Blue's Clues 

Blue is a puppy who puts her paw prints on three clues. Steve or Joe has to deduce the clues (with the help of off-screen children) to figure out what Blue wants to do.

Creators:

Angela Santomero, Todd Kessler, Traci Paige Johnson

Stars:

Steve Burns, Traci Paige Johnson, Michael Rubin

5 wins & 34 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Traci Paige Johnson	...	Blue / ... 146 episodes, 1996-2004
Michael Rubin	...	Mailbox / ... 137 episodes, 1996-2006
Aleisha Allen	...	Side Table Drawer / ... 127 episodes, 1996-2004
Nick Balaban	...	Mr. Salt / ... 100 episodes, 1996-2006
Steve Burns	...	Steve / ... 99 episodes, 1996-2003
Spencer Kayden	...	Mrs. Pepper / ... 80 episodes, 1996-2006

Storyline

Blue's Clues is a show where the two main characters are Blue and Steve (1996-2001), or in later episodes, Joe(2001- ). Blue is a dog who always wants to do something but Steve never knows what. Steve interacts with the viewers through the television and they play Blue's clues, to see what Blue wants to do.

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Plot Keywords:

surrealism | breaking the fourth wall | preschool | puppetry | animal character name in series title | 

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Taglines:

To empower, challenge and build the self-esteem of preschoolers...all while making them laugh!

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Genres:

Animation | Comedy | Family | Musical

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Certificate:

TV-Y

Did You Know?

Trivia

Donovan Patton (Joe) auditioned for the role in the show at the age of 24 doing a Christopher Walken impression, even though he never heard of the show thinking it was about the blues and pictured Blue as a jazz-singing dog.

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Crazy Credits

Blue's Safari VHS: After the end credits, the Nick Jr. 90's Productions logo appears which is never used in the series. After that logo, the Nickelodeon flower logo appears

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Alternate Versions

A version was created for UK audiences. Several changes were:

• The host was neither Steve or Joe. Instead a new character named Kevin (played by Kevin Duala) was given the role. He appeared in all episodes and wore both outfits the aforementioned American hosts wore.
• Three characters have their names changed. Shovel and Pail are instead referred to as Spade and Bucket, Mailbox is now called Postbox.
• Some song lyrics were changed with "British English" terms used in lieu of American English terms.
• Periwinkle's gender is changed. In the US version, Periwinkle is a boy, however in the English version, his gender is changed to a female.

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Connections

Referenced in The Wire: Port in a Storm (2003)

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Soundtracks

So Long Song
Performed by Steven Burns and Donovan Patton

User Reviews

A Perfect Recipe

Take an adorable twenty-something guy, a computer animated blue puppy, add a dash of spices (Mr. Salt, Mrs. Pepper and Paprika to be specific), throw in your favorite preschooler and you have the perfect recipe for a delightful Nick Jr show. "Blue's Clues," and the format in which it is shown, are simply ingenious. In the show, Steve (the adorable twenty-something guy I mentioned earlier) is the only live action character in an animated world. Every episode, his dog, Blue, has something that she wants to tell Steve, and in order to do this, she goes around the house leaving blue paw prints on clues. While trying to find the clues, Steve often stops to help his friends (Slippery Soap, Mr. Salt, Mrs. Pepper, Paprika, Shovel and Pail, the Felt Friends and various others) with some dilemma they may be having (shapes, colors, what doesn't belong, etc). At the end of the show, Steve asks the children's help to figure out what Blue is trying to tell him. There are various songs that remain the same from episode to episode. The songs are simple enough for the child that I babysit to sing and dance along with. Each week, the same episode of `Blue's Clues' is shown for five days. The thought process behind this is that the more times a child sees something, the more they pick up from it and the better that they feel about themselves for having learned something. I have seen this plan succeed. On Monday, the four-year-old that I baby-sit asks me what the answers are. I dumb myself down as Steve does on the show in order for the little boy to learn the answers. On Tuesday, he's a little more vocal because he learned some things the day before. On Wednesday, he's interacting with Steve and Blue for a good portion of show. By Thursday, he has everything figured out and answers them easily. On Friday, he's a pro at it and answers the questions before Steve can even get them out of his mouth. `Blue's Clues' is a pleasant and welcome change from other television shows. It is totally interactive and because Steve relies on the kids help to figure things out, it makes them feel like good. Not to mention, it's 25 straight minutes where I don't have to worry about what the child is watching because I feel safe letting him watch "Blue's Clues".

Details

Official Sites:

Nick Jr. PBS Kids

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 September 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blue's Prints

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nick Jr. Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1