Big Blue is a Canadian animated kids' show that debuted in 2021 on CBC Kids. The show is the brainchild of rising Ghanaian-Canadian artist Gyimah Gariba, with production being done by the Toronto-based Guru Studio (best known for animating PAW Patrol).
Set in an underwater world where humans live alongside anthropomorphic sea creatures, the show is about the crew of the United Current submarine Calypso, composed of the Sibling Team Lettie and Lemo (who are the crew's captain and science officer, respectively), a laidback turtle named Freddie (the ship's mechanic), a nervous dolphin named Phil (the resident medic), and Bacon Berry, a childlike magical guardian of mysterious origin and power. Under the command of the diminutive Admiral Krill and his number two Commander Plink, they explore the seas and take on missions to defend the ocean from various threats, most prominently a sapient mass of pollution known as The Blegh that seeks to corrupt all of the Big Blue.
Tropes
- After the End: The show is implied to take place in the far future, generations after humans moved underwater to escape the overly-polluted surface.
- Always Someone Better: Mira Clearwater is this to Lettie. Lettie came second place to her when they graduated from the UC Academy, and always ends up being outdone by her whenever the two are assigned on the same mission.
- Arc Villain: The Blegh, which doesn't show up regularly, but does clearly have more of a story going for it than the usual episodic adventures of the Calypso crew. From what Admiral Krill tells Commander Plink, it plays a major role in the setting's backstory and is apparently connected to Bacon Berry in some very important way.
- Awesome Underwater World: The adventures of the Calypso crew are set in a vibrant and diverse ocean full of spectacular underwater landmarks, populated by countless diverse creatures, and threatened by all sorts of dangers.
- The Baby of the Bunch: Bacon Berry is basically the child of the quirky makeshift family that is the Calypso crew, and while her childlike nature sometimes causes trouble, her magical powers can also help the crew in a pinch.
- Bungling Inventor: Lemo, as the Calypso's science officer, is often crafting new gadgets. These gadgets seldom work the way he wants them to.
- The Corruption: The Blegh can infect people with its dark slime, turning them into mindless, troublemaking thugs.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Lettie is revealed to have been this to Bacon Berry in "BB On Board". She was against the idea of letting BB stay on the ship, believing she would just be a distraction. But a combination of BB's cuteness and proving her worth changed her mind.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The stern and professional Lettie is the Responsible Sibling to the more laidback and goofy Lemo's Foolish Sibling.
- Goo-Goo-Godlike: Bacon Berry is an infant, yet she has extremely powerful hydrokinetic abilities, along with some other powers.
- Green Aesop: Protecting the ocean is a major theme of the series, with the Big Bad being a sentient mass of pollution called the Blegh and the show's backstory suggesting humans have been forced to live underwater due to rendering land uninhabitable from pollution.
- Hair Wings: A very unusual example with Mira Clearwater. Since she's an anthropomorphic stingray, her scalp hair is actually just the "wings" of normal ray (although she can't swim with them).
- Heroic Dolphin: Phil. While he is rather nervy, he is loyal to his crewmates to the end and overall a well-meaning and good-natured individual.
- Hypocritical Humor: In the pilot episode, Lemo throws a tantrum to force Lettie to let him go on the mission. When she gives in, he commends her for being so "mature".
- I Work Alone: Mira Clearwater eschews working with a crew, believing they would just slow her down. This backfires on her when she gets stuck in quicksand with no immediate back-up nearby.
- Kraken and Leviathan: A Kraken eats Admiral Krill and Commander Plink in "Let's Get Kraken", forcing the Calypso crew to step in and save them.
- Lions and Tigers and Humans... Oh, My!: The show's cast is a diverse mix of humans and anthropomorphized sea animals, like turtles, dolphins, sharks, and rays.
- Man-Eating Plant: Lemo buys one from the shady eel merchant in "Plant in the Pipes".
- Meaningful Name: The characters' submarine, Calypso, is named after a sea nymph from Greek mythology.
- Also, it's the name of the ship of famous undersea explorer and environmental protection activist Jacques-Yves Cousteau.
- Muck Monster: The Blegh is a sentient mass of pollution, which dedicates itself to spread its contaminants everywhere.
- Nature Spirit: Bacon Berry is implied to come from a race of "Guardians" who protected humanity from the Blegh many years ago.
- Oxygenated Underwater Bubbles: Rather than diving helmets, the human characters wear bubbles over their heads to breathe underwater. "Double-bubbles", which cover the entire body, are used when traveling into the most high-pressure parts of the ocean.
- Removable Shell: Freddie can take off his shell. He's even seen ironing it in one episode.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: The baby jellyfish from "Jellyous". The Calypso crew spends so much time fawning over it that Bacon Berry gets jealous.
- Second Place Is for Losers: Mira Clearwater holds this mindset; despite Lettie being the second-best student in their graduating class, Mira claims that she was "second-worst".
- Sibling Team: Lettie and Lemo, the captain and science officer of the Calypso, are sister and brother.
- Slippery as an Eel: Lemo makes the mistake of trusting a very shady eel merchant in "Plant in the Pipes".
- Sub Story: The characters get around on their submarine Calypso, and it plays a central role in most episodes.
- Underwater City: Naturally everywhere, given the nature of the setting. Populated by humans and anthropomorphic sea creatures, with submarines filling the role of cars.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Phil is afraid of sea spiders, with the episode "Fraidy Phil" focused on him trying to overcome it when the Calypso crew has to battle a gigantic one.
