'Bluey' was originally based on another character: 'It was going to be about him,' creator said
(NEXSTAR) – There isn’t really a canine character on “Bluey” that can’t sustain their own standalone episode — and many often do. Over the course of the show’s three seasons, plenty of secondary and ancillary characters have been given their moments to shine, with some storylines focusing on one of Bluey’s friends or neighbors, rather than herself or her family.
But if "Bluey" creator Joe Brumm had followed through with his original plan, one of those supporting characters would have been the lead of the whole series.
‘The show was originally called ‘Rusty’ and it was going to be about him, but it switched to Bluey,” Brumm remarked in a 2022 interview on the “Two Bandits Watching Bluey” podcast.
Brumm further said that Rusty, an Australian Kelpie dog who attends school with Bluey, was his “favorite character” on the show.
“I really like him,” Brumm said at the time. “I think he’s a cool little dude. You know, he’s fun to write for. He’s so … accepting, and innocent, and quite tough as well. And just gets on with it.”
Brumm didn’t elaborate on why the series ditched Rusty to refocus on the character of Bluey Heeler, an Australian cattle dog (i.e., a blue heeler). But Brumm himself has two daughters — just like the Heeler family — and he once had an Australian cattle dog named Bluey when he was growing up, Deadline reported. (Brumm, however, said during his 2022 podcast appearance that he also had a Kelpie growing up, which he called his “favorite” dog.)
In any case, Brumm and the show’s production team at Ludo Studios in Brisbane, Australia, ended up shifting the show’s lead to Bluey in the “very early development stages.”
Greg Painter, one of the podcasters behind "Two Bandits Watching Bluey," said in a statement to Nexstar that Brumm and Ludo probably made the right move.
"It was very surprising to hear Joe tell us about the original plans for the show. The idea of what that would have looked like is crazy to think about," said Painter. "Would Rusty still have a father in the army? Would Dave McCormack (who voices Bluey's father Bandit) ... been Rusty’s dad? Would the Heelers be just background characters? The butterfly effect of this decision would have been very interesting to see, but I think the right choice was made when you look at the massive success of the show."
Rusty, though, has still enjoyed starring roles in several episodes of “Bluey,” including the first season episode “Mums and Dads” and “Army” from season two. He’s also a main character in two episodes of season three: “Space” and “Cricket.”
Prior to season three, Brumm even called one of the upcoming Rusty episodes “probably my favorite,” though he didn’t specify which. But “Cricket" is the only one where Rusty doesn’t share the spotlight with another character, as it deals with his love of cricket and his ability to outplay even the adults who attempt to bowl him out.
“So yeah, he’s definitely my favorite,” Brumm said during his 2022 podcast appearance. “Bandit’s a close second.”