Nostalgia alert! Cable network Nick Jr. is bringing back the classic kids‘ show “Blue’s Clues,” but with an updated look and a peppy new host.
The reboot, titled “Blue’s Clues and You,” stars Joshua Dela Cruz as the live-action host of the show and Blue’s best buddy. So far, 20 episodes of the new series have been ordered.
In a cute twist, original “Blue’s Clues” host Steve Burns helped Nickelodeon cast the role.
“I had the great honor of being a part of the search for the new host and I give Josh two thumbs up! ” Burns said in a press release. “He can definitely fill my shoes, and the rugby shirt.”
Dela Cruz is indeed getting a spiffy costume of his own: a modern, striped shirt in tones of blue, instead of Burns’s green, totally ’90s top.
The biggest change to the “Blues” look, however, is Blue herself. In the original series, Blue and the show’s other characters were animated in two dimensions. The super-cute style looked almost like paper cutouts.
The new Blue is rendered with computers in 3-D — more like a puppet, less like a paper doll. I think she looks extra snuggly and sweet! Blue’s animated friends from the original will be back, too. I wonder what Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper have been up to for all these years?
Want to check out a sneak peek? Here’s a new preview posted to Nick Jr.’s YouTube account:
Oh, and in case you’re worried, Blue still makes all of her adorable puppy sounds, and the format of the show originally created by Traci Paige Johnson, Todd Kessler, and Angela C. Santomero is essentially the same. Kids are encouraged to join in the action onscreen, helping Blue and Josh solve a mini-mystery.
In an interview with Huffpost, Dela Cruz, who’s Filipino-American, said he’s excited to use his new role to increase the visibility of Asian-Americans in entertainment.
“[Growing up] I didn’t see anyone who looked like me on American film and television,” he told the publication. “More specifically, there weren’t any Asian actors that played Americans … It was incredibly alienating.”
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to empower a new generation of ‘Blue’s Clues’ hunters,” said Dela Cruz. “To help them learn to be kind, explore their curiosity and that anything is possible if you take things one step at a time.”
The show debuts on Nickelodeon in November of this year.
<figcaption><cite class="op-vertical-below credits-overlay-new">Nick Jr.We’re looking forward to seeing Blue and all her fun little friends again!
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