Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (game show)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Game Show |
| Starring | Lynne Thigpen as The Chief Greg Lee as Host Rockapella as House Vocal Band and Comedy Troupe |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | PBS |
| Original run | 1991 – 1996 (renamed Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?) |
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? was a popular children's television game show, loosely based off the computer game of the same name. It aired on PBS from 1991 to 1996 and was hosted by Greg Lee with Lynne Thigpen as "The Chief" and Rockapella as the house vocal band and comedy troupe (Rockapella featured Barry Carl, Sean Altman, Elliot Kerman, and Scott Leonard - Jeff Thacher joined for the final season). The show's theme song, penned by Altman and David Yazbek, is one of the most well-known TV themes in television history, according to the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. The show holds the record as being the longest running game show on PBS and is the second longest running kids' game show behind Double Dare.
Contents |
[edit] Rules of the Game
[edit] Round One
Each contestant (better known as gumshoes), was given 50 ACME Crime Bucks (the show's official currency) to begin the round. Various comedy sketches were performed, and each provided clues to a geographical location of the day's crook. Many of these sketches involved song parodies performed by Rockapella, or animations featuring well-informed fish, dog-and-cat rappers, as well as celebrities, a dying informant (who provided valuable clues just as he [sometimes she] died multiple times), the Chief, and more. One in particular that was always a fan favorite was Nana Rap, an animated grandmother who danced to a rap song. After the clues were provided, a map and three possible locations, all within proximity to one another, were shown to the players. Each player simultaneously selected their answer, and then revealed their answers to the host. Each correct answer earned a player 10 crime bucks.
[edit] Lightning Round
After three sketches were performed, the game moved to the "Lightning Round" (which always began with a cheesy lightning effect). Host Lee read three questions about the last location visited, and for each question gave the players a choice of 3 answers. The first to buzz in with the right answer scored 5 crime bucks.
After the Lightning Round, Greg was always called into the Chief's office for a special briefing or conversation. This was used as a comedy break, an opportunity for a bizarre interaction between The Chief and Greg. In one program, for example, the Chief's office was turned into Grand Central Station, filled with racing commuters and a giant clock. In another, The Chief and Greg farmed pretzels on her desk. To end the break the Chief would say, "Greg, go away."
After the break, the contestants watched an animated "Phone Tap" between Carmen and the day's crook, courtesy of Acme Bug Net. Several other clues were presented, and questions answered. Two or three more skits and questions took place after the Lightning Round, before the next break.
[edit] "Greg Lee's Training Excersise"
In the final season, a new mini-game was added. Greg and the players would head out into the alleyway of the set, and then come across a few trash cans. Most of the time, as a running gag, Barry Carl's voice would intone, as Greg opened the trash bin, "WARNING! This bag is full, and can only be activated by saying 'Swordfish.'" Then something other than a swordfish would come out. Once that was done, Greg then grabbed a card with a flag of a country. The players then took a few seconds to grab the card out of the bin. Each of the players would then give a clue (ie, language, government) as to what it had to with the country in question. The first person to guess the right nation earned 10 Acme Crime Bucks, and the game would go to the phone tap.
[edit] The Chase
Starting with season 2, there was a new series of five questions known as "The Chase" (beginning with a funny chase scene performed by Rockapella and occasionally with the Chief participating). While the Lightning Round asked questions related to the last visited country, The Chase provided clues about countries within proximity to the location last visited, indicating that the gumshoes were close on the trail. Each question had three locations as choices and the first player to buzz in with the right answer received 5 crime bucks. As with the Lightning Round, there was no penalty assesed for an incorrect response, though unlike the Lightning Round, only one player may buzz in and answer.
[edit] Final Skit
After a few more clues or The Chase, host Lee showed the players one more map, in this case before the skit was performed. Players were asked to make a wager of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 Acme Crime Bucks, on their ability to provide a correct answer. The final skit was performed and players locked in their guesses. Anyone with a right answer had their wager added to their score, and anyone with a wrong answer had their wager subtracted from their score. The top two players at this point moved on to the day's crook's Jailtime Challenge (Round 2), while the third-placed player was eliminated and given a package of parting gifts called the ACME Travel Kit, from the Chief herself. This package typically included a World Atlas, an official Carmen Sandiego wristwatch and t-shirt (or sweatshirt), a subscription to National Geographic World magazine, and an inflatable world globe (later changed to a basketball globe) which the Chief would either try to make a basket from behind her back or even slam dunked it into the basket in the corner of her office.
In case of a tie for 2nd place, the host read clues related to a famous person or place (typically a US state). Players can buzz in as often as they want, and the first person to buzz in with the correct answer moved on to Round Two. Generally speaking, the last clue would contain the answer (for example, "This state's capital, Oklahoma City, is the only one whose name contains the name of the state").
[edit] Round Two "(Crook's Name)'s Jailtime Challenge"
The two remaining contestants "travelled" to the final destination from round one, where The Chief described various landmarks in that country or city (or, sometimes, region). Often, these descriptions were silly; the writers always used this sequence as an opportunity to poke fun (in one notable visit to Key West, for example, the camera zoomed in on graffiti on a small landmark, and the Chief openly scolded the people who had spray painted their initials on a marker). Fifteen names of the local landmarks were placed on a board. Hidden behind three of the landmarks are the loot that was stolen at the beginning of the show, the warrant to arrest the crook, and the crook him/herself.
The player in the lead after Round 1 would play first (if the two players were tied, a coin flip determines who goes first). If a contestant found any of the three key items, he or she could select again. If the player finds a pair of shoeprints (which means nothing there or nothing happened), their turn is over and the location (including the ones in which one or two of the things needed to win) was/were flipped back around. The shoeprints also gave a hint to the other player, by pointing to right or left, on where one of the key items are located. Players alternated turns until one player found the loot, the warrant, and the crook, in that order (it is explained that the loot is the evidence needed to get a warrant and that the warrant is needed to arrest the crook) in a single turn, without gettting the shoeprints, (the first one or two episodes in the first season did not require the correct order). The first player to do that won the game (and the right to "throw the criminal in jail" by pulling on a hanging chain and the foghorn sounds), 30 Crime Bucks (an unmentioned prize for capturing the crook), and advanced to Carmen's Maparama (Bonus Round) to try to find Carmen Sandiego herself. Confetti was dropped after they found all three items in the correct order.
The odds of getting the loot, warrant, and crook in that order on the first try are 1:2730.
If the player that picked first happened to win the game on the first turn, he or she not only won the game, but also got the chance to win a $500 savings bond. The bond was hidden behind one of the remaining twelve landmarks, and the player was given 5 chances to find it. Winning the game on the first turn is so rare that in the history of the show, this happened only in Episode #6, which featured the shortest 2nd Round of the show ever.
[edit] Bonus Round "Carmen's Maparama"
In the bonus round, the winner was given the chance to catch Carmen Sandiego herself. If the contestant was successful, he/she won a trip to any location in the continental United States, expanded to anywhere in North America after the first season.
After the Gumshoe wrote down their desired trip destination, they received a phone call from the crook who was just arrested. The crook gave the general location of Carmen Sandiego, one of five continents (North America, South America, Europe, Africa, or Asia) or the United States (used only in seasons 1 & 2 and then replaced by North America afterwards). The Chief then gave a list of 12 (later 13) possible locations Carmen may have traveled -- either countries, capital cities, bodies of water, or national parks (all four used in Season 3 and beyond), on that continent (or states or state capital cities if the United States was used). Then the contestant was presented with a map that covers the floor of the studio, with dots marking the cities, squares marking national parks, and arrows marking bodies of water.
As Greg read the locations, the Gumshoe had to place a marker with a red flashing siren light on the correct location on the map. If the Gumshoe placed the marker on the correct location, the light flashed, the siren went off and the player was given the next location. If he or she was wrong, the Gumshoe is given one more chance to move the marker. After two incorrect guesses, the Gumshoe leaves the marker right where it was, and another location was read.
If within 45 seconds (60 in some season 1 episodes when using an Asia map), the player could successfully identify 7 locations on the map (8 after the first season), the player captured Carmen Sandiego and won the trip, if not they won a consolation prize (or occasionally a Crime Buck for each correct location). After the game, a newspaper headline graphic is shown:
After a WIN: [contestant's name] CAPTURES CARMEN! (from season 4 onward, the picture of Carmen would also be placed behind bars). For example, if the winner is named Eric Costello, the headline will say "Eric Costello Captures Carmen!".
After a LOSS: CARMEN ESCAPES AGAIN! (from season 4 onward, the picture of Carmen would also disappear leaving a white shadow against the picture's background).
Accompanied by these sound effects:
AFTER A WIN: Clangs and Sirens (similar to The Price Is Right's clangs and sirens) and a jail locking sound.
Confetti was sometimes dropped after the kid captures Carmen.
AFTER A LOSS: A laser zap.
Selecting the location of the trip prior to the round often posed difficulties for nervous contestants in the studio.[citation needed] Contestants were relieved of the pressure when told that their choice could be changed after the program was recorded.[citation needed]
From the contestant's perspective, the map of the continent was upside-down during the final round, and was often the reason many contestants gave if they lost that final round.
One contestant fell during the bonus round and injured himself. The episode stopped taping and never was shown.[citation needed]
Crime Bucks were never converted into cash, it was only usable for buying school supplies.
[edit] Consolation prizes
For the eliminated contestants, they receive a set of consolation prizes called the ACME Travel Kit. Some of the consolation prizes on the show included:
- (only for a final round win) A Carmen Sandiego "Sleuth" Jacket
- (only for a final round loss) A portable CD player, and a library of CDs from around the world (Seasons 1-3)
- (also for a final round loss) A boom box (around season 4)
- (also for a final round loss) A portable color television (Seasons 4 and 5)
- (if 7 countries were identified correctly in a final round loss) A camera
- 52 Issues of National Geographic World Magazine
- "Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?" for Computer
- The "Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?" Home Game
- A Sony Walkman
- A Texas Instruments Calculator
- A Rockapella CD featuring the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? theme song
- A World Atlas
- An Inflatable Globe, later changed to a basketball globe
- Tickets to a Rockapella Concert
- A pocket translator
- A world-band radio
- A 199X World Encyclopedia Set
- A Merriam-Webster's Dictionary and Thesaurus
- A Lunchbox w/ $20 worth of Food
- A Carmen Sandiego T-Shirt and Cap
[edit] The Trips
For each trip, the winning contestant, their parent, and a guest, will fly on a round-trip coach (courtesy of Delta Airlines; the offical airline of the show) from New York City to the selected location. The contestant will spend a one week stay at a selected hotel of their choice (usually the Holiday Inn, the offical hotel of the show). Rental Car is not included (later in Season 3, the Rental Car is included). The contestant also received $100 (increased to $200 in Season 2, $500 in the final season) spending money.
[edit] Ending
The show is noted for concluding with Greg, finalist, and audience pointing and yelling "Do it Rockapella!" into the camera, signifying the group to begin again their title song for the animated closing credits (members of Carmen's gang held up the names of production staff members). After the credits, the audience was invited onto the map to dance. Greg and Rockapella would dance with audience members and the eliminated contestants would come out to dance with the finalist. Afterwards, starting in the second season, the Chief would say "This is Lynne Thigpen speaking for Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, and remember, (something funny in rhyme)." "This is Lynn Thigpen speaking for Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, See ya next time!" is heard in all of the first season, and in some episodes of subsequent seasons.
[edit] Home Viewer Contest
Starting in season three, home viewers were asked to participate in a contest. They were told to write down what was stolen and from where on each day's show. If they wrote down four correct loots & locations on a postcard and sent it to the show's address, they won a Carmen Sandiego t-shirt. Five names of winning viewers were shown each day.
[edit] Rockapella voiceovers
Aside from providing the theme song for the show, Rockapella also supplied many of the sound effects and voiceovers. For a list of sound effects Rockapella did, click here.
[edit] Featured crooks
Some of the crooks featured on the show were:
- Contessa: a so-called criminal of style. (Left after season 1, returned in 4 with a new look)
- Double Trouble: a pair of different-colored Conjoined twins
- Eartha Brute: a muscle bound woman with a beehive hairdo
- Patty Larceny: a ditzy, blonde schoolgirl (a pun of "petty larceny")
- Robocrook: a parody of RoboCop
- Top Grunge: a large smelly biker with flies hovering over his head
- Vic the Slick: a shifty salesman in a loud polyester suit
- Kneemoi: an alien from the planet Roddenberry with a round body and two tentacled arms (a pun on Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame and Star Trek's creator Gene Roddenberry) (Debuted in season 2)
- Sarah Nade: a punk rocker teenager who loved concerts and singing. (named after the word serenade) (Debuted in season 3) and also appeared in the computer game
- Wonder Rat: a parody of Superman and Batman who flew with a helicopter (Debuted in season 2)
- Carmen and her crooks were, in contrast to the live-action actors and the child contestants, portrayed as cartoon characters. They were never shown directly interacting with the live-action people.
- Some crooks (example: Patty Larceny) will cry after Rockapella sings "(crooks name)'s in jail".
[edit] Production Notes
- The program was developed for television by Howard Blumenthal, Dorothy Curley, and Dana Calderwood.
- The series was produced by WGBH, Boston and WQED, Pittsburgh.
- Contestants were required to reside in the New York City area.
- The executive producers were Jay Rayvid and Kate Taylor. The directors were Dana Calderwood and Hugh Martin. The programs were produced by Howard Blumenthal, Jonathan Meath, and Ariel Schwartz. The series' writers included McPaul Smith, Charles Nordlander, Dorothy Curley, and James Greenberg. The original stage settings were designed by Jim Fenhagen; subsequent art direction by Laura Brock.
- The first season's programs were recorded at Chelsea Studios in Manhattan; subsequent seasons were recorded at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens.
- The program series was also produced, using the same format, as a local production in Spain and in Italy
- The show was funded primarily by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and by the annual financial support of Viewers Like You. Delta Air Lines, Holiday Inn and Toyota also provided funding at various points during the run.
- During the funding credits, on a space background, a rotating CGI model of the earth would spin and pull in the names of the PBS stations that presented it, WQED Pittsburgh and WGBH Boston, respectively. Then the funder logos would fade in over the globe, while Lynne Thigpen otherwise known as The Chief would read this speech: "This program is presented by WQED Pittsburgh and WGBH Boston. And as always, gumshoes, Carmen's gang is bankrolled by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Viewers Like You." After the funding credits, either the 1989-1993 PBS logo or the 1993-1999 PBS Kids logo would be shown at the very end.
- 65 episodes were produced each season (except for the last 2 which each have 50 episodes) and were shown four times a year.
- The show was canceled after five seasons and 295 episodes on October 4, 1996. It was replaced by Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?.
[edit] Episode Status
All episodes exist (except for the unaired episode with the injured Gumshoe), but have not been in reruns since October 1996. So far, only two episodes are available to be viewed again. The tapes have been converted from analog to digibeta tape. Although a rumor has stated that the show is going to reruns in September '07.
[edit] Trivia
- On the first few episodes, a slightly different scoring system was used. Contestants started with 125 ACME Crime Bucks, with correct answers resulting in a certain amount of points being subtracted, and incorrect answers costing the players even more points (it was confusing, and so it was changed after the first few episodes were recorded). In addition, to change the pace of the game, a lightning round was added. Also in these episodes, when a map of the United States was used, the markers placed on the map in the bonus round were flags of each state; if the answer was correct, a fluorescent light on the flagpole would light up. The flags often obscured the judges' view of the contestant's placement, so they were replaced by markers with flashing lights.
- On some early episodes, host Lee would read a description of a location before giving the name of the location itself in the bonus round; this led to many people losing the bonus round waiting for him to finish reading, and was soon changed to Lee strictly reading the name of the location.
- On a few early episodes, the limit on the amount of crimebucks that could be wagered was 25, and was in increments of 5.
- During one special occasion, Marc Summers joined Greg Lee in one of the questions of the 1st round. Summers was dressed in Greg's signature blue jacket, khakis, and Converse gym shoes. The connection may be that Greg Lee was one of the helpers on Summers' signature, Nickelodeon's Double Dare.[citation needed]
- During the first season, the Chief and Greg would wear a matching red or green suit and jacket, respectively. Starting with the second season, the Chief's suit was always red and yellow and Greg's jacket was always blue.
- Rockapella was not available for the taping of a handful of episodes. For those shows, the group's key bits (such as the introductory song and bonus round singing) would be prerecorded.
- In one episode, the gumshoes are made up of 3 2-player teams, instead of the usual 3 individual players.
- Also during the first season, the chief would introduce the contestants and talk directly to them. In season two and beyond, the chief stopped doing that, and Rockapella bass singer Barry Carl handled the intros.
- One episode was a celebrity episode from 1992. It features teen celebrities from various TV shows, teaming up with real contestants to play on the show to earn money for charity and prizes to a lucky viewer. The celebrities are Jeremy Miller (from Growing Pains), Mayim Bialik (from Blossom), and Tatyana Ali (from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). In that episode Double Trouble stole Tianamen Square.
- Occasionally when the show ended early, filler segments would be added to the episode to fill the allotted time. For the first season, audience members entering the Chief's office to answer a geography question. If answered correctly, the audience member would win a Carmen Sandiego t-shirt; if wrong he/she won an atlas. In season two and beyond, songs by Rockapella were featured, including "Zombie Jamboree" and "Capital", a song of state capitals.
- The show received the George Foster Peabody Award for excellence in 1993.
- There was an episode towards the end of the run where, in order to get a clue for the first part of the game, Greg Lee had to go backstage to talk with an "informant." He gets the clue from two random crew members who are arguing about shoeprints (nothing) behind the wall for the 2nd round. This gave away some of the potential searching locations for Round 2 later in the show (The Wood Islands were one of the locations here).
- Following the completion of taping of the first season of shows in 1991, massive geopolitical changes in the world (such as the dissolution of the USSR) rendered the entire season as geographically inaccurate and have never aired in reruns since then. Later seasons included the extremely uncommon practice of displaying the specific tape date in the credits along with Thigpen's disclaimer: "All geographic information was accurate as of the date this program was recorded."
- In one episode, a contestant named Tahare Campbell was eliminated due to a geographical error. In Season 3, he returned and won his way to the final round and captured Carmen. The chief at the end said, "Due to a geographical error, Tahare Campbell will return on a future episode, and the program edited."
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Rules @ Loogaroo's Page
- Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Rules at the Jackpot Page
- Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? at the Internet Movie Database
- Sean Altman official site
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since March 2007 | Articles with large trivia sections | Carmen Sandiego | American game shows | Children's game shows | 1990s American television series | Programs produced by WGBH | Television programs based on video games | Peabody Award winners | PBS network shows
