The bubbly, beloved puppy Blue and her band of inanimate friends return to Nickelodeon (Nick, Jr., to be exact) for a reboot 13 years in the making: Blue’s Clues & You. Featured in the cast are new host Joshua Dela Cruz, former Blue’s Clues host Steve Michael Burns and Joe, played by Donovan Patton.
What’s New?
While the original show’s tried-and-true formula of three clues per episode remains unchanged, other aspects of the series have been updated.
Blue’s Clues & You features Filipino-American actor and Broadway star Dela Cruz. This casting decision was made to “represent kids who haven’t seen themselves represented on TV before,” says Blue’s Clues and Blue’s Clues and You co-creator Angela Santomero.
The host’s ever-reliable Handy Dandy Notebook has received a timely new update, sporting a new touch-screen phone on its flipside. Josh uses the phone to video chat Steve and Joe, as seen on a Blue’s Clues and You sneak peek (you can find it on Nick, Jr’s Twitter page).
Josh will use the phone to open emails, Santomero tells Parentology — part of the creators’ efforts to integrate everyday tech into the show. “We’re embracing the fact that smartphones are in our lives,’ Santomero says.
Canine protagonist Blue received a makeover, as well. Rendered in 3D animation, the new Blue is all the more “huggable” and “adorable” in the show’s reboot, per Santomero.
Blues Clues & You showcases Dela Cruz singing, dancing, and playing the guitar. Keeping his experience in Disney’s Broadway musical Aladdin in mind, Santomero and her co-creators took initiative to make Dela Cruz’s character “a little bit more of who he is,” she says.
In fact, the Twitter preview clip shows Steve and Joe signing “thank you” to viewers for their cooperation in helping newbie Josh solve Blue’s mysteries.
And because Dela Cruz is well-versed in American Sign Language (ASL), signing is now featured in the show.
Although Blue’s Clues and You will borrow some musical elements from the original show’s soundtrack, the reboot is largely musically revamped, including a new theme song and outro, as well as new musical numbers and transitions between scenes.
An Element of Nostalgia
While former hosts Steve and Joe make appearances on Blue’s Clues and You as Josh’s cousins, in the reboot, they’re mostly working behind the scenes as writers and directors, Santomero alerts.
Now grown-up Blue’s Clues fans were reportedly ecstatic to see Steve and Joe’s nostalgic return in the preview clip of the reboot. By including them in the new show, Santomero wanted them to “elevate” new host Josh by “passing the torch” to him.
The first three episodes of Blue’s Clues and You are available to stream for free on Vudu. The Blue’s Clues and You premiere falls on November 11, available on Nickelodeon.
Blue’s Clues and You Premiere – Sources
Angela Santomero, children’s show creator
CBS News
Entertainment
The Los Angeles Times