Can You Help?

Episode number

Season 5, Episode 1 (#430)

Airdate

April 30, 2002 (US)
September 7, 2003 (UK)

Written by

Angela C. Santomero

Directed by

Bruce Caines
John Rowe (UK)

Question in the episode

What does Blue need help playing?

Clues

A Wolf
A Basket
A Cape

Answer to Blue's Clues

Little Red Riding Hood

Chronology

Previous episode

Steve Goes to College (Season/Broadcast Order; as part of Joe's Scrapbook)
The Scavenger Hunt (Production Order)
Colors Everywhere! (Credit Order)

Next episode

Colors Everywhere! (Broadcast Order)
The Big Book About Us (Season Order)
The Snack Chart (Production/Credit Order)

Update in or theme concept made into

Blue and Little Rainbow Riding Hood

Can You Help? is the 1st episode of Blue's Clues from Season 5.

Characters Present[]

Blue
Joe (North America)
Kevin (United Kingdom)
Sidetable Drawer
Mailbox
Mr. Salt
Mrs. Pepper
Baby Bear
Cinderella
Gingerbread Boy
Boris
Shovel (credits only)

Summary[]

Today, Joe needs our help. That is not unusual, but it happens to be the particular theme for this episode. We help out Joe, Blue, and the other characters in a number of ways. For example, we help Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper to make some blueberry pancakes for Blue as a surprise snack. We also help out some friends in Storybook Forest to prepare for a big porridge party.

Elements[]

Question: What does Blue need help playing?
Clues:
- 1. A Wolf
- 2. A Basket
- 3. A Cape
Answer: Little Red Riding Hood
Skidoo location: Storybook Forest
Living room picture: A pair of purple handprints
Felt Frame picture: Felt Friends reading a book with little sister fifi
Colored Shirt: Green

Objects[]

Notebook
Basket

Video Release[]

Holiday Wishes (VHS/DVD, 2005)

Gallery[]

Watch Episode[]

This episode is available for streaming on Paramount Global's video streaming service Paramount+.

Trivia[]

Baby Bear, Cinderella, Gingerbread Boy, Freddy, Fifi, Mr. Salt, Mrs. Pepper, Sidetable Drawer and Mailbox didn't appear at the end of the episode because they were very busy.
Nicole Block, Lorraine Flores and Samuel Williams are all friends of Joe in this episode. Lorraine is related to Content Consultant Lisa Ecklund-Flores, Ph.D. (not this episode), and Samuel is related to the actress of Miranda, Shannon Walker Williams. Block previously was a friend of Steve with her relative Sayonna in "Blue's New Place", but her relative is absent in this episode.
This is the first episode to use the "Another Blue's Clues Day" opening sequence.
- Kevin (UK version) has the original season 4 intro with a matching shirt.
This is the first episode without Steve.
This is the first episode to show Joe on his own.
Starting from this episode to the rest of the original series, the jungle music from "What Time Is It for Blue?" and "Pretend Time" is heard when Joe or Kevin walks to Sidetable or when finding clues.
After the credits, Blue who's chasing her ball kneels down and barks. And then the book closes, leaving magic sparkles.
- The sound of the magic sparkles mutes off and the lettering of the show is missing in the UK version.
- It is unknown who puts the book back or how Blue gets out of the book for the next theme song every time.
This is the season five premiere of Blue's Clues.
- This episode is listed a Season 4 episode on streaming services such as Amazon Prime, iTunes, and Paramount+.
  - This also happens in "The Big Book About Us", "I'm So Happy!", "The Boat Float", and "The Scavenger Hunt".
A new drumroll is heard when Joe or Kevin found clues.
Tuba music is heard when Joe or Kevin draws clues.
For the first four seasons, there was no actual episode title (With the exception of "Blue's Big Musical").
- From now on, there will be an actual episode title for the rest of the series.
This is the only time the letter gets stuck.
This is the only time Joe met Gingerbread Boy and Baby Bear.
- This is also the only time when Gingerbread Boy and Baby Bear share the same Skidoo location.
During the intro and most episodes, Joe wears an orange shirt, Kevin (UK version) wears a green shirt and in a lot of them a green striped shirt and in Colors Everywhere! is the only one with different shirts.
In the first four seasons, Blue winks in the outro, but for the rest of the series, she does not wink.
This is also the first episode where Joe answers the mail.
Starting with this episode, Joe sings the last line of The So Long Song twice.
The "Mix a Mix a Mix a song" from "What Does Blue Want to Make?" and "What Does Blue Want to Do with Her Picture?" was sung in this episode, and Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper sang it.
This is the only time Mailbox has Joe's letter stuck inside it.
Joe wears a green squared shirt in this episode.
In the closing sequence, starting with this episode, the ball bounces 3 times, then rotates, then Blue catches up to it, she doesn't wink, instead, she kneels down and barks "Bye", and then the screen zooms out, and when the ball gets thrown away, she leaves, and then the book closes in the same direction as in Seasons 1-4, leaving magic sparkles, the sound of the sparkles mutes off in the UK, To the right of the book, a little snail plush can noticeably be seen.
- In addition, even though not appeared, Tickety, Slippery, Shovel, and Pail are credited.
The harp was added when the viewer walked into the door coming into The Blue's Clues House.
In this episode, the title flag never matches the color of Joe's shirt, the title flag was blue.
When Joe sings "We Are Going to Grandma's House", the jazz version of We Are Gonna Play Blue's Clues and We Just Figured Out Blue's Clues from Blue Wants to Play a Song Game is used.
In this episode, Sidetable's inanimate form from "Pretend Time" was used, this is the only episode with Joe that this happens.
The character order for the credits in this episode will be used again in "The Boat Float".
In the end credits Shovel appears by himself without Pail and Tickety Tock was absent.
This appears to be the 1st time a host & the viewers howl like a wolf. In this case, this would be Joe (Kevin in the UK version). This would never be brought up again until the Blues Room Season 2 episode Little Blue Riding Hood. It would later be brought up again by Josh (as a wolf costume) in The Ghost Of The Living Room.
This is Joe's version of What Story Does Blue Want to Play?.
When Joe says "Blue, you got me!" after getting tagged, the story ends and Joe and Blue didn't bring blueberry pancakes to Grandmother's house after all.

Goofs[]

In the UK Version, Kevin went to the right instead of the left to get his notebook because the living room was in the left, not the right. And when Kevin heard someone needed help in Storybook Forest, he was on the the left, but he went to the right instead of the left.
When Joe says "MAIL!!!", he said it a bit early.
In the UK version, during the Thinking Time segment, Kevin can be sene giving the viewers the middle finger. This happens again in the UK version of Patience. It also occurred earlier in the episode Blue Wants to Play a Song Game.

Quotes[]

US[]

Mailbox: Uh, Joe, I need your help. Your letter is kinda stuck. See?

(Mailbox opens the letter)

Joe: Don't worry, Mailbox. I'll help. Let's see.

(Joe getting trying the letter out from mailbox.)

Joe: There.

Mailbox: Whew. Much better, well, thanks for the help.

UK[]

Postbox: Kevin,

Kevin: Yes.

Postbox: I need your help.

Kevin: Why?

Postbox: Your letter seems to be stuck. See?

(Postbox opens the letter)

Kevin: Oh, yeah. Hey, I can help. Well, Let me see.

(Kevin getting trying the letter out from postbox.)

Kevin: Is it okay, Postbox?

Postbox: Whew. Much better, well, thanks for your help.

Blue's Clues Season 5