History WesternAnimation / BluesClues

First introduced in 1996, the show is notable for [[TropeCodifier pioneering]] the kid's show version of an InteractiveNarrator--one who talks "to" the camera, seemingly at the children watching. ''Blue's Clues'' was so successful, this went on to become the norm for most kid's show hosts today-- especially those directed at the "Under 12" age bracket. It also originally ran under the notion that children learn through repetition--so the same episode of the show would run for a full week. (The show no longer practices this.) It was ''hugely'' successful, leading to several direct-to-video movies, an eventual SpinOff called ''Blue's Room'', and, of course, heaps and heaps of [[TheMerch merchandise.]]

''Blue's Clues'' is a famous, [[LongRunners long-running]], and ''hugely'' influential children's TV show, produced by, and previously shown on, {{Nickelodeon}}. If you grew up in America during the 1990s or early 2000s, the odds are good that this show will be familiar to you.

First introduced in 1996, the show is notable for [[TropeCodifier pioneering]] the kid's show version of an InteractiveNarrator--one who talks "to" the camera, seemingly at the children watching. ''Blue's Clues'' was so successful, this went on to become the norm for most kid's show hosts today-- especially those directed at the "Under 12" age bracket. It also originally ran under the notion that children learn through repetition--so the same episode of the show would run for a full week. (The show no longer practices this.) It was ''hugely'' successful, leading to several direct-to-video movies, an eventual SpinOff called ''Blue's Room'', and, of course, heaps and heaps of [[MerchandiseDriven merchandise.]]

* ThatMakesMeFeelAngry: This is often used and is often combined with the show's particular brand of FakeInteractivity. A particular example...

* {{Licensed Game}}s / {{Edutainment Game}}s: One for The {{Playstation}}. Also, one for the V-Tech V-Smile console. Apart from that, nearly a dozen edutainment titles for the PC/Mac (many of them by HumongousEntertainment--a demo version of ''Blue's ABC Time Activites'' can be [[ftp://ftp.infogrames.net/demos/bluescluesABC/bluescluesABCdemo.exe downloaded]] from Infogrames). Many of them were surprisingly good.

* ViewersAreMorons: Justified, as it's a kid's show. But the presenters often talk to the [[NoFourthWall audience]] like they are imbeciles, regardless of their age, and if the viewer doesn't work out the show's puzzles, the characters would give the answer anyway.
** In the tenth anniversary special, "Meet Blue's Baby Brother," Blue, Joe and the viewers were treated to a game of Gold Clues to figure out the identity of Blue's little brother. The first clue was the word "puppy." Er, gee, thanks, but was it really necessary to give us a clue for us to figure out that Blue's little brother is a ''puppy''? Especially considering the fact that we traveled to ''Puppyville'' to find Blue's little brother.

* AdobeFlash: Until Blue's Room, all the animated parts were animated this way. Thus, it the first Nick show to use Flash. (At least on the whole network. ''Kablam!'' was the first show to use Adobe Flash on the regular Nick schedule).

* ICantHearYou: This is done in "Nature!" between Steve and the voice of the kid used to represent the viewer when the viewer discovers a waterfall and tries to point it out to Steve, but he says that he can't hear because there's a loud waterfall.

* AnimateInanimateObject: Basically the entire main cast aside from
Blue, Steve and Joe.

* AbsenteeActor: Sidetable Drawer was missing from "Blue's Big Car Trip". And Mailbox was missing from "Blue's Big Car Trip", "The Legend of the Blue Puppy", "Skidoo Adventure" and "The Fairy Tale Ball".

* AnimateInanimateObject: The mailbox was probably the most recurring, but there were tons of these, including Pail and Shovel.
* AnthropomorphicFood: The salt and pepper shakers, their children Paprika and Cinnamon, and numerous other minor characters.

* BreakoutCharacter: Green Puppy, in the tie-in book releases only. Green Puppy never got all that much screentime in the television episodes, but she somehow managed to get two books in which she was the main character of the story.

* CuteKitten: Orange Kitten and Periwinkle are of the TalkingAnimal variety.

* HappilyMarried: Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper. They even have a baby named Paprika and, later, another named Cinnamon.

* MerchandiseDriven: All types, from shampoo to plush toys (some, such as Green Puppy, are very rare) to model Thinking Chairs.

* SpotlightStealingSquad: PERIWINKLE. (In later seasons)
** And to a lesser extent, Sidetable Drawer.

* UnwantedGlassesPlot: Inverted in "Magenta Gets Glasses," which was also released as one of the books

* ParentalBonus: There's a scene in one episode where Steve, Blue, and some bunny are acting out a story. Steve is playing the king, and impersonating of course, [[ElvisPresley]].

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: In "Meet Polka Dots," Blue opened the door to the Blue's Clues house and there were several segments in which time was spent with just Blue or Blue and her friends rather than Joe, while Joe attended to his stuffed duck Boris, who was having a nap.

* StockSoundEffect: ''Baby Crying'': Variant in the 4th part of the story in Season 4 "The Baby's Here!", there were some babies crying at the Baby Hospital, and one of them was crying like this.

* CrossdressingVoices: In ''Blue's Room'', Dictionary was voiced by a girl.

* StockSoundEffect: ''Baby Crying'': Variant in the 4th part of the story in Season 4 ''The Baby's Here!'', there were some babies crying at the Baby Hospital where one of them was crying like this.