The original kid show, Blue's Clues first aired on September 8, 1996 and ended on August 6, 2006. It was one of my favorite shows growing up. I can vividly remember coming home and switching the channel to Nick Jr. and watching the different adventures Steve (Steve Burns) and his dog, Blue (who I still can't believe is a girl, but that's beside the point) find clues to whatever they were trying to figure out that episode. It was sad to say goodbye to Steve, the show's excuse for him leaving was that he was heading off to college, but Joe (Donovan Patton), his brother, was cute, so it wasn't hard to get used to a new host.

I was vaguely aware that another host was coming to the show, but wasn't too bothered because I'm older now. Blue's Clues will always have a special place in my heart, but I'm not going to be keeping up on it regularly. What got me thinking about this show again was when my brother told me that the new host, Josh (Joshua Dela Cruz), graduated from Montclair State University in 2011. Yet another fun fact about my own town has flown over my head (in a previous article I wrote, I found out Gordan Ramsay came to Montclair. If you're interested to know more, click here). Out of curiosity, I looked up other notable Alumni from MSU: Bruce Willis, Jason Biggs, and Yogi Berra.

Dela Cruz is from New Milford, NJ and got his degree in Musical Theatre. Before gaining the position of the new host, he found success on Broadway. He played roles in The King and I, Here Lies Love, Merrily We Roll Along, and was part of the ensemble cast and the understudy for the lead in Aladdin. Dela Cruz has thanked MSU for helping him gain these achievements.

He says,

"The Theatre and Dance department took me in and put me in plays which I had never done. It didn't matter what I looked like. I don't know if I would be the performer I am today and as accepting of my identity – which has led to my success – if it hadn't been for Montclair State."

Dela Cruz now hosts a reboot of Blue's Clues called Blue's Clues & You! It first aired on November 11, 2019. The show has a similar premise to the original with just a few new tweaks. Besides Josh, the rest of the characters are animated digitally and the show has been brought more into the 21st century. The well known notebook that Steve used is also now a smartphone and instead of receiving letters, Josh gets a notification for an email.

I think learning about the presence of more technology in the show was the hardest pill to swallow for me. Mail time was one of the best parts of the entire show and the little song "We Just Got A Letter" was fun to sing along to (I've never watched an episode of Blue's Clues & You! so it's possible they still sing the song). There is something so personal about receiving a physical letter and there's a chance that the kids of today don't share the same feeling. However, it is completely understandable why this change was made. Technology is advancing everyday and kids are growing up with it all around them. Besides, I'm not the target audience, so my own personal opinions don't really matter. I'm not the one who is going to sit down and watch the show. You’re not going to be hearing kids complain about how Josh’s smartphone is also a notebook.

Now don't get me wrong, it makes me incredibly happy to see Blue's Clues get a reboot and for other kids to be gaining a similar experience to my own childhood. I often look at kid shows nowadays and shake my head at what is being made. Like any generation, I'm going to hold the tv shows created during my time as the standard and be disappointed with anything that doesn't meet those standards. So, when I see reboots that still hold some essence of its original, it brings a smile to my face knowing that kids won't be absolutely confused when you bring up some of your favorite shows you watched when you were younger.