Blue's Clues - Blue's Big Band (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)Fun and creative, "Blue's Clues" is my 2-year-old son's favorite "TV on DVD" show. In the words of its creators, it is a "story-based game show for kids."
The series creates a simplified universe featuring a boyish-looking host (Steve, later Joe), his yapping puppy Blue, and their animated friends. The centerpiece of "Blue's Clues" is a well-defined, open-ended structure (three clues, notebook, mailtime, thinking chair, recurring songs) where new themes are explored within an established framework.
The featurette "Backstage With Blue's Clues" on the "Blue's Big Musical Movie" DVD explains how a staff of 80 brought episodes of the show to life, with audiences of preschoolers vetting a typical episode at various stages of development. Each facet of the show is clearly thought through from multiple perspectives, including child development, child psychology, and sheer entertainment value.
"Blue's Big Band" is the best disc in the series. Four thumbs up (from toddler and Dad)! The great episode entitled "Bedtime Business" is the best overall episode in the entire series in our opinion.
In general, all "Blue's Clues" DVDs provide around 100 minutes of content, much more than the typical 35 or 45 minutes on other children's DVDs.
"Blue's Clues" knows how to have fun without taking itself too seriously, without indulging in tired cliches, and without grating on adult viewers (how often do you run across a character named "Sidetable Drawer"?). This is an intelligent show that often "winks" at adult viewers. On repeat viewings, look for subtle changes in the "12" on Tickety's clock face, in the stamp on the envelope during the "We Just Got A Letter" sequence, and in the framed pictures on the wall of the house.
Newcomers to "Blue's Clues" should know that the series began with "Steve" as its host for about 100 episodes, then "Steve" went off to college and "Joe" became the new host. This change was apparently difficult for some young fans of the show to accept when they were watching it on TV. However, when introduced to the series (as we were) on DVD, it just seems like "Blue's Clues" has two different hosts. This impression is reinforced by the way the DVDs are set up - there are generally two "Joe" and two "Steve" episodes on each disc.
With all Blue's Clues DVDs, "Play All" option only plays the 2 episodes with Joe. Go to "Bonus Episodes" on "Episode Selection" menu to get 2 more full shows with Steve.
"Blue's Clues" DVDs - together with a "tablet-style" DVD player that attaches to the passenger-seat headrest in the car - completely transformed the backseat car-riding experience. Now my toddler looks forward to spending time in the car - it's a mobile screening room.
Note of caution: "Blue's Clues" is NOT the same as "Blue's Room." The latter series features Blue as a talking dog puppet and is completely different - father and son cannot recommend "Blue's Room."


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