Carmen Sandiego (TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carmen Sandiego
Genre	Action-Adventure Comedy Mystery-Drama Educational
Developed by	Duane Capizzi
Directed by	Jos Humphrey Kenny Park Mike West
Voices of	Gina Rodriguez Finn Wolfhard Michael Hawley Abby Trott
Theme music composer	Jared Lee Gosselin
Opening theme	"Carmen Sandiego" performed by Raquel Castro
Composer(s)	Steve D'Angelo Lorenzo Castelli
Country of origin	Canada United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	32 (+1 special)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Caroline Fraser C.J. Kettler Anne Loi Kirsten Newlands
Producer(s)	Brian Hulme
Running time	24–33 minutes
Production company(s)	WildBrain Studios HMH Productions I Can & I Will Productions
Release
Original network	Netflix CITV
Original release	January 18, 2019 (2019-01-18) – January 15, 2021 (2021-01-15)
Chronology
Related shows	Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?

Carmen Sandiego is an exciting animated TV show from Canada and America. It's full of action, adventure, and even helps you learn! The series is based on the popular games and shows by Broderbund.

This show tells the origin story of Carmen Sandiego. She is known as a famous thief, but in this series, you learn how she became who she is. It's the fourth TV show about Carmen Sandiego. Previous shows included game shows like Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? and Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?, plus an animated series called Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?. This new show is the first since 1999!

You'll see many familiar faces from the 35-year history of Carmen Sandiego. Of course, Carmen herself is here, first seen in the original World video game. The Chief, Player, Zack, Ivy, Chase Devineaux, and Julia Argent also appear.

The first season of Carmen Sandiego came out on Netflix on January 18, 2019. A second season followed on October 1, 2019. The show was so popular that a third season was released on October 1, 2020. Finally, the fourth and last season came out on January 15, 2021.

What is Carmen Sandiego About?

The story begins with a young orphan girl, known as Black Sheep. She was found in Buenos Aires, Argentina, about 20 years ago. She grew up and trained to be a master thief at V.I.L.E. Academy. This school for villains is located on the Isle of V.I.L.E. in the Canary Islands.

Black Sheep thought the island and its teachers were her family. But she soon learned the truth about V.I.L.E.'s evil plans. She decided to leave and became Carmen Sandiego. Her new goal? To stop V.I.L.E. by stealing back what they had already taken. She returns these treasures to their rightful owners.

Carmen works with her trusted friends. Player is a white-hat hacker who helps her with information and tech support. Boston siblings Zack and Ivy assist her on the ground. They often create distractions or drive getaway vehicles. Carmen cares deeply for her team. Together, they try to stop V.I.L.E.'s plans for global control. All this happens while they are also on the run from A.C.M.E., a secret government agency. A.C.M.E. wants to arrest both V.I.L.E. and Carmen.

A funny part of the show is that both V.I.L.E. and A.C.M.E. often misunderstand Carmen's actions. They think she's a regular criminal, but she's actually trying to do good!

In the first season, Carmen is like a modern-day Robin Hood. She travels the world, taking from V.I.L.E. and giving back to their victims. She wears her famous red outfit. Player, Zack, and Ivy are always by her side. Law enforcement sees Carmen as a master criminal because her heists are so big and dramatic. The season makes you wonder, "Who is Carmen Sandiego?"

Season two focuses on Carmen looking for answers about her past. Meanwhile, V.I.L.E. struggles with money problems. The V.I.L.E. teachers try to find a new member after Shadowsan joins Carmen. Carmen and the Chief of A.C.M.E. even form a loose team to take down V.I.L.E.

In season three, Carmen disappears for months. She is searching for clues about her mother. Julia quits A.C.M.E. because the Chief doesn't trust Carmen. V.I.L.E. moves its base to Scotland. They send new agents to capture Carmen.

Season four shows V.I.L.E. using robot agents after many failed attempts to steal gold. They even capture and brainwash Carmen! She then helps them get rich again. But Graham helps A.C.M.E. bring the real Carmen back. Carmen finally finds and meets her mother. Shadowsan retires, and Zack and Ivy join A.C.M.E. to fight crime. After V.I.L.E. falls apart, A.C.M.E. hunts down its remaining members, sometimes with Carmen's help.

Meet the Characters

Main Heroes

• Carmen Sandiego / 'Black Sheep' (voiced by Gina Rodriguez) – She is the main hero of the show. Carmen wants to break up V.I.L.E. and give their stolen money to good causes. She uses her charity, Black Sheep Inc., to do this. Unlike older versions, this Carmen was never a leader of V.I.L.E. She was found as a baby in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She trained at V.I.L.E. Academy but left when she saw their true evil. She took her name from a hat tag she used as a disguise. Her friends call her "Carm" or "Red." In season two, Carmen learns her father was Dexter Wolfe, a V.I.L.E. member who was killed. She also learns her mother might still be alive, and finding her becomes her new goal.
• Player (voiced by Finn Wolfhard) – Player is a skilled white-hat hacker from Niagara Falls, Ontario. He helps Carmen plan her missions and gives her information. He tells her about places, local police, and V.I.L.E. activities. Player is inspired by a character from the Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? show. This version of Player actually meets Carmen in person in season 4. He is a loyal friend to Carmen.
• Zack (voiced by Michael Hawley) and Ivy (voiced by Abby Trott) – These are twin siblings from South Boston. They help Carmen after meeting her during a donut shop heist. Ivy is older and often helps Carmen with disguises or engineering. She is also more knowledgeable than Zack. Zack sometimes makes mistakes when undercover. He often drives the getaway vehicles.
• Shadowsan / Suhara (voiced by Paul Nakauchi) – He is a Japanese master thief and a skilled swordsman. He used to teach stealth at V.I.L.E. Academy. In season one, Shadowsan secretly helped Carmen. He revealed he found her as a baby in Argentina and wanted to protect her from V.I.L.E. He joins Carmen's team in season two. His real name is Suhara. He helps Carmen search for her mother. Shadowsan sees Carmen's team as his family.

A.C.M.E. Agents

A.C.M.E. stands for Agency to Classify & Monitor Evildoers. It's a secret law enforcement group that fights V.I.L.E. They want to find proof to shut down V.I.L.E. They also try to capture Carmen and her team to get information.

• The Chief / Tamara Fraser (voiced by Dawnn Lewis) – She is the head of A.C.M.E. and supervises all their missions. She usually appears as a hologram. The Chief believes Carmen can help them find V.I.L.E. In season two, it's revealed her name is Tamara Fraser. She was involved in the death of Carmen's father, Dexter Wolfe. This event made her obsessed with finding V.I.L.E.
• Chase Devineaux (voiced by Rafael Petardi) – Chase is a French Interpol inspector who later joins A.C.M.E. He and Julia are the only agents who have seen Carmen's face up close. He can be a bit arrogant and overestimates himself. In season three, Chase realizes Julia was right about Carmen. He decides to secretly help Carmen stop V.I.L.E.
• Julia Argent (voiced by Charlet Chung) – Julia is an Interpol agent who also joins A.C.M.E. She is Chase's partner and is very smart and observant. Julia is more open to believing Carmen is actually stealing from other thieves. In season two, she tries to get Carmen to join A.C.M.E. She quits A.C.M.E. in season three because the Chief doesn't trust Carmen.
• Zari (voiced by Sharon Muthu) – Zari is a focused and efficient A.C.M.E. agent. She becomes Argent's partner in season two. Her loyalty is mainly to the Chief.

V.I.L.E. Villains

V.I.L.E. stands for Villains' International League of Evil. They also use the cover name Valuable Imports, Lavish Exports. They are a secret group of thieves and the main bad guys in the show. Their main base is on one of the Canary Islands, where they run V.I.L.E. Academy to train new thieves. After season two, their island base is destroyed. V.I.L.E. then moves to a castle in Scotland in season three.

The Faculty

These are the five masterminds who lead V.I.L.E. They are also the teachers at V.I.L.E. Academy. Carmen once thought they were her family before she betrayed them. They all have equal power and make decisions by voting.

• Professor Gunnar Maelstrom (voiced by Liam O'Brien) – He is a Swedish and Norwegian psychiatrist. He teaches psychological manipulation. He often acts as the leader and spokesperson for the Faculty.
• Coach Brunt (voiced by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn) – She is a Texan coach who teaches combat and physical training. Carmen used to like her the most, and they had a soft spot for each other. Brunt was very upset when Carmen left V.I.L.E.
• Countess Cleo (voiced by Toks Olagundoye) – She is a wealthy Egyptian socialite. She teaches culture, class, and forgery. Her crimes usually involve stealing fine art and fashion.
• Dr. Saira Bellum (voiced by Sharon Muthu) – She is an Indian mad scientist and V.I.L.E.'s main inventor. She teaches technology and science. Dr. Bellum creates all the gadgets and tools V.I.L.E. uses. She loves cats!
• Roundabout / Nigel Braithwaite (voiced by Trevor Devall) – He is a British double-agent who joins the V.I.L.E. Faculty in season two. He uses his influence in British intelligence to help V.I.L.E. avoid being caught. By the end of season three, he is exposed as a criminal.

V.I.L.E. Operatives

• Tigress / Sheena (voiced by Kari Wahlgren) – She is a spy who wears a catsuit and mask. Tigress is often against Carmen, even when they were at the Academy. She is the longest-running opponent Carmen faces.
• El Topo / Antonio (voiced by Andrew Pifko) and Le Chevre / Jean Paul (voiced by Bernardo de Paula) – They are a pair of V.I.L.E. agents who were friends with Carmen before she left. El Topo is a Spanish spy with digging gauntlets. Le Chevre is a French spy with amazing parkour skills. After V.I.L.E. falls apart, they open a food truck together.
• Paper Star (voiced by Kimiko Glenn) – She is a master of origami weapons. Paper Star is Maelstrom's favorite student. Shadowsan thinks she is too unpredictable.
• Mime Bomb – He is a silent spy who dresses as a mime artist. He is often used by the Faculty to spy on students. He communicates through charades or sign language.
• The Cleaners / Boris and Vlad (voiced by Liam O'Brien) – These two men are V.I.L.E.'s cleaning crew. They also act as "men-in-black" agents. They are sent to rescue failed V.I.L.E. members and remove any evidence of V.I.L.E.'s existence. They are quiet and efficient.
• Cookie Booker (voiced by Rita Moreno) – She is V.I.L.E.'s bookkeeper and finance expert. Rita Moreno was the voice of Carmen Sandiego in the 1994 animated series.
• Dash Haber (voiced by Troy Baker) – He is Countess Cleo's personal assistant. Dash Haber uses his hat, which has sharp blades, as a weapon.
• Lady Dokuso (voiced by Sumalee Montano) – She is a skilled poison expert and a veteran V.I.L.E. agent. She has excellent reflexes and acrobatics.
• Neal the Eel (voiced by Rhys Darby) – He is a thief from New Zealand who wears a wet suit. This suit lets him slip through tight spaces. He mostly works for Dr. Bellum.
• Spin Kick (voiced by Dante Basco) – He is a new V.I.L.E. graduate who specializes in kickboxing. He often partners with Fly Trap.
• Fly Trap (voiced by Sarah-Nicole Robles) – She is a new V.I.L.E. graduate who uses bolas. She partners with Spin Kick.
• The Troll (voiced by Osric Chau) – He is a skilled Korean internet hacker. He is like an evil version of Player. He is very good at hacking and collecting data.

Former Members

• Graham Calloway (voiced by Michael Goldsmith) – Also known as Gray or Crackle, he was Carmen's best friend at V.I.L.E. Academy. After a failed mission, Dr. Bellum erased his memories. He later helps Carmen and eventually helps A.C.M.E. bring Carmen back from being brainwashed.
• Dexter Wolfe / The Wolf – He was Carmen's father and a former V.I.L.E. Faculty member. He was a master thief who loved the thrill of stealing. He was accidentally killed by Tamara Fraser (the future Chief of A.C.M.E.) when he tried to leave V.I.L.E. with baby Carmen.

Episode Guide

Series Overview

Season 1 (2019)

Season 2 (2019)

Special (2020)

Season 3 (2020)

Season 4 (2021)

Images for kids

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  Promotional material for the series

See also

In Spanish: Carmen Sandiego (serie de televisión) para niños