‘Bluey’ Creator Reveals Jesus Reference That Disney, ABC, BBC Removed from Hit Children’s Show

An innocent reference to Jesus never made it into a hit children’s show.

In a June interview with The Hollywood Reporter, “Bluey” creator Joe Brumm revealed that he planned to mention Jesus in one of the show’s episodes, only to encounter resistance from major networks.

“It wasn’t proselytizing, it wasn’t insulting,” Brumm said, and yet “it got quickly shot down.”

The show revolves around the titular animated dog and her family, and it has made quite an impression. In fact, “Bluey” ranks among the most popular shows in the English-speaking world.

In the U.S., where the show is available on Disney+, it was one of the most streamed programs of 2022.

What happens or does not happen on “Bluey,” therefore, has an impact on thousands of young viewers.

Brumm explained that his intended reference to Jesus stemmed from his days as a Catholic school student.

He recalled that “you mixed with a lot of kids who were Catholics, but also with a lot who weren’t.”

Some students, therefore, knew little or nothing about Jesus. Brumm found humor in the exchanges that could occur under those circumstances, and he wanted to bring that humor to “Bluey.”

He planned to have one character refer to Jesus walking on water, followed by Bluey asking, “Who’s Jesus?”

The Australia Broadcasting Corporation, the BBC and Disney nixed the idea.

For what it’s worth, Brumm agreed with the decision on age-appropriate grounds — that is, 3- and 4-year-olds might not understand the joke.

“It doesn’t belong in a preschool cartoon. It’s too weird. But it still made me laugh,” he said.

[embedded content]
In this particular instance, the exclusion of a Christian reference might have stemmed from benign motives.

After all, one Christian reviewer hailed “Bluey” as a family-friendly outlier in modern woke children’s television.

Still, Christians have good reason for skepticism regarding the entertainment industry.

Earlier this month, for instance, Christian actor and “Sound of Freedom” star Jim Caviezel revealed that Disney tried to remove references to God from the 2002 film “The Count of Monte Cristo.”

Indeed, Hollywood makes no secret of its hostility toward Christians.

Until that changes, Christians should not be surprised by the exclusion of references to Christ, even innocent ones.

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.

Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.