April 14 will be a historic moment for fans of the Australian animated series Bluey, and it’s been a long road getting to this occasion. The cartoon became a global phenomenon after its debut in 2019, endearing itself to young kids, their parents, and childless adults who discovered something special in this wholesome toon. Five years later, the most recent season is about to close one chapter of the series, but if the rumors are true, it could also be the end of Bluey as we know it.

Following up after the events of “Ghostbasket,” which sees the Heeler family selling their home in a cliffhanger ending, “The Sign” will center on the wedding of fan-favorite couple Frisky and Rad while Bluey deals with her own shocking revelation about the place she grew up in. The episode isn’t just the end of the extremely protracted third season, which began in September 2021; it’s the first of the series to be aired globally around the world on the same day, while also being the longest episode in the history of the show, clocking in at 28 minutes instead of the typical seven. No matter how things turn out for the Heelers, we know one thing to be true — “The Sign” is going to be epic.

Ahead of the finale, Scary Mommy spoke with Melanie Zanetti and Dave McCormack, the voices behind Chilli and Bandit, in hopes of getting some answers about the future of the show. Proof that perfect casting does exist, McCormack cracked a joke for every question, while Zanetti was gentle and lighthearted, a reassuring smile always across her face. Just as you’d expect from Bluey and Bingo’s dad and mum!

Our conversation spanned not only “The Sign” but also their perspective on how this tiny cartoon born in Brisbane took over the world, the fans who helped it grow, and what these past five years have meant to them.

Scary Mommy: So, have you guys watched the finale yet? What was your spoiler-free reaction to the many different events that happened in this episode?

Melanie Zanetti: It’s an emotional rollercoaster. We recorded in two different parts — we got the first part, but we didn’t know what was happening in the second part, so we had a cliffhanger. I had lots of feelings. I’m very excited for everyone to go on the rollercoaster with us.

What’s incredible is that you’ve got 28 minutes, which is four times as long as we usually have, and you can just explore themes with so much more depth.

Dave McCormack: I watched it yesterday because it’s been a while since we recorded it and since I’d seen the finished product, and I was surprised at how stressful it is.

There’s a lot happening — a bit of anxiety was happening to get through it. The emotional payoff at the end is humongous!

SM: Bluey has been around for five years, and while I know adults will keep watching forever, many of the children who grew up watching it are starting to age away from it towards other interests. What do you think will happen to the show’s popularity as this segment grows up?

MZ: Well, here’s the thing. I know people whose kids are now like 12 and 14 who are like, ‘Oh, we all still watch this show.’

A woman said to me the other day, ‘My daughters love this show. They’re 29 and 31.’ So, I think there’ll be kids who sort of age out of it and may age back into it.

We did a Comic-Con recently and met people in their 20s with no kids who just find it a comfort watch. One person said to me they had a really tricky childhood, and the show was re-parenting them. I think, firstly, it’s for little kids — so it’s an evergreen market. But it’s also for everyone in all these different ways.

DM: My uncle Kenny’s in his late 70s and has no kids. He watches it! I love that. He’s into it.

SM: Speaking of conventions, you’ve both started attending some of these shows around the U.S. as guests. What’s it been like doing these events, meeting the fans, and hearing about the effect this cartoon has had — especially on big kids like me?

MZ: Just that age does not matter with Bluey. There are so many people in so many different stages of life who do and do not have kids who have resonated really deeply with the show. There are so many different ways that people watch this show. It’s been quite amazing.

DM: It’s an amazing cross-section of people you meet at those things. Some people have been really affected by the show, and the show’s really helped them out emotionally with relationships and stuff. That’s a pretty amazing thing that Joe and everyone who’s created the show should be really proud of — the fact that it can stand up as something that is a net good for society.

You know, it makes the world a better place.

SM: Dave, how has playing Bandit and working on Bluey changed the way you connect with your children and your relationship with them?

DM: Initially, I think I was using my children as a sort of device because they’re about the same age as Bingo and Bluey, so that was a way for me to relate to what was happening in the script. If something happened in the script, like “Keepy Uppy” or the bird dying in “Copycat,” I could relate that to something that had just happened that morning or the night before to me, which I found made it easier for me to pretend that I was Bandit.

When we did an episode [where] Bandit was being the best dad, that would inspire me to be the best dad. I’d come home, and I would be so full of energy and enthusiasm. It’s like, ‘Kids, put the iPads away.’ We’d do something we’d seen on Bluey, and I found I could maintain that for 15 to 20 minutes. And then I’d be like, ‘OK, that’s it. Parenting done. Get back on your screens. See you next time.’

The kids were really into it in the early days, but there’s an age group where some people age out of it. Now it’s all Taylor Swift and lip balm and skin products, but they might age back into Bluey in a way later.

SM: Five years ago, Bluey was simply not a thing. Today, it’s the hottest cartoon out there for kids and adults. What have you learned about yourselves while being part of this unbelievable global success?

DM: I’ve learned that being part of a show that’s a global, crazy success — you’re still not a celebrity! No one knows who I am. I thought I’d be friends with serious A-listers, and people would be asking me to present awards at the Screen Actors Guild or something. I got nothing. Oh, I thought I’d be heaps more famous by now!

MZ: Jokes aside, being part of something that is putting so much good into the world is so fulfilling. As an actor, a lot of the time you’re like, Does any of this matter? This is not brain surgery or rocket science.

And then you’re part of something that is so fulfilling — that people genuinely say is helping their lives. I’ve had teachers say they have students with learning disabilities and it taught them how to play with other kids, and it’s changed their life at school. And people saying I had a terrible childhood, and this is re-parenting me. Or parents saying Bluey is teaching them how to play with their kids and have a better relationship with them. All of this is across the world. It feels like a real privilege to be part of something that you’re like, ‘Hooray! We’re helping.’

SM: Is this truly going to be the end of Bluey, or is this just an actual season finale and there’s more to come?

MZ: For all we know, it is just a season finale. No one tells us anything, but that’s what we’ve been told so far, it’s just the season finale.

DM: We are so down the bottom of the food chain. We really are! They’re never going to be like, ‘Hmm, I’ve got a business decision I need to make. Let’s call Mel and Dave!’

MZ: We didn’t even know how the second half of “The Sign” was going to end.

DM: Yeah, they tell us nothing.

SM: Well, if I hear any news, I’ll give you a heads-up.

DM: You would probably know before us!

The Bluey Season 3 Finale, “The Sign,” airs on Disney+ and other platforms worldwide on April 14. Stay tuned for more from this interview (with spoilers) after the episode airs.