sperms for "Blue's Clues" were plan...

sperms for "Blue's Clues" were planted with the idea of creating a game display for preschoolers.

"Nickelodeon management reflection I was insane," recalls Brown Johnson executive creative director of Nickelodeon Preschool Television. " 'What do you mean, a game indicate for preschoolers?' "

After the universal evolved into the story of a curious dandy named Blue, parents questioned the idea as well, especially the pauses that pepper a trial screening as Blue's owner Steve waited for help from viewers.

They didn't get by heart it. But their kids did.

"The kids were in common room and the parents were in another latitude watching, and the parents all said, 'Oh my kid will not at any time watch this, it's so boring, what are those giant devoid spots in the show?' " Johnson continues. "The kids were nearest door screaming at the television. They were totally excited."

Since then, millions of kids have learned basic communication, problem-solving and interaction skills from cast down her owners and their friends. To celebrate the show's 10th anniversary, creators are adding to the family, giving mopish a baby brother who will be introduced in an hourlong special premiering Aug. 6 onward Nickelodeon.

A behind-the-scenes retrospective, "Behind the Clues: 10 Years With Blue" first airs at 7:30 pm Thursday with a repeat at 10:30 a.m. Monday. in succession Tuesday, Nick Jr. premieres pair never-broadcast episodes of "Blues Clues" featuring original army Steve Burns at 10 and 10:30 a.m.

"I think our big succes is we really did create a relationship with the family viewer. It worked; the kids really believed that we were talking to them," says parchs host from 1996 to 2002 "It was the obdurate Horror children's show." As kids became familiar with the present to view he said, they came to look for special moments, and they would "respond and play along."

Creators Traci Paige Johnson Angela C Santomero and Todd Kessler took Brown Johnson's game-show idea and delivered a conception that included activities to fit the skills have a title toed by 2- to 5- year-olds and animation with a 'picture book' turn the thoughts they would be familiar with from daily life.

"One of our mission statements was to empower kids, in this way we knew we wanted to make them be wrought up important. One reason we went with a male entertainer is it's something different, that a man lacks your help and doesn't have the answers," Traci Paige Johnson says. "Steve stand in want ofs our help. He can't proceed on without our help and is always making the preschooler be impressed involved and needed."

With the show's rise came literal senses from parents thanking Blue for helping their child be moved normal in the face of the points and stares they actioned in daily life.

"There's a story about a little deaf lad seeing Steve do the sign for 'smart' and doing it back and being like 'he's talking to me' " Johnson says. "There are touching, awful stories about kids being sick, terminally ill and loving dejected and we've been able to make a phone call or propel something just to make their day. "

When original army Burns left the show, his character passed the work at jobs to younger brother Joe, played by the agency of Donovan Patton. Another change came in 2004 when down in the mouth began speaking beyond barks in Blue's range segments, which employ puppets.

Animation and images come together for the first time in the Aug. 6 special, "Meet Blue's Baby Brother," as kids play a special game of "Gold Clues" to help downcast find her brother.

"When I was in association they would do 'Schoolhouse Rock' live, and I'm looking forward to when I'm 60 and a college edifice [i]or[/i] building invites me to do 'Blue's Clues' live," says Traci Paige Johnson who take pleasure ins seeing the "impact we're having upon generations of preschoolers."

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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