Bluey creator Joe Brumm suggests he may leave TV series as movie ...

It was a bittersweet day for Bluey fans, with news of a feature length movie coming as creator Joe Brumm signalled he may be stepping away from the series.

In a letter to fans Mr Brumm shared what he said was the “trifficult” news — a nod to an episode of the show in which the titular Bluey’s sister Bingo mangles the words “tricky” and “difficult” — that he may not continue on the series beyond the planned film.

“I always said I wouldn’t keep making the show if I thought I couldn’t make any new season as good as the last,” he wrote in a letter published online.

“This would have been the case for me with a potential season four, so I’ve decided to take a break from my involvement in the TV series. In the event I can’t wrap my head around doing more seasons myself, The Sign will mark my TV finale for Bluey and I wrote it as such.

“Bluey has completely changed my life. It’s been an immensely satisfying thing to be a part of, more than I can really put into words. To walk away from it while it’s at such a height will seem crazy to come but, for now, I am finding it difficult to reach back genuinely into that four to six year old world and write authentically.”

He added: “To be clear, this is not an announcement about the end of the show, but it is an acknowledgment that my focus will be on the film.”

It came as Walt DIsney Co and BBC Studios announced plans for a Bluey film to be released in 2027. The movie will be written and directed by Brumm.

Bluey, the Brisbane story of an animated blue heeler and her family, is a phenomenon, smashing viewing records both at home in Australia and overseas.

The TV show was this year the most watched TV show — not just in the category of children’s television — in the US.

The seven minute show has already toyed with its format a couple of times. In April The Sign was a 28 minute episode that teased audiences with the idea the Heeler family could move. More recently shorter one to three minute “minisodes” have been released.

Brumm’s suggestion he could leave Bluey at the height of its success has echoes of another cultural phenomenon, Seinfeld, whose co-creator, Jerry Seinfeld, opted to walk away while the show was still wildly popular. Years later he explained his decision was in part to avoid a drop in quality.

Brumm has been open about his desire that Bluey not lose its edge and this is not the first time he has sparked rumours of his impending departure.

There is also the issue of the advancing age of the children who provide the voices for Bluey and Bingo.