Blue's Clues (Seasons 1–7)

Blue's Clues (1996) is Nickelodeon's preschool series you can watch online on iFILM. Host Steve Burns lives in an animated house with Blue — a blue puppy who marks three objects with her pawprint each episode. The puzzle: figure out what Blue has in mind.

What made the format stand out from other children's television was the pause. Steve asks a question, then goes quiet and waits — for real — while kids at home shout their answers. The mix of live-action and animation holds small children's attention without rushing them. Burns hosted for five seasons before Donovan Patton took over as Joe, and the show's guest roster over the years included Henry Winkler and Lisa Kudrow. Stream Blue's Clues on iFILM.