DefunctTV: The History of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

DefunctTV is made possible by the Defunctland Store. Go to defunctland.com/store and use coupon code “DefunctTV” to get 15% off your order. This show is also made possible by Viewers like you! Thank you! In 1980, brothers Doug and Gary Carlson founded their own software company called Broderbund. Both programmers by trade, the Carlson brothers led Broderbund to develop many popular titles, including Choplifter, Gumball, Lode Runner, Karateka and The Print Shop. By 1983, Broderbund had a staff of more than forty people and sold millions of dollars' worth of software annually. Despite the stable business model, the Carlson brothers were nervous about one of their next titles, a new geography-based game called Where in the World is Carmen SanDiego?

Lacking confidence for a standalone release, the brothers opted to release the game alongside a World Almanac. Despite the doubts, "Where in the

world

is Carmen Sandiego?" was a huge success and immediately became the company's most popular title. While computer enthusiasts were impressed by the game's 4-color graphics and innovative menu system, casual gamers were captivated by the globe-trotting, cat-and-mouse gameplay and mix of trivia and humor. In the game, players chased famous thief Carmen Sandiego and her gang of criminals across various countries and landmarks. Although not explicitly designed as an educational game, parents and teachers saw its value as a teaching tool and the software was purchased for computer labs across the United States.

In 1989, Carmen Sandiego was a budding franchise and the original game spawned four sequels: "Where in the US is Carmen Sandiego?", "Where in Europe is Carmen Sandiego?", "Where in Time is "Carmen Sandiego?" and "Where in North Dakota is Carmen Sandiego?" The Carmen Sandiego franchise soon became a major part of Broderbund's $45 million in annual sales. The company had created an iconic character and it wasn't long until they looked for ways to expand the brand. Broderbund considered taking Carmen Sandiego from the computer screen to the television screen. A potential partner was Walt Disney Television. Disney producers had considered creating a Carmen Sandiego show for the Disney Channel.

This did not come to fruition and Broderbund continued his search. Around this time, the company would receive valuable advice from a producer named Howard Blumenthal. Blumenthal had worked on shows for MTV and Nickelodeon, and when Broderbund asked him to consult about developing a Carmen SanDiego series, he suggested an interesting strategy. Blumenthal didn't believe that licensing the program was

where

the money was. Rather, the value of the television venture was the national promotion of the Carmen SanDiego software. Blumenthal recommended that Broderbund sell the television rights to Carmen SanDiego to a Public Broadcasting Service station, entrusting PBS with creating a successful program and delivering it to its large audience.

The price at which Blumenthal advised Broderbund to sell the rights? One dollar. By giving up the rights, the show was more likely to be produced by PBS. Blumenthal left Broderbund with the board and went to work on other programs. It would take a few more years, but Broderbund would follow Blumenthal's advice. Given the educational focus of PBS children's programs, Broderbund would emphasize the geography of the Carmen SanDiego series. The importance of the issue was highlighted by the release of a National Geographic survey that found that one in four Americans could not locate the Pacific Ocean on a map.

Faced with a public need for geography education and a cheap, semi-recognizable property to base a show on, two PBS stations, WQED Pittsburgh and WGBH Boston, agreed to co-produce a pilot for a Carmen SanDiego television series. Broderbund opted to allow PBS to use the Carmen SanDiego name and concept for free, a dollar less than Blumenthal had suggested. Broderbund would again ask Blumenthal for help on the series, and Blumenthal would join the project as a producer. PBS commissioned 65 episodes of the show with a total budget of about $3.5 million. The name, character and theme of Carmen SanDiego would not be the only elements extracted from the computer software.

The game aspect would also be adapted, with the PBS show using a game show format with teenage contestants. The show's pilot episodes were filmed at WQED's studios in Pittsburgh. It was clear to the team that the program needed work. The geographical aspect of the game was educational, but lacked the energy to engage children. Blumenthal knew that kids in the early 1990s responded to fast-paced, colorful content like MTV and Nickelodeon shows. After the lackluster pilot episodes, Blumenthal needed to inject more energy into the production, and to do so he went straight to the source. Blumenthal personally interviewed more than 900 children to get an idea of ​​what they would like to see in a show.

The children told him exactly what they wanted; adventures, silly characters, comedy, cool prizes, animation and music. These elements were the exact energy the show needed. To make them a cohesive show, Blumenthal liked the idea of ​​a parody of 1940s film noir, integrating the genre throughout his first script for the game show. The format would feature three young contestants who would be classified as rookie detectives, assigned to hunt down Carmen Sandiego and her gang. They would report to the Boss, the head of ACME Crimenet, as well as the host, the ACME Special Agent in charge of training new recruits.

With new roles to fill, the team began casting for the series and production moved from Pittsburgh to New York. The show would find a new home at Chelsea Studios,

where

it would have plenty of room for an elaborate, interconnected new set including Crimenet headquarters, the boss's office, a city street, several international terminals, a giant floor map, and a study. Audience of 200 children. Greg Lee, a children's game show veteran who had worked as a contestant coordinator on NIckelodeon's Double Dare and co-host of Total Panic, was chosen as the show's host. For the role of Chief, Blumenthal struggled to cast film and stage actress Lynne Thigpen, as he had envisioned her for the role when she conceived it.

However, Thigpen repeatedly turned down the role due to the show's intense production schedule, and production planned to film all 65 episodes of the show between March and May. Blumenthal auditioned hundreds of actors for the role of Chief, but both he and Greg Lee were clear that Thigpen was the best person for the job. The two met with the actress over brunch and were able to convince her that she was perfect for her role. Thigpen agreed to play the Chief on the game show. The show was coming together quickly, but Blumenthal still needed to integrate music into the show.

He researched different types of music, specifically trying to integrate rap music into the show. It was during this investigation that Blumenthal watched a laserdisc of "Spike Lee & Co. Do It Acapella" with his family. The PBS documentary, directed by Spike Lee, focused on Acappella's music and featured a small band of singers called Rockapella. singing an original song "Zombie Jamboree". Look how he comes dancing out of the grave!" Blumenthal's wife suggested that he should use Rockapella's music for the Carmen Sandiego idea, and he accepted her suggestion. Rockapella's music would become an integral part of the energy of the show Singers Sean Altman, Scott Leonard, Elliott Kerman and Barry Carl also pulled double duty as Greg's supporting cast in many sketches: "The only active volcano in continental Europe today, 2,000 years ago, is not Pompeii: "That's it. a clue, ladies." and gentlemen!

Rockapella!" PBS allocated a portion of the show's budget to animated segments, so Blumenthal decided to depict Carmen and her group of criminals as 2D animations created on a Macintosh computer. This approach was innovative for the time and challenging from the logistically, as it was not easy. The way to digitize the drawings was to send them through a fax machine and then convert them for use on the computer. The often crude drawings of Carmen and her gang, known as VILE. , they were strange, quirky, and a big source of the show's humor. Carmen Sandiego retained her appearance from the computer game with her trademark trench coat and red fedora.

Many original criminals were created for the show, including The Contessa, Patty Larceny, RoboCrook, Top Grunge, Vic the Slick, Eartha Brute and the Double Trouble Twins Each episode would feature a different criminal, and ACME Crimenet recruits hunted down Carmen Sandiego in the finale of each show. The digitally animated scenes also served to retain the feel of computer games. The last piece of the casting puzzle was the contestants. For each episode, three detectives joined ACME Crimenet as new recruits. Blumenthal and the producers looked for children between the ages of 9 and 14 who could handle the pressures of a television game show.

They also made sure the children had a solid knowledge of geography and had them take a written test before being selected. Each episode began with the Chief yelling over the rowdy children's audience... This kicked off what would become the show's iconic theme song. The Chief then introduced the three contestants and the title of the episode's case, usually a pun on a common phrase. Once at the ACME offices, Greg entered and after a very brief introduction, the game began. The Boss communicated with the contestants primarily through a television that Greg tuned into. The cases in each episode involved different members of Carmen's gang stealing important cultural works and monuments.

In the first season, this included the Mona Lisa, the Great Wall of China, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and even Abraham Lincoln's nose from Mount Rushmore. The Chief showed footage revealing the

history

of the criminal and the stolen item, before ordering the Gumshoes to recover the stolen item, arrest the criminal, and find Carmen Sandiego. Boss: "Here's your mission. Put Patty on the hamburger cart! Release the Declaration of Independence and then capture Carmen Sandiego! Greg!" Greg then explained the rules of the round and the Boss returned briefly to give a hint. Boss: "Crispus Attucks was murdered there in an infamous massacre, a black man who was the first victim of the Revolutionary War, this could be a difficult search!

Especially along the small winding streets of the Freedom Trail, but gumshoes, I know you I can do it Greg: "Thanks Boss, okay detectives, tell me the name of the city!" The three contestants were asked to answer a multiple choice question based on a map and were awarded or deducted! points based on their answers. The show's points were called Crime Bucks. The first round questions were interspersed between the players' biographies... Greg: "Why do you like fishing?" Boy: "I like eating them." Greg: "You eat the fish! Okay!" short sketches... Greg: "Oh, that was great! You're good!" "Thank you!

You should see my Hamlet!" Greg: "I'd love to!" songs... Granny Rapper: "So hop on a plane to these islands off the coast of Scotland! Tell him Nana Rap sent you! That's no joke! You have the nana! Na- Na- Nana!" and guest agents... "I don't have much time, so listen carefully. Brush up on your German!" Most of these segments led to the next question. Halfway through the match, a frustrated boss called Greg into his office, upset that he and the recruits had yet to capture Crook or Sandiego. To motivate detectives, offered a free trip anywhere in the contiguous United States, which was the show's grand prize.

Boss: "Find Carmen and I'll send you anywhere in the country!" : "Why not? Oh, anywhere in the lower 48 states! Hey! Still a great deal!" Once back at the ACME office, Greg played a recording of a wiretapped phone call between Carmen and the Thief of the Day. The call would contain clues about the Thief's next fate, and the trio of detectives would determine where to travel next. Carmen: "Head to a South American country with two capitals. Take the towers to the legal capital." Double trouble: "Good thinking, Carmen. ACME will not consider us anything legal." The final question of the first round showed a map with three locations.

Before the question was revealed, contestants could bet between 0 and 50 Crime Bucks that they would be able to correctly answer the question when asked. Greg: "So look at this map and think about it!" Rockapella: "How much are you going to risk? Yes Yes Yes Yes. Ooooh." At the end of the round, the gumshoe with the lowest score waseliminated from the competition, but was not sent home empty-handed. The eliminated contestant received an ACME travel kit that includes a World Atlas, an annual subscription to National Geographic World magazine, an official Carmen Sandiego watch, and other Carmen items. The second round of the show began with the Chief questioning the remaining detectives about a specific location the Thief was traveling to.

He presented historical, geographical and cultural information about the destination in the form of a slideshow. Greg and the recruits arrived at the on-site terminal and a "memory" style game was played with a large board. The contestants alternated revealing parts of the board in search of "The Loot", "The Warrant", and "The Crook", the first to discover that all three imprisoned the Crook and advanced to the next and final round. A second prize was awarded to the loser of the second round, which included the ACME travel kit along with a pocket translator and a

world

band radio. Before starting the final round, the winning detective would write down the destination city of the grand prize for Greg.

The captured criminals called the new agent to inform them of Carmen's location, limited to the United States, South America, Europe, Africa or Asia. Thief: "Carmen betrayed me so I'm going to get revenge. Find her in Asia!" Greg then took the contestant to a huge map of the location and the Boss rattled off a list of places Carmen could have traveled to. The contestant had 45 seconds to run around the map, placing illuminated markers in the correct locations while Greg recited three clues followed by the location name. If the children got the score wrong, they had a second chance before moving on.

If a contestant could place seven markers in the correct position before time ran out, he caught Carmen and won the grand prize. The prize location chosen by the contestants was only revealed when they won the game, and the children who did not capture Carmen took home a CD player and CDs from around the world, including the show's a cappella soundtrack. Win or lose, each episode ended with Greg and the contestant pointing at the camera and shouting the show's signature sign: "Do it, Rockapella!" which prompted the band to perform Carmen's theme song. Rockapella: "Well, she sneaks around the world from kyiv to Carolina.

Tell me, where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?" Production on the first season moved at a pace as frenetic as the show itself. The entire 65-episode season would be shot in six weeks, with three to four episodes taped each weekday. Being a PBS show, "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" It aired without commercial interruptions, resulting in 27-minute episodes. For the first season, the cast and crew performed the episodes as if they were live. The exception was the Boss, whose interactions were limited to hints and skits with Greg. Lynne Thigpen pre-recorded the Boss segments for each episode, and the videos were interspersed and shown on monitors to the contestants throughout the show.

The game itself evolved during the first season, changing the point values ​​and removing the three clues for each location in the final game. Rockapella often had to create improvised songs and parodies just minutes before the segments were taped. Rockapella: "She's got a long, true emotion. She's just watching everything that crazy dog ​​does. Pretty Patty." Viewers were able to hear the group's distinctive voice throughout the show, including in the memory board narration of Round 2. The season concluded as scheduled in May 1991, and PBS was pleased with the product. "Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?" premiered on the afternoon of September 30, 1991 on PBS stations across the United States.

That same night, PBS aired back-to-back episodes of the new show in its prime time slot. After this, the show aired weekdays in the after-school block. Kids across the country became instant fans of the show. The focus on high-energy fun paid off and young viewers came back for more. The show also attracted a diverse audience, and the show itself focused on diversity, both in its contestants and its geography. Executive producer Kate Taylor explained: "We didn't want to have a show that was culturally insensitive, that focused too much on the Western world. We didn't want a show that defined too narrowly what geography actually is." The show was renewed for a 65-episode second season, moving production to Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, the home of Sesame Street.

This was not the only change made between seasons. By the early 1990s, massive geopolitical changes were occurring around the world and many maps and tracks used during the first season were already outdated. Episodes after the first season included the disclaimer "all geographic information was accurate as of the date this show was taped." As countries changed their names or borders, the giant maps used in the show were updated, often overnight for recording the next day. The second season also expanded the grand prize to allow kids to travel anywhere in North America instead of just the contiguous United States.

Blumenthal would also push for more silliness for the second season, encouraging the staff to watch shows like "Animaniacs" and "Rocky & Bullwinkle" for inspiration. Greg Lee also joined the writing team in addition to his hosting duties, and the series built a world of recurring characters and jokes, often played by a member of Rockapella in some capacity. The show expanded Carmen's gang of criminals in season 2 to include the alien Kneemoi and the superhero character Wonder Rat. The first episode of the second season was the only "double" episode of the series in which the contestants were paired with fellow celebrities Mayim Bialik, Tatyana Ali and Jeremy Miller.

Celebrities also supported the series throughout its run by pre-recording clips as ACME special agents presenting clues to players. Rhea Perlman, Sally Jesse Raphael, Walter Cronkite, Penn & Teller, ZAP and TURBO, X the Owl and Henrietta Pussycat played Mr. Rogers and many more gave clues on the show. Joe Biden: "Greg, this is Senator Joe Biden. I just proposed a congressional resolution naming you the best detective of the year." In one surprising case, Greg Lee's mother provided the information to surprise her son. Greg's Mom: "Greg! You gotta do something! This alien came to town and now we can't stop playing the tango!

This is a corn country song, son, and the country people gotta stand up early! Just because Fred Astaire was born in this state, doesn't mean we all like to dance. Come quick, Greg, our feet can't take much longer! Greg: "Could we get a round of applause for the best insider on this show?" The second season also introduced a new gameplay element called "The Chase", where contestants answered a rapid progression of questions leading to the Thief's intended destination. In some cases, "The Chase" was preceded by an actual chase through. from the sets and the audience before the questions were asked In the final episode of the season, "Gotta Get a Yeti", the series had its only geographical error, which caused the correct answer to be considered incorrect and noted down. as such in the end credits.

The contestant, who had been eliminated in the first round, was invited to return in season 3, where he won the game and caught Carmen Sandiego in Asia. Greg: "You should feel good, you came back the second time, you did it! A few moments ago you wrote down where you'd like to go, that means you and one of your parents are going to Florida!" The show's second season increased its audience size by 16%. By the end of 1992, the show was broadcast on 92% of the country's 331 PBS transmitters. Approximately 5.4 million viewers watched it at least once a week. The show won a Peabody Award and a Daytime Emmy for art direction and set design.

Broderbund continued his success with their Carmen Sandiego line of software, releasing a deluxe version of the original game along with officially licensed board games. Another Carmen Sandiego series was developed, this time an animated series produced by DIC Animation called "Where the Hell is Carmen Sandiego?". This Saturday morning cartoon premiered on Fox's Fox Kids Network Block in 1994. Title theme: "Where's Carmen Sandiego? Carmen Sandiego!" The series followed ACME in its search for Carmen Sandiego and VILE, and the animation incorporated elements from both the original game and the game show. The series would last four seasons for a total of 40 episodes with the final episode premiering in 1999.

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego was renewed for a third season on PBS. PBS created a new awards program for the third season to reward viewers at home. The Chief instructed the children to write down the loot and location of each episode on a. Postcard After listing four episodes of information, the children mailed their postcard to ACME Crime Net. If it was correct, they were entered into a drawing and five children each day won a Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego t-shirt. The show was also developed for broadcast, imitating the style of the show and the friendly relationship between the Chief and the British Greg: "Thanks, Chief, that will do!

Seeing the Chief so upset has made me feel like I'm going through a Torch." Season 3 of Carmen Sandiego would also consist of 64 episodes, and would air from September to December 1993. The show would be renewed for a fourth and fifth season of 50 episodes each, broadcast in 1994 and 1995 respectively. These seasons brought more recurring characters, including VILE criminal Sarah Nade, and many of Greg Lee's alter egos, including ACME Man, Gus Lee (Greg's retired detective father). and Phil the barber. Phil: "How about this? I call it my Marlon Bran-dew!" In the last recorded episode of season 5, Phil the Barber surprised the audience and Rockapella by cutting off singer Sean Altman's signature braided hair at the end of the show.

Where in the world is Carmen? San Diego? was a huge hit for PBS and the team that made it, but after five seasons, some believed it would be easier to get funding for a new show than for the final episode of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? aired on December 22, 1995, but a spin-off game show, "Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?" It would be broadcast starting in October, less than a year later. Title Theme: "Tell me where in time is Carmen Sandiego? Stop the crime and solve this mystery!" Lynne Thigpen reprized her role as Boss in the new series, but Greg Lee was replaced by Kevin Shinick as host of the new show. "Where in Time" was significantly altered from the original show. , set in a science fiction setting and focusing on world

history

rather than geography.

Additionally, VILE's characters were played by actors rather than portrayed by Carmen: "Bang! Everyone thinks V.I.L.E. is evil, which it is, but we need pazazz." The new show's animation budget was spent on computer-generated 3D effects. Rockapella no longer appeared and a new theme song was created for the show, performed by the show's new musical. group, The Engine Crew Title Theme: "We're on the case and we're chasing her through history! Hot Chronoskimmer Engines! Our brave squad leader will help us defeat her and return the loot to its rightful place in time! Tell me: where in time is Carmen Sandiego?

Stop her crime and solve this mystery!" These are just a few of the many differences between the two programs. "It's 1991, how many advertising dollars are spent in the US?" "37 billion!" "Yes, let's go! Now capture Carmen Sandiego! You have completed each of your missions!" Where in time is Carmen Sandiego? It would last two seasons, for a total of 115 episodes. Since the conclusion of "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" The main character has continued cultural relevance through constant video game releases. Carmen Sandiego was even given a fourth television series on Netflix, which premiered in 2019 and ran for four seasons.

This animated show incorporated elements from the original '90s animation, computer games, and of course, the. hit PBS game show *Theme Song Riff* Over the decades, geographic changes have meant that much of the trivia featured in "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" Fans can find VHS copies of the series on YouTube, but. There have been no official releases for Where in the World is Carmen SanDiego. The game show is well remembered for its elaborate theme, high energy, production value and talented cast. It is considered not only one of the best children's programs on PBS, butalso one of them. one of the best game shows made for kids, all the more impressive considering it aired during the golden age of kids' game shows.

Above all, the program had the very specific goal of educating children about geography, a goal it achieved and surpassed, resulting not only in education, but in a celebration of the world and its cultures. All this wrapped in a detective adventure full of humor and non-stop. It's no wonder the show was a hit, and it's obvious why millions of detectives tuned in every day to find out: Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?