Carmen Sandiego (TV series)
A rogue thief takes down her criminal training organization.
Carmen Sandiego is an animated television series based on the media franchise by Broderbund, produced by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and WildBrain. It is the fourth series in the franchise, following earlier game shows and an animated series, and presents a serialized look at Carmen's backstory from her perspective.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Action-adventure
- Mystery-drama
- Edutainment
- Spy fiction
- Based on
- Carmen Sandiego, Broderbund
- Developer
- Duane Capizzi
- Director
- Jos Humphrey
- Kenny Park
- Mike West
- Voices
- Gina Rodriguez
- Finn Wolfhard
- Michael Hawley
- Abby Trott
- Paul Nakauchi
- Dawnn Lewis
- Liam O'Brien
- Theme music
- Jared Lee Gosselin
- Opening theme
- "Carmen Sandiego"; performed by Raquel Castro
- Composer
- Steve D'Angelo; Lorenzo Castelli
Facts from the source article.
Premise
An orphan girl codenamed Black Sheep was found on a roadside in Buenos Aires, Argentina roughly 20 years ago and raised to become a master thief by the faculty at V.I.L.E. Academy, a school for thieves on the Isle of V.I.L.E. in the Canary Islands. She considers the island and faculty her home until she learns the organization's true nature, then goes rogue at age 19, adopting the name Carmen Sandiego. In her early 20s, she steals items V.I.L.E. has stolen, returning them to their rightful owners and stopping future heists. Her team includes white-hat hacker Player from Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Boston siblings Zack (former race car driver) and Ivy (car mechanic). They thwart V.I.L.E.'s schemes while evading A.C.M.E., a law enforcement agency that suspects Carmen has connections to V.I.L.E. Both V.I.L.E. and A.C.M.E. make mistaken assumptions about her actions. In season one, Carmen acts as a modern-day Robin Hood, traveling the globe and stealing from V.I.L.E. to give back to victims, while most law enforcement perceives her as a master criminal. In season two, Carmen seeks answers about her past while V.I.L.E. tries to recover financially, and the Faculty seeks a new fifth member after Shadowsan joins Carmen. Julia's encouragement leads Carmen and the Chief to form a loose alliance against V.I.L.E.
Characters
Carmen Sandiego, voiced by Gina Rodriguez, is the protagonist and a former V.I.L.E. student who seeks to dissolve the group and donate stolen funds to humanitarian causes. Unlike previous incarnations, she is not a leader of V.I.L.E. She initially believed she was abandoned as a baby in Buenos Aires, but learns in season two that she is the daughter of former V.I.L.E. faculty member Dexter Wolfe, killed by the Chief of A.C.M.E., and that her mother may still be alive. Player, voiced by Finn Wolfhard, is a white-hat hacker from Niagara Falls, Ontario, who provides intel and planning support. Zack, voiced by Michael Hawley, and Ivy, voiced by Abby Trott, are siblings from South Boston who help Carmen after meeting her during a donut shop heist that was a V.I.L.E. front. Ivy runs interference with disguises and engineering skills, while Zack is less experienced and makes mistakes. A.C.M.E., short for Agency to Classify & Monitor Evildoers, is a secret global detective agency that combats V.I.L.E. and seeks to capture Carmen for intel.
Production
The 20-episode series aimed to be as educational as it is entertaining, in keeping with franchise style. Rodriguez confirmed the story on Twitter the following day. The series was set to appeal to ages 6–11, plus parents and original series fans. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Rita Moreno, who voiced Carmen in the FOX animated series, had recently guest-starred on Rodriguez's show Jane the Virgin. The series was described as offering thrilling adventure and intrigue while providing an intimate look into Carmen's past.
Reception
The announcement received positive media response, with TVShowsOnDVD calling the franchise's return to television awesome. Rolling Stone noted the origin story subject matter offered a favorite thematic trapping of television's golden age. Maxim suggested Netflix enlist Rockapella for music. ScreenRant noted that those with fond memories of the property would be intrigued by the new series. Dark Horizons expressed sadness about the two-year wait. Toonzone wondered if the show would maintain the established backstory of Carmen beginning as an A.C.M.E. agent. Gizmodo thought the series would bring the character's edutainment blend to new audiences. Mashable reported fans demanding the series immediately. Pedestrian saw the trend as aiming to trap people in a nostalgia vortex. Fortune suggested huge merchandising potential for Netflix. Rom-Game saw Netflix as indirectly interested in gaming heritage. NerdHQ noted the series offered an opportunity to resuscitate the once-dormant franchise. Various Latina women across the United States were excited and energized by the show's release.
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