A beloved episode of the animated children’s TV show “Bluey” has been temporarily removed from a streaming platform.
The season 2 episode titled “Hammerbarn” has been pulled from iview, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s on-demand streaming service. The reason for the removal? A partnership with the hardware store chain Bunnings, which is sort of like the Australian version of Home Depot.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which is funded by the government, is not allowed to take part in commercial partnerships.
“This campaign is a BBC Studios and Bunnings partnership,” a representative for the ABC said in a statement to People. “As the ABC cannot align with a commercial brand or partnership, the Bluey episode ‘Hammerbarn’ will temporarily be unavailable on ABC iview while the Bunnings Hammerbarn campaign is live.”
Although Bunnings is not mentioned by name in the episode — Bluey’s family takes a trip to the fictional Hammerbarn store instead — the chain is currently selling Hammerbarn merchandise including tote bags, socks, and key rings as part of the collaboration.
Bunnings spokesperson Melissa O’Neill reacted to the episode’s temporary removal in a statement shared with Australian outlet Sky News.
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“We are disappointed that the broadcaster has chosen to remove the popular ‘Hammerbarn’ episode, particularly given Bluey fans can buy merchandise from a range of retailers and sites both in Australia and overseas,” O’Neill said. “It’s been great to see so many kids and their parents enjoying the Bluey experience in our stores, and it’s sad to think that they can’t go home and enjoy the episode.”
The “Hammerbarn” episode will return to iview “at a later date,” the ABC rep noted in their statement to People. The episode is still available to stream on Disney+ in the United States and on BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom.
“Bluey” which is an Australian show, premiered in October 2018 and made its international debut on Disney Junior in the United States the following year. The series follows an elementary-school aged anthropomorphic Blue Heeler puppy named Bluey, who lives with her mom Chilli, dad Bandit, and younger sister Bingo.
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