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=5 April 2021 |title=Sunday 4 April 2021 |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2021/04/sunday-4-april-2021.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210404235948/https://tvtonight.com.au/2021/04/sunday-4-april-2021.html |archive-date=4 April 2021 |access-date=5 April 2021 |website=TV Tonight}}</ref> During its first week on the platform, the episode received 10.4 million views globally on Disney+.<ref name="variety">{{Cite news |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=2024-04-22 |title='Bluey' Special 'The Sign' Draws 10.4 Million Views on Disney+ |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/bluey-the-sign-ratings-disney-plus-1235978415/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423162223/https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/bluey-the-sign-ratings-disney-plus-1235978415/ |archive-date=23 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-23 |work=Variety}}</ref>{{efn|According to ''Variety'', "a view [is] defined as total stream time divided by runtime."<ref name=variety/>}} The day after its premiere, Canada's CBC News reported that users on the IMDb site gave it a 9.9 rating.<ref name=cbc/>
===Critical analysis=== "The Sign" received positive reviews during and after its initial broadcast. Jack Seale declared, "It's animated Australian canines' answer to ''Killers of the Flower Moon''. But there is no need to be concerned: everything that makes ''Bluey'' magic is intact."<ref name=guardian-seale/> Andy Swift called the episode "a thrilling half hour of television — a fast-paced, sharply-written, deeply thoughtful examination of the human spirit."<ref name=tvline/> Joel Keller of the ''New York Post''{{'s}} ''Decider'' service awarded it a "Stream It" rating. "There are a few padded moments, like the story about the farmer," he added, "but Brumm and company have come up with a story that manages to fill the time quite well, as well as do the show's usual job at making both kids and adults laugh their butts off one minute and then have the adults reaching for the tissues the next."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Keller |first=Joel |date=2024-04-14 |title=Stream It or Skip It: 'Bluey: The Sign' on Disney+, The First Extended Episode of the Popular Aussie Children's Cartoon |url=https://decider.com/2024/04/14/bluey-the-sign-disney-plus-review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417184024/https://decider.com/2024/04/14/bluey-the-sign-disney-plus-review/ |archive-date=17 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-18 |work=Decider}}</ref> Julia Glassman gave it "5/5 For Sale Signs", and also took note of its "meta-narrative" approach in which "the show subtly [comments] on the fact that it's a show."<ref name="mary-sue-3">{{Cite news |last=Glassman |first=Julia |date=2024-04-16 |title=Thank Goodness the 'Bluey' Special Ended the Way It Did |url=https://themarysue.com/bluey-the-sign-ending-explained/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418105021/https://www.themarysue.com/bluey-the-sign-ending-explained/ |archive-date=18 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-18 |work=The Mary Sue}}</ref> Sarah Shachat of ''IndieWire'' called Joff Bush's work "one of the best TV scores".<ref name=iw/> Quoted in ''The Canberra Times'', Liz Giuffre said, "The ultimate wedding television...[this episode] rewarded longtime viewers", and "is destined to join [its] forebears as part of the history of Australian screen weddings."<ref name=canberra/>
Despite this level of acclaim, the episode's ending received a mixed reception. Kathryn VanArendonk found it "oddly unrealistic...[and] disappointing to the point of frustration, a departure from ''Bluey''{{'s}} usual ease in navigating complex emotions... a fairy tale that also feels like a cop-out." She added, "But as an ending, or as a way to transition the series into a new phase, 'The Sign' is like so much of ''Bluey'': perfect and devastating."<ref name=vulture/> Meg Walter of the ''Deseret News'' suggested that young viewers "[deserve] a different ending" based in reality, and that Bandit's "last-minute decision might install false hope" in children moving to new cities.<ref name=deseret/> ''Collider''{{'s}} Kendall Myers wrote, "[While] few ''Bluey'' episodes are as much of an emotional rollercoaster as [this one]...the unexpected end [makes] the lesson fall flat. Though the longer episode is well-paced, engaging, and overall as good as any other installment, the backtracking in Bluey's storyline is a major flaw, as it isn't in line with what the series is all about."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Myers |first=Kendall |date=2024-04-17 |title=Why Everyone Is Talking About Bluey's Latest Episode |url=https://collider.com/bluey-the-sign-episode/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423113037/https://collider.com/bluey-the-sign-episode/ |archive-date=23 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-18 |work=Collider}}</ref> Conversely, Glassman praised the Heelers' decision to stay, leading to anticipation of future stories about the cattle-dog family.<ref name=mary-sue/><ref name=mary-sue-3/>
==Sequel== Speculation on an extra episode following "The Sign" was discussed among fans<ref name=vulture/> and by ''The Mary Sue'',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Glassman |first=Julia |date=2024-04-17 |title=If Bluey's 'The Surprise' Is Real, Here's When It Might Come Out |url=https://themarysue.com/is-there-a-bluey-the-surprise-release-date/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418105021/https://www.themarysue.com/is-there-a-bluey-the-surprise-release-date/ |archive-date=18 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-18 |work=The Mary Sue}}</ref> with Bloomberg News reporting on Brumm's confirmation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Leonard |first=Devin |date=2024-04-15 |title=Bluey's 'The Sign' Doesn't Answer If There Will Be a Season 4 |url=https://bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-04-15/bluey-s-the-sign-episode-doesn-t-answer-will-there-be-a-season-4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240415195409/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-04-15/bluey-s-the-sign-episode-doesn-t-answer-will-there-be-a-season-4 |archive-date=15 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-16 |work=Bloomberg News}}</ref><!-- Via CBC story --> Like "Cricket" before it, "Surprise!", which was promoted by ABC Kids' social media accounts the day before, premiered on 21 April on the channel as part of a surprise release.<ref name="guardian-cain">{{Cite news |last=Cain |first=Sian |date=2024-04-20 |title=The Surprise: secret Bluey episode drops around the world amid panic the cartoon is ending |url=https://theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/21/the-surprise-secret-bluey-episode-released-abc-disney |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240421033555/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/21/the-surprise-secret-bluey-episode-released-abc-disney |archive-date=21 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-20 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Alongside a first-look image, Disney announced on 20 April 2024 that this episode, titled "Surprise!", would air the following morning on their outlets.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Garcia |first=Maira |date=2024-04-20 |title=After 'The Sign,' 'Bluey' has a surprise episode on the way |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-04-20/bluey-surprise-episode |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240421030801/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-04-20/bluey-surprise-episode |archive-date=21 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-20 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> The regular-length story features Bluey and Bingo playing two different games with Bandit,<ref name=guardian-cain/> and an epilogue set in the near future in which a grown-up Bluey and her child pay a visit to her parents.<ref name=usa-today/> In the episode, Chilli refers to the incident of almost moving house from the previous episode. Much like "Ghostbasket" and "The Sign", "Surprise!" was released on Disney+ the same day as its premiere on ABC Kids.
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== <!--Keep sorted by date, rather than author surname--> {{refbegin}} * {{Cite news |last=Martin |first=Laura |date=2024-04-12 |title=The ancient philosophy behind Bluey's blockbuster episode The Sign |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240412-the-ancient-philosophy-behind-blueys-blockbuster-episode-the-sign |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240414235910/https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240412-the-ancient-philosophy-behind-blueys-blockbuster-episode-the-sign |archive-date=2024-04-14 |access-date=2024-04-17 |work=BBC Culture}} * {{Cite news |last1=Hitch |first1=Georgia |last2=McCarthy |first2=Sasha |date=2023-04-13 |title=New long Bluey episode The Sign is full of hidden Easter eggs. Here's nine you might've missed |url=https://abc.net.au/news/2024-04-14/bluey-special-episode-the-sign-easter-eggs/103684680 |access-date=2024-04-16 |work=ABC News (Australia)}}<!-- U.S.-based date; article was published on April 14 in show's native Australia --><!-- Also mentions the guest-star cameos; non-primary sources needed --> * <!--Opinion piece: if citing inline, follow WP:RSOPINION-->{{Cite news |last=Booker |first=Chloe |date=2024-04-16 |title=Bluey's blockbuster episode hit a nerve for my family by casting moving house as difficult and scary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/commentisfree/2024/apr/16/blueys-blockbuster-episode-hit-a-nerve-for-my-family-by-casting-moving-house-as-difficult-and-scary |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416021722/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/commentisfree/2024/apr/16/blueys-blockbuster-episode-hit-a-nerve-for-my-family-by-casting-moving-house-as-difficult-and-scary |archive-date=2024-04-16 |access-date=2024-04-16 |work=The Guardian |issn=1756-3224 |oclc=1056142271}} {{refend}}
==External links== {{wikiquote|Bluey#Season 3#The Sign|"The Sign"}} * {{Official website|https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-3/the-sign/}} ** [https://www.bluey.tv/blog/the-world-reacts-to-bluey-the-sign/ The World Reacts to Bluey "The Sign"] * {{IMDb episode|31491044}}
{{Bluey}} {{Portal bar|Animation|Cartoon|Television|Australia}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sign, The (Bluey)}} Category:2024 Australian television episodes Category:Bluey (TV series) episodes Category:Television episodes about weddings