Blue’s Clues is a quarter of a century old (that’s right, it started on Sept. 8, 1996), and to mark the occasion, Steve — the original host of the show’s first four seasons — is back with a message for you. Yes, you!
Steve (who was played by Steve Burns) departed the beloved Nick Jr. program (about a blue puppy, named Blue, who leaves clues) in a 2002 episode, “Steve Went to College,” handing off hosting duties to his brother, Joe.
On Tuesday, though, OG host Steve returned to speak directly to fans who may have felt his original series departure abrupt. (Note: He returned for later special episodes, and a reboot.)
Everett Collection; Nick Jr./Twitter Steve then, and Steve now
“Hi, you got a second?” Steve, who returned dressed in an updated green striped polo, asks in the clip posted to the Nick Jr. Twitter account.
“You remember how when we were younger we used to run around and hang out with Blue, and find clues, and talk to Mr. Salt, and freak out about the mail, and do all the fun stuff? And then one day, I was like, ‘Oh hey, guess what? Big news… I’m leaving,'” Steve recalled, before reminding the all-grown-up fans of the beloved partially animated series about the time he departed for college, not returning to the franchise for, “like, a really long time.”
“Can we just talk about that?” Steve asks in the clip.
While he was away, Steve explains he was able to challenge himself, and use his mind. Now, that he’s older, he’s getting to do many of the things he wanted to do all along.
And, in typical Blue’s Clues fashion, Steve acknowledged your journey over the years, too.
“Look at all you have done and all you have accomplished in all that time,” he says, directly addressing viewers in the style he did back on the show. “And it’s just… it’s just so amazing, right? I mean, we started out with clues and now it’s what? Student loans, and jobs, and families, and some of that has been kind of hard, you know? I know you know.”
Even though it’s been a while, Steve explained he wanted you to know that all the help you gave him along the way is still benefitting him today.
“And that’s super cool,” he added. “I guess I just wanted to say that after all these years I never forgot you. Ever. And I’m super glad we’re still friends…”
After leaving the show, Burns went on to make music with Flaming Lips producer David Fridmann and drummer Steve Drozd. The trio released an alternative rock album called Songs for Dustmites in the early oughts. But, he’s always been close to his Nick Jr. Blue’s Clues family.
“I’m really protective of the show and the new guy [Donovan Patton],” Burns told EW back in 2003. “But the nice thing is now I get to bust that character out whenever I want to. It’s kind of like being Clark Kent.”
Last week, three of the Blue’s Clues hosts (including Steve) reunited in a TikTok for Nickelodeon where they said a long overdue, “Hello.”
Over the summer, Nickelodeon greenlit a new Blue’s Clues movie, Blue’s Clues & You!
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