Gentle ‘Blue’s Clues’ Showcases Its Power in Prime Time

With nary a short-skirted lawyer, emergency doc or angst-ridden FBI alien-hunter in sight, it’s simply one of the best shows on TV: “Blue’s Clues,” the crown jewel of Nickelodeon’s “Nick Jr.” preschool block of gentle, creative educational programs.

If you don’t have a tyke at home, you probably haven’t seen it, but if you’re curious about this critically acclaimed, imaginative, design-rich, thinking-cap daytime show, you can catch it tonight, along with fans, in a special prime-time episode, “Blue’s Big Pajama Party.”

“Seinfeld’s” Julia Louis-Dreyfus makes appearances at the beginning and the end of the episode in order to help support the efforts of the nonprofit, reading-encouraging BookPALS initiative. But the unique live-action/animated show belongs to its creators--Todd Kessler, Traci Paige Johnson and Angela C. Santomero--host Steve Burns and artist Johnson’s design: uncloyingly delightful 3-D cut-out characters and backgrounds.

Tonight’s show, as always, is set in Steve’s house and revolves around a puzzle created by his puppy Blue; viewers spot her blue paw prints on clues and help Steve use logic to figure out the solution.

Along the way, the sun sets, there’s a backyard game with Shovel and Pail to identify friendly nocturnal animals, sleepy Side Table Drawer offers up Steve’s “handy dandy notebook” for clue-recording, Salt and Pepper sing baby Paprika a lullaby and Steve and Blue “skiddoo”--they jump into a picture of space to become “pajamanauts” and discover how night happens.

At the end, Burns and Louis-Dreyfus read viewers a bedtime story. The computerized, textured look of the show, created with cloth, paper and other objects, is reminiscent of an old-fashioned felt-board; sweetly natural character voices are provided by children; and Burns himself, an actor in his mid-20s, is second only to Fred Rogers in his sincere, quiet, one-on-one interaction with viewers.

Take a look: Without noise, flash or attitude, “Blue’s Clues” proves what television can be when it lives up to its potential.

* “Blue’s Big Pajama Party” is on Nickelodeon Sunday night at 8; “Blue’s Clues” airs weekdays at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.