Similar to the 1996-2006 original series, this series has live-action and animation. 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! depends 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 factored in the impact of the previous series, and that although young children had more access to technology and were more visual than preschoolers before, they still had the same developmental and emotional needs to "slow down".[2]
Blue (vocal effects by Traci Paige Johnson)[3][4] – A blue puppy who leaves pawprints on objects (and occasionally characters) as clues to what she wants to do.
Josh (portrayed by Josh Dela Cruz)[3][4] – The host of the series. He is a cousin of Steve and Joe from the original series.[5]
Mailbox (voiced by Doug Murray)[4] – A mailbox who delivers a letter or e-mail to Josh every day.
Sidetable Drawer (voiced by Liyou Abere in season one, Shazdeh Kapadia from seasons two to four, and Skywalker Hughes in season five onwards)[3] – The keeper of the Handy Dandy Notebook, who lives in the living room.
Mr. Salt (voiced by Brad Adamson from seasons one to four and Nick Balaban in Blue's Big City Adventure and season five onwards) and Ms. Pepper (voiced by Gisele Rousseau)[4] – A married couple of condiment dispensers who live in the kitchen.
Paprika (voiced by Shechinah Mpumlwana in season one, Abigail Nicholson in seasons two and three, and Abigail Oliver in season four onwards)[4] – Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper's eldest child. She carries a smartphone made from a graham cracker.
Cinnamon (voiced by Jaiden Cannatelli in season one, Niko Ceci from seasons two to four, and Jayd Deroché in season five onwards)[4] – A cinnamon shaker who is Paprika's younger brother. He wears a baseball cap.
Sage and Ginger – Paprika and Cinnamon's 1 year old youngest brother and sister.
Shovel (voiced by Leo Orgil from seasons one to three, Nathan Sayavong in season four and Luke Dietz in season five onwards) and Pail (voiced by Jordana Blake from seasons one to three and Michela Luci in season four onwards) – A brother and sister who live in the backyard.
Tickety Tock (voiced by Ava Augustin from seasons one to four and Maja Vujicic in season five onwards)[4] – An alarm clock who wakes the residents of the Blue's Clues House each morning.
Slippery Soap (voiced by Jacob Soley from seasons one to four and Lexi Perri in season five onwards)[4] – A bar of soap who lives in the bathroom sink. He slides around everywhere he goes.
Recurring
Magenta (vocal effects by Diane Salema)[4] – A magenta puppy who is Blue's best friend from school.
Periwinkle (voiced by Luxton Handspiker in season three and Peter Laurie in season four onwards)[6] – A kitten who made his debut in the third season.[7]
Rainbow Puppy (voiced by Brianna Bryan)[6] – A rainbow-colored puppy who is Periwinkle's friend from the city.
Steve (portrayed by Steve Burns)[4] – 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 (portrayed by Donovan Patton)[4] – Josh's other cousin and Steve's younger brother, who works at the Present Store. He was the second host of the original series.
Lola (portrayed by Carolyn Fe)[7] – Josh's grandmother, originally from the Philippines (lola translates to "grandmother" in Filipino).
^ abcThese episodes were released early to Vudu on September 27, 2019.[10][11]
Production
Josh Dela Cruz, the host of the series
In 2017, the show's original 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 revival. Over a thousand people participated in the auditions.[86]
On September 13, 2018, Nickelodeon announced that Josh Dela Cruz, best known as an understudy for Disney's Aladdin on Broadway for five years, would be the series' new host. Dela Cruz, who grew up in New Jersey, watched the original run of the show with his younger sister and is the first Asian-American to host Blue's Clues. Traci Paige Johnson, who co-created the series and voiced Blue, reprises the role in the revival. Steve Burns, the first host of the series, participated in the casting process.[2][87]
9 Story Media Group's live-action and animation division co-produces the series with animators from Brown Bag Films.[88] The animators updated the show with objects familiar to preschoolers of the modern age; for example, the handy dandy notebook doubles as a smartphone and emails arrive during mail time.[2] The series is being filmed in 9 Story's Toronto studio.[89]
On May 27, 2019, a first-look trailer was released to the public.[90] On August 2, an extended version of the theme song was released.[91]
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.[5]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.[92][93] The series was later renewed for a third season of 20 episodes on February 19, 2020,[7] a fourth season of 26 episodes on February 18, 2021,[94][95] and a fifth season of 26 episodes on March 24, 2022.[96][97]
Release
The series premiered on Nickelodeon on November 11, 2019.[98][1] Three episodes were made available to stream for free on Vudu on September 27, ahead of the official release on Nickelodeon.[10][11] In Canada, the series premiered on Treehouse TV on the same day as the U.S. date.[99]
On March 28, 2024, the series was removed from Paramount+ as part of a "strategic decision to focus on content with mass global appeal".[100]
On July 12, 2021, it was revealed that an animated movie for the series would be made, marking the 25th anniversary of the franchise. In the film, Josh and Blue attempt to audition for a Broadway musical. Directed by Matt Stawski and written by Angela Santomero and Liz Maccie, the film began production in summer 2021.[108] On February 15, 2022, the title was revealed as Blue's Big City Adventure.[109] The film was released on Paramount+ on November 18, 2022.[110]
Merchandising
In July 2019, Nickelodeon & Viacom 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".[10] Cardinal, a New York-based company, will manage games and puzzles. The products became available for purchase in fall 2020.[111]
Tour
On March 8, 2022, a touring production titled Blue’s Clues & You! Live On Stage was announced. The tour, which ran from September 24, 2022 to February 11, 2023, traveled across the United States.[112][113][114]
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