In recent years, Bluey has become the most-loved animated dog amongst both kids and adults (sorry, Duggee) in TV history.
The Australian show about the Blue Heeler puppy and her sister Bingo, mum Chilli and dad Bandit has been celebrated for portraying relatable real-life scenarios in a sweet, tender and often hilarious manner.
The first 28-minute episode of the show recently aired worldwide, but it seems that 'The Sign' was not the only surprise that Bluey's creators had up their sleeves.
Over the weekend, a secret episode called 'The Surprise' aired on stations around the world - and for Irish users, became available on Disney+ - despite not being listed anywhere.
The episode lived up to its title, and Australian network ABC said that they deliberately supplied an old episode to listings and TV guides. "Bluey’s hallmark charm is that it is always surprising, and we love to do things differently to keep the fans thinking," a spokesperson for the network said. "Our intention was for the fans to wake up to their usual ABC Kids Sunday 8am slot and be blown away by a brand-new episode."
The episode, which sees Bluey and Bingo convince their dad to play two different games with them at the same time, delighted fans - but along with 'The Sign', it has also led to some speculation that its makers were planning to wind the cartoon up.
However, producer Sam Moor quelled fears by telling the BBC: "No, it is not the end for Bluey. I’m sure we have many more surprises in store for you. We have more in store and we are thinking what would be next."
Its creator Joe Brumm, meanwhile, told The Guardian: "I love the idea of doing something even longer, so we’ll see how this goes down. Maybe a movie, who knows? This is a good way to test the waters."
