Blue's Clues & You!
Blue's Clues & You! is an American live-action/computer-animated interactive educational children's television series. It is a reboot of the original 1996 Blue's Clues TV series with a new host, Joshua Dela Cruz, and it is co-developed by original series creators Angela C. Santomero and Traci Paige Johnson. The series is produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and 9 Story Media Group's Brown Bag Films. It premiered on November 11, 2019.[1]
Blue's Clues & You! | |
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Genre | Educational |
Created by | Traci Paige Johnson Todd Kessler Angela C. Santomero |
Based on | Blue's Clues |
Developed by | Traci Paige Johnson Angela C. Santomero |
Directed by | Vadim Kapridov |
Presented by | Joshua Dela Cruz |
Voices of |
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Opening theme | "Blue's Clues & You! Theme Song" by Joshua Dela Cruz |
Composer(s) | PT Walkley Michael Rubin (original songs) Nick Balaban (original songs) |
Country of origin | United States Canada |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 17 |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Traci Paige Johnson Angela C. Santomero Todd Kessler Vince Commisso Wendy Harris Jennifer Twomey |
Production company(s) | 9 Story Media Group Brown Bag Films Nickelodeon Animation Studio |
Distributor | ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks |
Release | |
Original network | Nickelodeon |
Picture format | 1080i (16:9 HDTV) |
Original release | November 11, 2019 – present |
Chronology | |
Preceded by | Blue's Clues (1996–2006) |
Related shows | Blue's Room |
External links | |
Website |
Premise
Similar to the original 1996 series, this series has a live-action host in an animated world. The series features new production designs and the characters (aside from the host) are animated digitally, though the visual style remains similar to the style used in the original series.
Like the original show, Blue's Clues & You! depended upon built-in silences designed to encourage audience participation and what The New York Times called "direct address inviting preschoolers to play along with games and solve mini-mysteries".[2] The show's producers recognized that its return was due to 1990s nostalgia, and that although young children had more access to technology and were more visual than preschoolers in the 1990s, they still had the same developmental and emotional needs to "slow down".[2]
Cast and characters
Main
- Blue (voiced by Traci Paige Johnson) – A blue puppy who leaves pawprints on objects (and occasionally characters) as clues to what she wants to say.
- Josh (played by Joshua Dela Cruz) – The host of the new series. He is a cousin of Steve and Joe from the original series.[3]
- Mailbox (voiced by Doug Murray) – A mailbox who delivers a letter or e-mail to Josh every day.
- Sidetable Drawer (voiced by Liyou Abere) – The keeper of the Handy Dandy Notebook, who lives in the living room.
- Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper (voiced by Brad Adamson and Gisele Rousseau) – A married couple of condiment dispensers who live in the kitchen.
- Paprika (voiced by Shechinah Mpumlwana) – Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper's eldest child. She carries a cell phone made from a piece of bread.
- Cinnamon (voiced by Jaiden Cannatelli) – A cinnamon shaker who is Paprika's younger brother. He wears a baseball cap.
- Ginger and Sage – Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper's newborn twins. Paprika and Cinnamon are learning how to take care of them.
- Shovel and Pail (voiced by Leo Orgil and Jordana Blake) – A brother and sister who live in the backyard.
- Tickety Tock (voiced by Ava Augustin) – An alarm clock who wakes the residents of the Blue's Clues House each morning.
- Slippery Soap (voiced by Jacob Soley) – A bar of soap who lives in the bathroom sink. He slides around everywhere he goes.
Recurring
- Magenta (voiced by Diane Salema) – A magenta puppy who is Blue's best friend from school. She first appears in the episode "Playdate with Magenta."
- Steve (played by Steve Burns) – Josh's cousin and Joe’s older brother, a college graduate who works at the Blue Prints Detective Agency (a nod to the title of the pilot for the original series). He was the first host of the original series.
- Joe (played by Donovan Patton) – Josh's other cousin and Steve's younger brother, who works at the Present Store. He was the second host of the original series.
Production
In 2017, the original show's creators, Angela C. Santomero and Traci Paige Johnson, after many years of trying to bring Blue's Clues back to Nickelodeon, were given permission to develop a reboot for 20 episodes.[2]
On April 17, 2018, Nickelodeon posted a video discussing the audition process for the series. Over a thousand people participated in the auditions.[4]
On September 13, 2018, Nickelodeon announced that Joshua Dela Cruz, best known as an understudy for Disney's Aladdin on Broadway for five years, would be the series' host. Dela Cruz, who grew up in New Jersey, watched the original show with his younger sister and is the first Asian-American to host Blue's Clues. Steve Burns, host of the original series, participated in the casting process.[2][5]
9 Story Media Group's live-action and animation division co-produces the series with animators from Brown Bag Films.[6] The animators updated the show with objects familiar to preschoolers; for example, a phone was used instead of the handy dandy notebook and an email arrived during mail time.[2]
On May 27, 2019, a first-look trailer was released to the public.[7] On August 2, an extended version of the theme song was released.[8]
On August 26, 2019, it was announced that the series would premiere on November 11, and that the show's two original hosts, Burns and Donovan Patton, would be returning to portray their respective characters in the series premiere episode.[3] The New York Times reported that Burns was at first reluctant to continue his association with the show, but was persuaded by its fans on social media to write, direct, and appear on the show.[2]
On November 19, 2019, the series was renewed for a second season of 20 episodes.[9][10] The series was later renewed for a third season of 20 episodes on February 19, 2020.[11]
Episodes
Series overview
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | ||||
1 | TBA | November 11, 2019 | TBA | ||
2 | TBA | August 19, 2020 | TBA |
Season 1 (2019–2020)
No. overall | No. in season | Title [12][13] | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [12][13] | Prod. code [12] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Meet Josh!" | M.R. Horhager & Jennifer Sherman | Angela C. Santomero | November 11, 2019[note 1] | 101 | 0.87[14] |
2 | 2 | "Playdate with Magenta" | Steve Burns & M.R. Horhager | Original script : Alice Wilder & Michael Smith Edited by : Angela C. Santomero & Becky Friedman Lowitt | November 12, 2019[note 1] | 103 | N/A |
3 | 3 | "Big News with Blue" | Steve Burns & Jennifer Sherman | Original script : Angela C. Santomero Edited by : Angela C. Santomero & Becky Friedman Lowitt | November 13, 2019[note 1] | 104 | 0.55[15] |
4 | 4 | "ABC's with Blue" | Steve Wright & M.R. Horhager | Original script : Angela C. Santomero Edited by : Angela C. Santomero & Becky Friedman Lowitt | November 14, 2019 | 105 | 0.59[16] |
5 | 5 | "123's with Blue" | Steve Wright & Jennifer Sherman | Original script : Angela C. Santomero Edited by : Angela C. Santomero & Becky Friedman Lowitt | November 18, 2019 | 106 | 0.53[17] |
6 | 6 | "Sad Day with Blue" | Steve Wright & M.R. Horhager | Angela C. Santomero | November 19, 2019 | 107 | 0.66[18] |
7 | 7 | "Laugh with Blue" | Steve Wright & Jennifer Sherman | Original script : Adam Peltzman Edited by : Angela C. Santomero | November 20, 2019 | 108 | 0.49[19] |
8 | 8 | "Song Time with Blue" | Steve Wright & M.R. Horhager | Original script : Angela C. Santomero Edited by : Angela C. Santomero & Becky Friedman Lowitt | November 21, 2019 | 109 | 0.49[20] |
9 | 9 | "Getting Glasses with Magenta" | Steve Wright & M.R. Horhager | Original script : Angela C. Santomero Edited by : Angela C. Santomero & Becky Friedman Lowitt | December 13, 2019 | 111 | 0.61[21] |
10 | 10 | "Growing with Blue" | Steve Wright & Jennifer Sherman | Original script : Angela C. Santomero Edited by : Angela C. Santomero & Becky Friedman Lowitt | January 10, 2020 | 110 | 0.50[22] |
11 | 11 | "Happy Birthday Blue" | M.R. Horhager & Jennifer Sherman | Original script : Angela C. Santomero Edited by : Angela C. Santomero & Becky Friedman Lowitt | February 7, 2020 | 102 | 0.77[23] |
12 | 12 | "Story Time with Blue" | Steve Wright & M.R. Horhager | Original script : Angela C. Santomero Edited by : Angela C. Santomero & Becky Friedman Lowitt | March 6, 2020 | 113 | 0.49[24] |
13 | 13 | "The Thinking Squad" | Steve Wright & Jennifer Sherman | Original script : Adam Peltzman & Michael T. Smith Edited by : Alyson Piekarsky | April 3, 2020 | 116 | 0.58[25] |
14 | 14 | "Science with Blue" | Jeremy Slutskin & Jennifer Sherman | Original script : Angela C. Santomero Edited by : Angela C. Santomero & Becky Friedman Lowitt | May 5, 2020 | 112 | 0.51[26] |
15 | 15 | "Colors Everywhere with Blue" | M.R. Horhager | Original script : Jennifer Twomey Edited by : Angela C. Santomero | June 2, 2020 | 117 | 0.52[27] |
16 | 16 | "Pajama Party with Blue" | Steve Wright & Jennifer Sherman | Original script : Adam Peltzman Edited by : Angela C. Santomero & Becky Friedman Lowitt | June 16, 2020 | 118 | 0.56[28] |
17 | 17 | "Bluestock" "Blue's Sing-Along Spectacular"[29][30] | Jeremy Slutskin & M.R. Horhager | Original script : Sascha Paladino Edited by : Angela C. Santomero | July 14, 2020 | 115 | 0.45[31] |
Season 2
No. overall | No. in season | Title [12][32] | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [12][32] | Prod. code [12] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
18 | 1 | "Blue's Big Beat Band" | TBA | TBA | August 19, 2020 | 201 | TBD |
Notes
- These episodes were released early to Vudu on September 27, 2019.
Release
The series premiered on Nickelodeon on November 11, 2019.[33][1] Three episodes were made available to stream for free on Vudu on September 27, ahead of the official release on Nickelodeon.[34] In Canada, the series premiered on Treehouse TV on the same day as the US date.[35]
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | 47th Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Preschool Children's Series | Blue's Clues & You! | Nominated | [36] |
Outstanding Interactive Media for a Daytime Program | Nominated | [36] |
Merchandising
In July 2019, Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products announced that Just Play, a Florida toy company, would produce plush, figurines, playsets, and roleplay merchandise based on the series, while VTech, a Hong Kong company, would produce "early learning toys with modern tech features".[34] Cardinal, a New York-based company, will manage games and puzzles. The products will become available for purchase in fall 2020.[37]
References
- "Nickelodeon's Brand-New Preschool Series Blue's Clues & You! Bows Monday, Nov. 11, at 9 A.M. (ET/PT)" (Press release). Nickelodeon. August 26, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2020 – via The Futon Critic.
- Katrina Onstad (November 6, 2019). "Blue's Clues Returns, and Silence Is Still the Star". The New York Times. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- Meredith Jacobs (August 26, 2019). "Blue's Clues & You!: Nickelodeon Reveals Premiere Date & Returning Hosts (VIDEO)". TV Insider. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- Blue’s Clues: The Search for the New Host & Best Friend! 🎞️ (Video). Nickelodeon. April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2019 – via YouTube.
- Denise Petski (September 13, 2018). "Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues Reboot Gets New Host & New Title". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
- Alexandra Whyte (January 29, 2019). "9 Story focuses on live action". Kidscreen. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
- Nick Romano (May 27, 2019). "Blue's Clues gets a new host and new look: Watch the sneak peek". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- Blue's Clues & You! Theme Song 🎵 (Extended Version) (Video). Nickelodeon. August 2, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019 – via YouTube.
- Dino-Ray Ramos (November 19, 2019). "Nickelodeon Greenlights Season 2 Of Blue's Clues & You". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "Nickelodeon Greenlights Second Season of Blue's Clues & You! as Series Debuts at Number One" (Press release). Nickelodeon. November 19, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019 – via The Futon Critic.
- Erik Pedersen (February 19, 2020). "Are You Afraid Of The Dark?, All That, Top Elf, Blue's Clues, The Casagrandes & PAW Patrol Among Slew Of Nickelodeon Renewals". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
- "Blue's Clues & You! Episode Listings". The Futon Critic.
- "Blue's Clues & You! Season 1 Episode Guide". Zap2it.
- Mitch Salem (November 12, 2019). "Top 150 Monday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.11.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
- Mitch Salem (November 14, 2019). "Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.13.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- Mitch Salem (November 15, 2019). "Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.14.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- Mitch Salem (November 19, 2019). "Top 150 Monday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.18.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- Mitch Metcalf (November 20, 2019). "Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.19.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
- Mitch Metcalf (November 21, 2019). "Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.20.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
- Mitch Metcalf (November 22, 2019). "Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.21.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- Mitch Metcalf (December 16, 2019). "Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.13.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
- Mitch Metcalf (January 13, 2020). "Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.10.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
- Mitch Metcalf (February 10, 2020). "Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.7.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- Mitch Metcalf (March 9, 2020). "Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.6.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- Mitch Metcalf (April 6, 2020). "Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.3.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- Mitch Metcalf (May 6, 2020). "Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.5.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- Mitch Metcalf (June 3, 2020). "Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.2.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- Mitch Metcalf (June 17, 2020). "Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.16.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- "Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues & You! Takes Center Stage with Brand-New Special" (Press release). Nickelodeon. July 8, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020 – via Nick Press.
- Nick Jr. [@nickjr] (July 10, 2020). "Blue's Sing-along Spectacular is coming to your screen Tuesday at 9a/8c on @nickelodeon 🎶" (Tweet). Retrieved July 10, 2020 – via Twitter.
- Mitch Metcalf (July 15, 2020). "Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 7.14.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- "Blue's Clues & You! Season 2 Episode Guide". Zap2it.
- Denise Petski (February 14, 2019). "SpongeBob Spinoffs, All That & Are You Smarter than 5th Grader? Revivals & More on Nickelodeon's 2019 Content Slate". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
- Ryan Tuchow (June 3, 2019). "Nickelodeon unveils Blue's Clues & You! licensing strategy". Kidscreen. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
- "Prepare For Family Fun This Fall on YTV, Teletoon, and Treehouse With a Lineup Of Brand New Series and Reboots Of Beloved Iconic Shows" (Press release). Corus Entertainment. September 4, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
- "Nominees Announced for the 47th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards" (PDF). NATAS. May 21, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
- Mercedes Milligan (June 3, 2019). "Licensing News Bytes: My Little Pony Live Show, LEGO Minions, Blue's Clues & You & More". Animation Magazine. Retrieved July 3, 2019.