Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

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PBS (ended 1995)

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Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

Show Summary

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, based on the popular computer game, was first seen in September of 1991 and became one of the most popular kids' game shows of all time. The series aired on PBS, probably the best place to reach it's target audience.

Like the computer game, the game show's basic purpose was to ultimatly capture the head of an international crime syndicate. In this case, the head was Carmen Sandiego and in each episode she would send one of her henchmen out to steal a national landmark. The contestants job was to use their knowlegde of geography to track each criminal from country to country and city to city with the goal of capturing the henchman, restoring the landmark to it's home, and whom ever got enough points would have the chance to capture Carmen.

The game show was hosted by Greg Lee and the contestants were given orders from The Chief, played by Lynne Thigpen, who ran the ACME Detective Agency. Rockapella was the singing group that sang the popular theme song and helped give the contestants clues. The V.I.L.E. Henchmen

Carmen's henchman consisted of Vic the Slick, The Contessa, Robocrook, Top Grunge, Eartha Brute, Patty Larceny and Double Trouble. The Contessa left at the end of the 1st season and returned in the 4th season with a new look. At the beginning of the second season, Kneemoi and Wonder Rat joined the ranks of the other henchman, followed by Sarah Nade in the 3rd Season. In 1996, the original format of the series came to an end. That fall, the series was redesigned and renamed Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?


Theme Song: "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?"

Written by: Sean Altman & David Yazbek
Sung by: Rockapella

Spinoffs: Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego? First Telecast: September 1991
Last Telecast: September 1996

Episodes: 295 Color Episodes

PBS Broadcast History

September 1991-September 1996----Weekdays

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SUBMIT REVIEW
  • A Mysterious Detectice she is...

    9.0
    Best detective cartoon ever... the graphics are close to comic books, there's a reason why there is a game after her, and she is just a smiling hero with a mask. I enjoyed the cases.
  • One of the greatest game shows of all time!

    10
    I absolutely loved this show as a kid and even now I still have a chance to watch it thanks to youtube. My favorite villain was Robocrook. Even though the time amplified everything this one gets all the awards it deserved. I loved Rockafeller's theme and other songs. Shame Lynn Thigpenn died in 2003 but we'll always remember her. To end this let's sing along:



    Well she'll sneak around the world,

    from Kiev to Carolina.

    She's a sticky finger flicher from Berlin down to Belize

    She'll take you for a ride on a slow boat to China

    tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?moreless
  • This show, was informative.

    8.0
    This was a great show that I watched growing up as a kid. It was educational and entertaining at the same time. I remember watching thses episodes and I also think that it was very much good for kids. It's too bad the shows today aren't as good as the ones back then. There all about the cartoons that have watered down systems of teaching kids the basics over and over again. My favorite parts of this show was the mystery part. I think it was really a well written aspect of the show as it added interesting elements and a reason to be interested. Thank you.moreless
  • Can you believe it? A show that makes education fun?

    8.0
    Before the Warner Brothers (and Warner Sister) belting out geographically-based lyrics, many fans uttered the saying, "Do it Rockapella"! Following that, the acapella group--Rockapella--would sing the theme song that asks the vexying question as to just Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?



    With Rockapella proving the musical score, funnyman Greg Lee acting as a trainer to new recruits, and Lynne Thigpen as The Cheif, The A.C.M.E Detective Agency sought out new opporatives to aid it in its cause to catch the crafty crime queen with a fiendish fashion taste in latina-bred ex-A.C.M.E officer, Carmen Isabella Sandiego (along with her horde of heniously horrendous heathens).



    As the gameshow based upon a game started, Greg would ask the new recruits questions as to where the crook-of-the-day took their stolen loot (that was often some historical artifact).



    Finally, the two contestants with the best scores moved on to the next round, which required only one of them to find out (in order) where the loot, a warrant for the crook's arrest, and the crook themselves were located.



    Upon doing this and bagging the crook-of-the-day, the winning contestant had a chance to catch Carmen.



    Were they victorious in busting Miss Sandiego (which to do so, they would've had to locate six to eight geographical locations on a map within a limited number of seconds), the contestant would be flown to somewhere around the world (with the later seasons--probably due to PBS funding, as the show was broadcast on public television--restricting the trip to only the lower 48 states within the United States), but should Carmen elude them, they wouldn't go empty handed, for not only would they be upgraded from Gumshoe to Slueth by way of a cool Sleuth jacket, they would get everything the earlier contestants who've lost received (a Carmen shirt, a Carmen CD, a Carmen voice recorder, a portable globe, and issues of National Geographic World magazine...given that each bankrolled case was to be verified by National Geographic World for reasons of historical and geographical accuracy).



    Nowadays, the show itself could require a revival, considering how most people now cannot even locate world places that are discussed heavily through news reports on your average map, but I digress, because Carmen and her V.I.L.E legion of lackeys would be in hiding once again, Greg Lee is all but retired, The Cheif has now passed on to that preverbial big front office in the sky, and Rockapella's members have since changed since the days of the show. Still, because of the show's fan following, who cannot feel compelled to ask just Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? sometimes?moreless
  • Great game show

    10
    It was a great game show, I only liked the episodes with bonus round wins. I hate it when carmen esxapes, it was a great game show all of a sudden, I love this game shwow, but I only accept vonus round win episodes for my game show saloon, I love this game show though, this game show is hot stuff, I want more bonus round win episodes of this great game show. This game show is better than the time version, much better, I would want a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada; I lvoe casinos so much. I have 39 episodes of this all with a bonus round winmoreless
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More Info About This Show

Categories

Game Show, Kids

Themes

Grade Schoolers, Talent, Tweens