Steve from ‘Blues Clues’ shared what we all needed after that Nickelodeon documentary

Ever since we all saw the docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, millennials and Gen Z viewers who grew up on Nickelodeon shows like The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, iCarly, Victorious, and Sam & Cat have been understandably reeling. The series, which is streaming on HBO Max, chronicled disturbing allegations of abuse, misconduct, and exploitation behind the scenes of several of those shows from the ’90 and 2000s, with many of the rumors swirling around former creator Dan Schneider and other higher-ups at the network.

But amid it all, Steve Burns, the former host of “Blues Clues,” is still a shining light in our lives. Steve posted a TikTok video responding to the docuseries — and all of our reactions to it — and little did we all know, it was exactly what we needed.

In the one-minute video, Steve actually says very little. He starts recording, and over calming music, he says, “Hey. I’m checking in. Tell me, what’s going on?”

Then, just like he used to on “Blues Clues,” he stops and focuses entirely on his viewers. He creates space for us and he actively listens. Even though he can’t hear us, he makes it seem like he can. 

I don’t know if it’s because it just hits a particularly soft part of our nostalgia, or because it’s so rare when you’re a grown-up (especially once you have kids of your own) to have someone ask you what’s wrong and then listen so compassionately as you tell them. But Steve’s video is exactly what millennials and Gen Z needed after that Nickelodeon docuseries. After learning that the shows he loved as kids caused so many people trauma and pain, having someone take us back to that quieter, happier, gentler time reminded us that not everything is bad. And in the comments, so many people let Steve know how much they appreciated him checking in.

“Not me crying the instant he asked,” one wrote. (Same).

Another shared, “I just realized no one has asked me how I’m doing in such a long time. I can’t stop crying.”

And we can all agree with this: “After the Nickelodeon thing we need our Steve now more than ever.”

Thank goodness for Steve.