Blues Clues

Ken offers this kid's show as a counterpoint to Barney. See DissingBarney to understand the relationship to software.

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For those without toddlers, Blue's Clues is a half hour show with Blue, a girl dog, and Steve, her pet/owner. Each show follows a simple plot: Blue wants something, decides to play a game with Steve, and leaves three pawprints on various objects as clues. Along the way, Steve and Blue play games with the other inhabitants of their world, and Steve draws pictures of each clue in a notebook. At the end of the show, the clues are considered and the puzzle solved.

One aspect of the show makes it more interactive: kids are actively encouraged to talk back to the TV. There's a response track -- a non-visible group of kids yell out suggestions and ideas to Steve -- which serves as an apostrophe similar to the role of the chorus in classic Greek tragedies. -- KenMeltsner

• http://www.nickjr.com/

Steve now has a web page at http://www.steveswebpage.com/