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Carmen Sandiego (2019 Series)

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This article is about the 2019 Netflix Series. You may be looking for the character from this series or the classic character she is based on.
Main Article

Carmen Sandiego is a Netflix original series released in 2019, based on the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? educational computer game created by Lauren Elliott in 1985 and the associated franchise developed by Broderbund.

The first season premiered on January 18, 2019, and was followed by the second season on October 1, 2019. An interactive special was released in March 2020. A third season was announced on April 24, 2020.[1] The third season was released on October 1, 2020.[2] A fourth and final season was released on January 15th, 2021.[3]

Summary[]

"A master thief who uses her skills for good, Carmen Sandiego travels the world foiling V.I.L.E.'s evil plans -- with help from her savvy sidekicks."[4]

Synopsis[]

In this version of the story, an orphan girl codenamed Black Sheep was found on the side of the road in Buenos Aires, Argentina roughly 20 years ago and raised by a group of villains who double as the faculty at V.I.L.E. Academy, located on the Isle of V.I.L.E. in the Canary Islands. Black Sheep considers the isle her home until she learns the organization's true nature. She goes rogue, adopting the name Carmen Sandiego, and seeks to take down V.I.L.E. by stealing things they have already stolen and returning them to their rightful owners. Carmen's friends and team are white-hat hacker Player, who works as tech support and who she has been in contact with since her days on the isle, and siblings Zack and Ivy, who help her on-scene and often act as distractions or operate the various get-away vehicles. She treats each of them with care and together, they set out to thwart V.I.L.E.'s schemes for global conquest all while on the run from the mysterious secret government agency A.C.M.E., who have sets their sights on arresting V.I.L.E and Carmen.

A recurring theme is that both V.I.L.E. and A.C.M.E. make mistaken assumptions about Carmen's actions.

In Season 1, Carmen is a modern-day Robin Hood, traveling the globe, stealing from V.I.L.E. and giving back to its victims. Cloaked in red, she is accompanied by her hacker Player, and her best friends Zack and Ivy. Carmen is publicly perceived as a criminal by most law enforcement agencies – or actually, make that a master criminal due to the sheer scale and theatricality of her heists. We follow her escapades and get to determine not only where in the world but “who” is Carmen Sandiego?

In Season 2, Carmen seeks answers about her past, while V.I.L.E. attempts to keep their finances from plummeting even further into the red; the Faculty attempt to find a new fifth member as well after Shadowsan joins Carmen's side. Thanks to Julia's encouragement, Carmen and the Chief make a loose alliance to take down V.I.L.E.

In Season 3, Carmen has been off the grid for weeks upon months, looking for clues to her mother. Julia quits A.C.M.E., after Chief has become too blinded by distrust toward Carmen, for stealing Intel on her father from them, to see that she isn't stealing from anyone. V.I.L.E. sets up base in Scotland, sending new agents, specifically trained to capture Carmen, after her; once both they and A.C.M.E. discover her latest whereabouts.

In Season 4, after several failed attempts to claim gold, including the lost hidden treasures stolen by the past generations of the organization, V.I.L.E. has been pushed to its limits and they start using robot operatives but the facility used to make the robots gets destroyed by Carmen. Ultimately, they eventually capture and brainwash her into becoming pure evil, who then quickly rebuilds their funds and gains the Faculty's favor. However, Graham helps A.C.M.E. bring the real Carmen back, while selling out V.I.L.E. in the process. Carmen finally tracks down and meets her mother and Shadowsan retires, while Zack and Ivy join A.C.M.E. in crime fighting. For two years since the downfall of V.I.L.E., A.C.M.E. chases down the leftover V.I.L.E. members, with the occasional help from Carmen.

Characters and cast[]

English Cast

Team Red

V.I.L.E. Faculty

V.I.L.E. Operatives

A.C.M.E. Agents

Others

Spanish Cast (W.I.P.)

Team Red

V.I.L.E. Faculty

V.I.L.E. Operatives

A.C.M.E. Agents

Others

French Cast (W.I.P.)

Team Red

V.I.L.E. Faculty

V.I.L.E. Operatives

A.C.M.E. Agents

Others

Japanese Cast (W.I.P.)

Team Red

V.I.L.E. Faculty

V.I.L.E. Operatives

A.C.M.E. Agents

Others

Production[]

The series was first rumored to be in the works by The Tracking Board on April 14, 2017, reporting that Netflix had ordered 20 episodes and signed on Gina Rodriguez to voice the title character.[5] Netflix officially announced the show in a press release on April 19, 2017.[6] The second season was announced on February 15, with a trailer releasing September 18, 2019.

The series is produced by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt with DHX Media serving as the production company with help from Chromosphere Studio and Top Draw Animation

Episodes[]

Main article: Carmen Sandiego (2019 Series)/Episode Guide
Season Episodes Released
Season 1 9 January 18, 2019
Season 2 10 October 1, 2019
Season 3 5 October 1, 2020
Season 4 8 January 15, 2021
Interactive Special March 10, 2020

Other Media[]

Live Action Movie[]

Main article: Carmen Sandiego (planned film)

A live-action Carmen Sandiego Netflix movie was first reported by Deadline on March 26, 2019. It was set for release in 2020, starring Gina Rodriguez as Carmen Sandiego.[7] Rodriguez will also produce the film through I Can and Will productions, along with Kevin Misher and Caroline Fraser. Screenwriter Mark Perez is set to write for the film.[8]

Interactive Special[]

Main article: To Steal or Not To Steal

An interactive Netflix special based on the series was first reported by Bloomberg on August 8, 2019.[9] On February 10, 2020, the special was officially announced by the Twitter account under the title of To Steal or Not To Steal. It released March 10, 2020.[10]

Carmen Sandiego Spinoff[]

Main article: Spinoff

It was announced on @CarmenSandiego Twitter that they are currently in the works of making an animated spinoff.

Books[]

A number of books have been released that tie in to the show.

Title Type Release Date Author
Who in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Novelization January 22, 2019 Rebecca Tinker
Clue by Clue Novel May 7, 2019 Catherine Hapka
The Sticky Rice Caper Graphic Novel May 7, 2019 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
The Fishy Treasure Caper Graphic Novel October 1, 2019 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Endangered Operation Choose-your-own

Adventure

October 1, 2019 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Jetpack Attack Choose-your-own Adventure October 1, 2019 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Activity Book October 1, 2019 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Secrets of the Silver Lion Novel September 8, 2020[11] Emma Otheguy
The Chasing Paper Caper Graphic Novel October 6, 2020[12] Etch
The Need for Speed Caper (book) Graphic Novel May 11, 2021 Etch

Web Games[]

Three games were released and hosted on Google Earth, with gameplay reminiscent of the classic Carmen Sandiego titles by Brøderbund.

Icon Title Release Date
The Crown Jewels Caper - Carmen
The Crown Jewels March 13, 2019[13]
"The world’s greatest super thief has struck again. Can you track her around the globe to recover the stolen loot? You’ll need to talk to locals, gather clues, and learn about different cultures as you follow Carmen’s trail around the world."[14]
Tutankhamun's Mask Caper - Carmen and El Topo
Tutankhamun's Mask Caper May 15, 2019[15]
"VILE has stolen one of the world’s greatest treasures. Help Carmen Sandiego™ track VILE operative Le Chevre around the globe and recover it."[14]
The Keys to the Kremlin Caper
The Keys to the Kremlin Caper June 18, 2019[16]
"Help Carmen Sandiego™ track VILE operative Paper Star as she seeks the keys to the Kremlin."[14]

Google Expeditions[]

A series of Google Expedition VR field trips were made, being introduced alongside the "Carmen in the Classroom" program, on June 24, 2019.[17]

Image Title
Expedition1
Carmen's Skyscraper Caper
Travel with Carmen to the world's tallest structures! Kids will learn about the innovations behind these architectural wonders.
Expedition2
Carmen's Ancient Caper
Kids journey back in time to famous sites like the Parthenon in Athens and the Pyramids in Giza. Try to spot Carmen along the way!
Carmen’s Crowded Caper Teacher Guide
Carmen's Crowded Caper
Kids learn about population density by traveling to some of the most populous cities in the world, such as Jakarta and Shanghai.
Expedition4
Carmen's Hot and Cold Caper
Explore the hottest and coldest places on Earth! Kids learn why we have such an incredible range of temperatures on our planet.

Board Games[]

ACME’s Most Wanted[]

Main article: Carmen Sandiego: ACME's Most Wanted

A board game was released by Pressman Toys, as a Wal-Mart exclusive. For 2-4 players ages 7 and up, the object of the game is to collect loot and stop V.I.L.E. It features locations from Italy, Australia, and San Francisco.[18]

Capitals Card Game[]

Main article: Carmen Sandiego Capitals Card Game A printable card game designed around capital cities. It is intended as a family activity.

In-Flight Game[]

Global Eagle released an in-flight trivia game titled "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?"[19] in the fall of 2019.[20]

Reception[]

As of April 24, 2020, the series has a 7.9 rating out of 3,017 user votes on IMDb.[21]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 93% Tomatometer rating and a 94% user rating, with the following critics' consensus: "Vivid animation and creative reconstruction of the Carmen Sandiego backstory elevates this property beyond its edutainment roots."[22]

Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave the series 4 stars out of 5, stating "Not only is [Carmen Sandiego's educational content] good for viewers' sense of different places and cultures, it's also a reminder that knowledge can be an effective tool against the world's ills and one's enemies."[23]

Steve Greene of IndieWire praised the show's art style and creative writing, giving it a grade of B+.[24] comicbook.com's Charlie Ridgely admired the performances of the lead voice actors Gina Rodriguez and Finn Wolfhard, the show's representation, and appreciated the moral gray area where most of the characters reside in.[25]

Awards and Accolades[]

Year

Award Category Nominee Result
2019 Online Film & Television Association[26] Best Children's Program Carmen Sandiego Nominated
Best New Theme Song in a Series Carmen Sandiego Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards[27] Outstanding Children's Program Caroline Fraser, Executive Producer

CJ Kettler, Executive Producer

Kristen Newlands, Executive Producer

Anne Loi, Executive Producer

Duane Capizzi, Co-Executive Producer

Brian Hulme, Producer

Nominated
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation Elaine Lee, Background Painter "The Chasing Paper Caper" Winner
Television Critics Association[28] Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming Carmen Sandiego Nominated
2020 Annie Awards[29] Best Character Design - TV/Media Keiko Murayama Won
Best Music - TV/Media Jared Lee Gosselin

Steve D'Angelo

Lorenzo Castelli

Nominated
Best Production Design - TV/Media Eastwood Wong

Sylvia Liu

Elaine Lee

Linda Fong

Emily Paik

Nominated
Best Storyboarding - TV/Media Kenny Park Won
Television Critics Association[30] Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming Carmen Sandiego (Netflix) Nominated
Daytime Emmy Awards[31] Individual Achievement in Animation Wei Li, Storyboard Artist

Sylvia Liu, Art Director

Won
2021 Producers Guild of America[32][33] Outstanding Children's Program Carmen Sandiego Nominated

Trivia[]

  • In China, the series is titled 新神偷卡門, roughly translating to New Thief Carmen.
    • This is an exception to other international titles, which keep the title Carmen Sandiego.
  • While originally ordered for 20 episodes,[6] the first season aired with only 9, with the remaining episodes put under Season 2's release. Despite this, Season 2 released with 10 episodes, leaving one episode left. While it was spectulated that the 20th episode is To Steal or Not To Steal, it was later found that the 'Becoming Carmen Sandiego" had originally been 3 episodes, and was cut to two for the Netflix release.[34] The found extra content can be viewed on Youtube.
    • Season 3 only released with 5 episodes, with Season 4's announcement arriving shortly after Season 3's release. It's possible that the episodes were split again, similarly to Season 1 and 2's release.
  • Cookie Booker is voiced by Rita Moreno, who was the voice of Carmen Sandiego in the 1994 animated series Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?
    • In Becoming Carmen Sandiego: Part II, Carmen and Cookie are in an elevator to the server room, and the elevator music is the theme variant to the 1994 animated series.
  • Zack, Player, and Ivy are characters from the 1994 animated series.
  • The Chief's main design seems to be a tribute to Lynne Thigpen, who played the role in the 1991 PBS game show.
  • All in-universe text is scribbled, to make it easier to localize to other languages.
  • Carmen being born in roughly 1999 and being currently 20 years of age, it concludes that the show is set in 2019.
  • It's possible this show is meant to tell Carmen's side of all the capers A.C.M.E. confronts her in, with her team being mistaken for V.I.L.E.

Gallery[]

Intro TItle

Click the image above to view the main gallery.


External links[]

Social Media[]

References[]

  1. ↑ https://twitter.com/CarmenSandiego/status/1253715576209448961
  2. ↑ https://twitter.com/carmensandiego/status/1301548006626529283?s=21
  3. ↑ https://twitter.com/carmensandiego/status/1312048446929620993?s=21
  4. ↑ https://www.netflix.com/title/80167821
  5. ↑ https://www.tracking-board.com/gina-rodriguez-to-voice-carmen-sandiego-for-netflix-as-two-movie-studios-battle-for-her-next-slot-exclusive/
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 https://media.netflix.com/en/press-releases/carmen-sandiego-new-animated-series-coming-to-netflix-in-2019
  7. ↑ https://deadline.com/2018/03/gina-rodriguez-carmen-sandiego-netflix-live-action-movie-1202353421/
  8. ↑ https://deadline.com/2018/07/carmen-sandiego-movie-mark-perez-screenwriter-game-night-netflix-1202430261
  9. ↑ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-08/netflix-boosts-bet-on-interactive-tv-with-wave-of-new-kids-shows
  10. ↑ https://twitter.com/CarmenSandiego/status/1226932597231673350
  11. ↑ https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/Adventure-Is-Out-There/9780358379157
  12. ↑ https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/Chasing-Paper-Caper/9780358411130
  13. ↑ https://www.blog.google/products/earth/your-mission-gumshoe-catch-carmen-sandiego-google-earth/
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 https://www.carmensandiego.com/game/
  15. ↑ https://www.blog.google/products/earth/carmen-sandiego-back-google-earth-gumshoe/
  16. ↑ https://www.blog.google/products/earth/carmen-sandiego-back-final-assignment-google-earth/
  17. ↑ https://www.hmhco.com/about-us/press-releases/carmen-sandiego-in-the-classroom
  18. ↑ https://www.walmart.com/ip/Carmen-Sandiego-Board-Game/348672695
  19. ↑ https://www.carmensandiego.com/partners/global_eagle/
  20. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GbZM6aW82g
  21. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7042146/
  22. ↑ https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/carmen_sandiego
  23. ↑ https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/carmen-sandiego
  24. ↑ https://www.indiewire.com/2019/01/carmen-sandiego-netflix-review-animated-show-1202036515/
  25. ↑ https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/2019/01/13/carmen-sandiego-netflix-tv-review/
  26. ↑ http://www.oftaawards.com/television-awards/23rd-annual-tv-awards-2018-19/
  27. ↑ https://www.emmys.com/shows/carmen-sandiego
  28. ↑ http://tvcritics.org/the-television-critics-association-announces-2019-tca-award-nominations/
  29. ↑ https://annieawards.org/nominees
  30. ↑ https://www.tvcritics.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&view=entry&year=2020&month=07&day=08&id=52:2020-tca-award-nominations
  31. ↑ https://theemmys.tv/daytime-47th-individual-animation-winners/
  32. ↑ https://twitter.com/carmensandiego/status/1366799212587933696?s=21
  33. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Producers_Guild_of_America_Award_for_Outstanding_Children%27s_Program#2020s
  34. ↑ Video documenting the search and discovery. https://youtu.be/-hde2IvpXDA?si=wWeW0OJJTBPNvgCk
Carmen Sandiego Franchise
Television Game Shows Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (episodes)

Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego? (episodes)

Animated series Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? (episodes)

Carmen Sandiego (episodes) (gallery)

Film Netflix Carmen Sandiego (planned film)
Games Broderbund World (1985) • U.S.A (1986) • Europe • Time (1989) • North Dakota (1989) • America's Past (1991) • Space (1993) • Junior Detective (1995) • World (1996) • U.S.A. (1996) • Time (1997) • Word Detective (1997) • Math Detective (1998)
The Learning Company ThinkQuick Challenge (1999) • Treasures of Knowledge (2001) • The Secret of the Stolen Drums (2004) • Mystère au Bout du Monde (2009) • Adventures in Math (2011) • Luggage (Unknown) • Faebook (2011) • Returns (2015)
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt The Crown Jewels Caper • Tutankhamun's Mask Caper • The Keys to the Kremlin Caper • To Steal or Not To Steal
Board games World Card Game • ACME's Most Wanted
Other The ClueFinders: Mystery Mansion Arcade (cameo)
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