I was a such a fanboy for the original Blue's Clues while I was growing up, and seeing Nickelodeon bring it back is one of the absolute best things they've ever done. This is a HUGE step forward for Nickelodeon, especially given its previous phase of lackluster projects.
The new host Josh, specifically hand-picked by Steve from the original series, is a perfect new host for the show and has the exact same energy and pleasant charisma that Steve had. He really manages to connect with us when he talks to the camera and retains a very genuine child-like innocence that makes him easy to enjoy spending time with. It always feels like he genuinely believes he exists in the world the show takes place in and is talking to these real existing creatures that he interacts with.
The changes and updates made to the world the characters live in do make the show feel up to date with current times but still stay true to the tone and nature of the original series such as Josh having his phone on the backside of his Handy Dandy Notebook and even getting emails during the mailtime segments. I can imagine some may have been skeptical and concerned because they might've thought the writers might be desperately trying to make the show hip and with the times, but I can assure whoever felt that way that the changes instead feel very natural.
The animation looks absolutely gorgeous with the vibrant colors and blend between CGI and Flash animation, bringing the characters into High-Definition while retaining the classic motion and style they originally had.
Steve and Joe actually play roles in the show as well, they may not be hosting it anymore but they stick around to be easter eggs that fans like me can get hyped to see whenever they pop up as well as occasionally giving Josh tips on how to adapt to what they did when they were the hosts, technically Steve has only made one appearance on the show but he is one of its consulting producers so hopefully he'll show up again in another episode at some point.
Overall I think I only have one problem with the show, I can't make out whether it wants to be a sequel to the original series or a remake of it. Even though there's always indications that it takes place after the events of the original series, every episode is a beat-for-beat remake of one of the original episodes. Snack Time, Blue's Story Time, Blue's Favorite Song, Magenta Comes Over, Blue's Sad Day, Blue's News, Blue's ABC's, Blue's Birthday (why would she want another turtle named Turquoise?), Math, Magenta Gets Glasses (why would she need to get glasses again?), What's So Funny?, The Grow Show, and Superfriends. I literally just named every episode they've redone up to this point, I guess if they're trying to introduce those episodes to our current generation of children I can understand that, but if you're not going to have Josh look for any original clues then don't have all these implications around telling us that we're in a setting that takes place years after the original series, heck, don't even have Steve and Joe even exist within the show. A better way this could've been handled is that Steve and Joe should've made cameos as different characters so that even if they aren't playing themselves people will still get the reference and you also should have Josh already be experienced on how to do everything. You need to either go all the way with making this feel like a sequel or not at all, there's no in between, I don't see how it's possible to be a remake and a sequel at the same time.
But despite my gripe with the show not having original episodes even though it takes place after the events of the original series, I still think it's both a great show, and a fantastic comeback for the franchise. Josh is still a great host, I like how Steve and Joe still play a part despite not being main characters, the updates to the settings still translate well, and it's just so pleasant to watch even ignoring the nostalgia factor. But I would advise you skip Blue's Sad Day, I consider it to be the weakest episode of the original series and unfortunately it was made to be even worse here. Either way, I still recommend you check this show out if you haven't already, because when you use your minds and take a step at a time, we can do anything that we want to do.
The new host Josh, specifically hand-picked by Steve from the original series, is a perfect new host for the show and has the exact same energy and pleasant charisma that Steve had. He really manages to connect with us when he talks to the camera and retains a very genuine child-like innocence that makes him easy to enjoy spending time with. It always feels like he genuinely believes he exists in the world the show takes place in and is talking to these real existing creatures that he interacts with.
The changes and updates made to the world the characters live in do make the show feel up to date with current times but still stay true to the tone and nature of the original series such as Josh having his phone on the backside of his Handy Dandy Notebook and even getting emails during the mailtime segments. I can imagine some may have been skeptical and concerned because they might've thought the writers might be desperately trying to make the show hip and with the times, but I can assure whoever felt that way that the changes instead feel very natural.
The animation looks absolutely gorgeous with the vibrant colors and blend between CGI and Flash animation, bringing the characters into High-Definition while retaining the classic motion and style they originally had.
Steve and Joe actually play roles in the show as well, they may not be hosting it anymore but they stick around to be easter eggs that fans like me can get hyped to see whenever they pop up as well as occasionally giving Josh tips on how to adapt to what they did when they were the hosts, technically Steve has only made one appearance on the show but he is one of its consulting producers so hopefully he'll show up again in another episode at some point.
Overall I think I only have one problem with the show, I can't make out whether it wants to be a sequel to the original series or a remake of it. Even though there's always indications that it takes place after the events of the original series, every episode is a beat-for-beat remake of one of the original episodes. Snack Time, Blue's Story Time, Blue's Favorite Song, Magenta Comes Over, Blue's Sad Day, Blue's News, Blue's ABC's, Blue's Birthday (why would she want another turtle named Turquoise?), Math, Magenta Gets Glasses (why would she need to get glasses again?), What's So Funny?, The Grow Show, and Superfriends. I literally just named every episode they've redone up to this point, I guess if they're trying to introduce those episodes to our current generation of children I can understand that, but if you're not going to have Josh look for any original clues then don't have all these implications around telling us that we're in a setting that takes place years after the original series, heck, don't even have Steve and Joe even exist within the show. A better way this could've been handled is that Steve and Joe should've made cameos as different characters so that even if they aren't playing themselves people will still get the reference and you also should have Josh already be experienced on how to do everything. You need to either go all the way with making this feel like a sequel or not at all, there's no in between, I don't see how it's possible to be a remake and a sequel at the same time.
But despite my gripe with the show not having original episodes even though it takes place after the events of the original series, I still think it's both a great show, and a fantastic comeback for the franchise. Josh is still a great host, I like how Steve and Joe still play a part despite not being main characters, the updates to the settings still translate well, and it's just so pleasant to watch even ignoring the nostalgia factor. But I would advise you skip Blue's Sad Day, I consider it to be the weakest episode of the original series and unfortunately it was made to be even worse here. Either way, I still recommend you check this show out if you haven't already, because when you use your minds and take a step at a time, we can do anything that we want to do.