Tyler Hilton shrugged it off when his 5-year-old daughter, Winnie, became obsessed with a series introduced by a nanny. Uh, OK a dog family, he thought, doubting its appeal. But as the musician and actor became unable to escape listening to Blueys World in the background of his Canada home, he soon found himself chuckling, impressed and engrossed.

The parents were so relatable and mirrored the parent I wanted to be, says the One Tree Hill star. They werent removed and authoritative, but super-loving, involved and part of the fun but also exhausted and exasperated sometimes. It was like watching me on screen. Then I got to episodes that made me want to cry and went, This is the greatest show ever. The father-of-twos now hooked on the animated series, was devastated he couldnt visit immersive experience Blueys World Brisbane during his recent Australian tour and has ventured into childrens entertainment himself with an upcoming book, Daddy: Live in Concert.

Kate OConnor of BBC Studios, Queensland Tourism Minister Andrew Powell. BEDA CEO Anthony Ryan and Blueys World Brisbane producer Andrew Kay at the opening of Blueys World Brisbane. Courtesy of Blueys World Kay swiftly secured live touring rights and created theater adaptation Blueys Big Play, which continues touring the world. Taking the show abroad was eye-opening.

At Madison Square Garden, there was 20 adults and four children from New Jersey parents, aunt, grandparents. Thats true of Bluey. People want to participate as a family. Ive done childrens shows where youd rather put a pin in your eye, but you go because your child loves it. But with Bluey, everyones thrilled.

It may be Blueys world, but Bandit and Chilli have largely spawned the series intergenerational reach. Dr. Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center, says the two present a balanced view of parenting young, energetic kids as wonderful and rewarding, but frustrating and exhausting.

Bandit and Chilli model positive parenting behaviors, such as validating emotions and encouraging problem-solving, while sharing their shortcomings and missteps validating parents worries about their own challenges, says Dr. Rutledge. When Bandit and Chilli intervene, it lets Bluey and Bingo feel heard rather than minimized.

In the episode Yoga Ball, Chilli helps Bingo develop her big girl bark, so she can tell others when the plays too rough for her. Bandit validates her feelings by making sure he understands how rough is OK. Thats in contrast to responding, Youre fine, were just playing, which undermines a childs confidence in expressing their feelings.

The shows bravery in exploring mature topics, like infertility, has also moved parents. Hiltons been left emotional after episodes about death and loneliness. Dr. Rutledge believes resonating psychologically with different generations has boosted Blueys appeal.

Episodes that deal with difficult subjects balance age-appropriateness without minimizing the emotions adults may feel, she says. Most toddler shows deal with emotions in a superficial way and rarely put them in real-world contexts.

Like Bluey, Brumms from Queensland and his spotlight on the Sunshine State has fueled tourism. As fans began matching show locations with spots like Brisbanes South Bank, and bloggers began posting Bluey-themed guides, visitor interest accelerated.

Tourism and Events Queensland began offering Bluey itineraries, including one by Melanie Zanetti, who voices Chilli. The organizations 2024 campaign Queensland is Blueys World, For Real Life proved pivotal, attracting 680,000 Australian and New Zealand visitors.

Blueys World CityDog ferries in Queensland. Courtesy of Tourism Events Queensland Other Bluey fans include Natalie Portman, guest star Lin-Manuel Miranda, Billy Joel (who threw aBluey-themed birthday for his daughter) and Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter, who shared Bluey was on repeat after watching with son Odin.

Meanwhile, the brand has spawned books, podcasts, toys, albums, clothing, homeware, themed hotel rooms, Facebook groups and a mobile game. Theres also Bluey x CAMP, an immersive experience in selected Camp locations.

Naturally, creators are clamoring to replicate Blueys success, but Kay believes its a rare phenomenon.

I once consulted for a company who thought if they could bring together a mix of The Wiggles and Hi-5, theyd have the new supergroup, he says. It lasted two weeks because it wasnt The Wiggles and wasnt Hi-5.

You cant manufacture something like this. Joes created something extraordinary and when you get to work on it, you treasure that moment because it may never come again.

As for fans, the equal number of adults sporting Bluey shirts as kids during my visit to Blueys World Brisbane is further testament to the inimitable power of Bluey.

Its taught me more about parenting than any books Ive read or professionals whose brains Ive picked, notes Hilton, who was inspired by Bluey when endeavoring to make Daddy: Live in Concert (out on April 8) entertaining, educational and fun for parents. Their patience, rules, engagement, love and faults make me think its a show for parents masking as a show for kids. Its reminded me many times what an incredible time in both my life and my kids life this is.