Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? (game show) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?
Season 1 Title Card
Based on	Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? published by Broderbund
Directed by	David Turner
Presented by	Kevin Shinick Lynne Thigpen
Starring	The Engine Crew Alaine Kashian John Lathan Owen Taylor (season 1) Jamie Gustis (season 2)
Theme music composer	Sean Altman David Yazbek Randy Vancourt (French Version)
Opening theme	"Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?" by The Engine Crew
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	115
Production
Executive producer(s)	Jay Rayvid Kate Taylor
Producer(s)	Shirley Abraham (senior producer) Howard Lee (supervising producer) Charles Nordlander James Greenberg Dana Calderwood Jonathan Meath
Production location(s)	Kaufman Astoria Studios Queens, New York
Editor(s)	Kevin Conrad
Running time	approx. 28 minutes
Production company(s)	WGBH-TV WQED (TV)
Release
Original network	PBS
Original release	October 7, 1996 (1996-10-07) – December 12, 1997 (1997-12-12)
Chronology
Preceded by	Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?
Related shows	Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? Carmen Sandiego

Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? is an American half-hour children's television game show loosely based on the computer game of the same name created by Broderbund Software. Just like its predecessor, the show was produced by WGBH Boston and WQED Pittsburgh. The program ran for two seasons on PBS, consisting of 115 episodes (65 in Season 1 and 50 in Season 2), which ran from October 7, 1996 to December 12, 1997, with reruns airing until September 25, 1998. The show starred Lynne Thigpen as "The Chief", Kevin Shinick as "ACME Time Pilot Squadron Leader" replacing Greg Lee and "The Engine Crew" who is considered a replacement for Rockpella as various informants. The show replaced Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, and was recorded entirely at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York City.

Gameplay

Before the show began, the viewing audience would see Carmen Sandiego in her V.I.L.E. headquarters (in Season 1, Carmen appeared in a fourth wall type of narration; in Season 2, a surveillance nano-probe filmed Carmen's lair unnoticed) complaining to herself and plotting to steal the historical "seed" of her complaint. Carmen then summoned one of her V.I.L.E. henchmen or henchwomen and told him/her what to steal and where to go. (In Season One, she would shine an 'Info-Beam' to give the details of the object in question; in Season Two, she would give the thief a 'Loot Orb' or 'Cybersphere' to contain it.) The Chief then told the audience that Carmen's chosen henchman had stolen something, which had to be recovered in 28 minutes (the length of each episode) to prevent temporal paradox. The show then began with the Engine Crew preparing the ACME Chronoskimmer (a flying saucer capable of time travel) for launch and then singing the show's theme song while dancing. Afterwards, the Chief would introduce host 'Kevin Shinick'. In the first season, Kevin would enter from the left of the Chronoskimmer. In Season 2, Kevin was seen goofing around in his room until the Chief called him to do the show. He would then enter from the right of the Chronoskimmer.

Round One

Three players (ages 10–14) known as "Time Pilots" competed. Each was given 100 'Power Points' to begin. The Chief identified the stolen object and its source, and various skits give clues to the location. After a skit, three possible answers or locations were shown to the pilots. The viewer could see the individual choices represented by an individual color (pink, green, or blue). Any pilot with the correct answer scored 10 Power Points, with no penalty given for an incorrect answer.

At one point in the game, Carmen's henchman would provide a clue from the viewscreen. The points in time visited followed the historical progression of the "seed" originally stolen. The typical course of the round was as follows:

• Data Boost: At two points during the game (one in the second season), the episode's villain sabotaged the Chronoskimmer. (In Season One, a Data Boost was also done to replenish the Chronoskimmer's 'Fact Fuel'). In Season Two, the Engine Crew would report the problem. During the Boost, Kevin read clues in a given subject and gave the pilots a choice of 2 or 3 answers. The first pilot to buzz in and guess the correct answer scored 5 Power Points, but lost 5 Power Points for wrong answers.
• Global Pursuit: After one skit, the Global Pursuit round was played, for a series of questions were asked, each containing one of three possible answers. Only one pilot could buzz in for 5 Power Points up or down. This round in some episodes came before the Data Boost, and played similarly to the Chase round of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? In season 1, pilots could ring in during the question, as was the case on World. In Season 2, pilots could ring in after Kevin has finished the question in its entirety.
• Ultimate Data Boost: This was just like a normal Data Boost, but the questions were worth plus or minus 10 Power Points.

The two pilots with the highest scores after the first round advanced to the second round, while the third-placed pilot was eliminated from the game. If there was a tie between two pilots for second place, or a three-way tie for first place, a tiebreaker question was asked.

There were also other ways to gain clues:

• Cluefinder: The Cluefinder was an alarm identifying a clue, whereupon a historical figure or object appeared aboard the Chronoskimmer to reveal more clues.
• V.I.L.E. Villain: The show's villain was shown revealing a clue; ostensibly against his or her intention. When this happened, Kevin often exclaimed, "We're losing communications!", if the villain was taking over the ship. On other occasions, the ship's nano-probes would film the villain reporting to Carmen, still giving the clue to the contestants.
• Collision Alert: Where in Kevin conversed with a possible 'future' version of himself, to acquire clues.
• Parallel Universe: Clues were given by Commisaar (an evil Chief) and an evil Kevin from ACME Slimenet, the evil version of ACME Timenet.
• Omnicia: On certain occasions, when Kevin ran out of clues, he would ask the Chief to contact an omniscient informant known as Omnicia. Contacting Omnicia took a lot of power, according to the Chief. She would warn Kevin that they may not have enough power, but Kevin would tell her that they had to risk it.
• Engine Crew's Clues: The Engine Crew sang the clues of the year from the Engine Room. On other occasions, the Engine Crew were in the Chronoskimmer's cafeteria conversing with Libby the Cafeteria Robot (portrayed by Thigpen).
• Intruder Alert: The Intruder Alert alarm alerted Kevin to an intruder in his bedroom, which was Sector 5, where a figure representing his mother revealed the clue.
• Millenia: "The world's oldest woman;" she ostensibly had been around for almost everything. She was portrayed by Thigpen.
• Elephant Guy: A businessman being chased by an elephant gave clues to the time pilots. Portrayed by Owen Taylor.
• The Unknown Explorer: An old bearded sailor riding on a float provided a clue. Portrayed by John Latham.
• ACME Street Entertainers: Three street entertainers (portrayed by The Engine Crew) performed in front of some of the studio audience members and gave out a clue.
• Molecular Generator Clue: Kevin found clues inside the Chronoskimmer's Molecular Generator.
• TIMENET Weather Report: A weather woman with a southern accent (portrayed by Alaine Kashian) gave clues during her weather report.

Round Two

With Kevin on command, the two remaining pilots activated the Loot Tractor Beam to capture the stolen artifact. The Chief then listed eight events, related to the artifact that was stolen, that the pilots had to recite in reverse chronological order. The first pilot to recite the events in the correct order advanced to the Bonus Round to capture Carmen and the day's villain, while the runner-up won a CD player and Carmen Sandiego merchandise.

Bonus Round: The Trail of Time

The winning pilot had a total of ninety seconds to answer questions at several "Time Portals", posed by Carmen, with each portal themed to a particular period of time. All questions were related to the artifact stolen in the day's show and contained two choices each. If the pilot answered a question correctly, the gate opened automatically. If the pilot made the wrong choice, he/she was forced to perform a small manual task to open the gate.

Once through the second gate (or third), the pilot captured the day's villain and began chasing after Carmen. The pilot had to pass through the sixth gate, take what was called a capture crystal, and place it into what was called the "chronolock chamber" in order to capture her.

If Carmen was captured, the pilot was given a computer system and a year of Britannica Online. If she escaped, the pilot received a portable music system in addition to a 32-volume set of Encyclopædia Britannica (in season 1) or an ACME Time Net mission pack (in season 2).

The show always ended with Kevin, the pilot, and the Engine Crew saying: "At ACME Time Net, history is our job, and the future is yours!", followed by the theme song being played again, as they all headed back to the present.

Episodes

Season 1 lasted 65 episodes and ran from October 7, 1996 until January 3, 1997. Season 2 lasted for 50 episodes and ran from October 6, 1997 until December 12, 1997. Reruns of the show continued on PBS until September 25, 1998.

V.I.L.E. gang

Other than playing the Engine Crew, Owen Taylor, Jamie Gustis, Alaine Kashian, and John Lathan as well as James Greenberg (who was also one of the show's producers) and Paula Leggett Chase also portrayed Carmen's V.I.L.E. minions.

• Carmen Sandiego (Janine LaManna, Season 1; Brenda Burke, Season 2) – V.I.L.E.'s mastermind, portrayed as a straight villain. Though her iconic red trench coat and fedora were visible, her face was largely obscured. Carmen herself was played by general cast members Janine LaManna and Brenda Burke. They were not credited, because the actresses also played "good" characters who would help the contestants.
• Baron Wasteland (James Greenberg, Season 1 only) – A moustached villain wearing a V-marked eyepatch; a wealthy aristocrat who loves pollution and enjoys destroying the environment. His name is a play on "barren wasteland" and he is supposedly a native of the Industrial Era. He was only in the first season, being replaced by Buggs Zapper in Season 2 (see below). His getaway animation showed his body shattering into several triangular shards. When assaulting the Chronoskimmer, he would shock it with lightning emitted by his cane. He was the only villain on the show not adapted into the newer version of the computer game, although the game featured a different villain holding the title of baron, that being Baron Grinnit ("grin and bear it").
• Buggs Zapper (James Greenberg, Season 2 only) – Buggs Zapper is a New York-accented gangster with a fear of insects who wears a pinstriped suit and constantly carries an old-fashioned bug sprayer. He was introduced in the second season, replacing Baron Wasteland (see above). In the computer game's manual, it is stated that his only goal in life is to "rub out" a single fly that may exist only in his imagination. When assaulting the Chronoskimmer, he was shown spraying a cloud of pesticide from his bug sprayer into an open hatch. His time era is presumably the 1920s to the 1930s. His name is a play on "bug zapper" and gangster Bugsy Malone.
• Dr. Belljar (Owen Taylor, Season 1) & (Jamie Gustis, Season 2) – A cyborg mad scientist. His name apparently refers to bell jars. He appeared on both of the show's seasons, but his appearance was drastically retooled for the second season. His getaway animation in the first season showed him disintegrated into a multitude of cubes through a device mounted on his wrist. In the second he was simply obscured by television static. In season 1, he assaulted the Chronoskimmer by zapping it with electricity from his fingertips (identified as the 'Misinformation Missile'). In the second season, he sabotaged the systems directly.
• Jacqueline Hyde (Alaine Kashian) – Jacqueline Hyde is a split personality, one ("Jacqueline") being sweet-tempered and innocent with the other ("Hyde") being vindictive and insane. She repeatedly alternates between her personalities, with each surfacing for a few seconds. She wears a red blazer, a pink blouse, a red miniskirt and knee-length stockings, perhaps to suggest a traditional schoolgirl uniform of the early-to-mid-20th century. Her getaway was becoming a sphere and floating from sight. In the first season, she assaulted the Chronoskimmer by throwing an orb of electricity; whereas in the second season, she physically sabotaged the craft at an open maintenance panel. Her name is a play on "Dr. Jeykll & Mr. Hyde".
• Medeva (Paula Leggett Chase) – Medeva is a witch from the Middle Ages who mostly speaks in rhyme. In season one, she assaulted the Chronoskimmer by breathing fire at it; and in the second, she would cast a spell into an open maintenance panel. Her name seems to be a portmanteau of Medea (a sorceress in Greek mythology) and "diva", or a play on the term medieval.
• Sir Vile (John Lathan) – Sir Vile is an obsequious medieval knight. In the first season, his armor was a dull silver; but appeared fiery red in the second. In season one, he assaulted the Chromoskimmer by striking with lightning; whereas in the second season, he was shown ripping a cable from a maintenance panel and breathing fire into the opening. His name is a play on the adjective "servile", owing to how obsequious he acts around Carmen Sandiego.

Prizes

The budget was smaller on this version of the show compared to World. As a result, the grand prize for a winning pilot capturing Carmen was a computer system instead of a trip. If the contestant did not win in the trail of time, he/she received a 32 volume set of encyclopedias and a stereo system. Pilots on all levels received the ACME Time Net Mission Pack, which consisted of: a baseball cap, a T-shirt, a Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? board game, a Where in the U.S.A. Is Carmen Sandiego? board game, a Where in Space is Carmen Sandiego? board game, a plastic watch, an Encyclopædia Britannica World Atlas, and a set of the most recent Carmen Sandiego CD-ROM games (all of which also featured Lynne Thigpen as the Chief). The runner up in round 2 would receive a CD player.

Awards

Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego has been nominated thirteen times for awards. It also won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1998.

International versions

•  Quebec – A French-Canadian version of the show, titled À la poursuite de Carmen Sandiego (In pursuit of Carmen Sandiego), was produced by Radio-Canada between 1998 and 1999 (with reruns airing through at least 2001), shortly after the original American version of the show ended, taped in Montreal using the same set as the American series. The French theme song was written and produced by Randy Vancourt. This version of the show stars Brigitte Paquette as "The Chief", Patrick Labbé as "ACME Time Pilot Squadron Leader", and Daniel Dô, Marie-Hélène Fortin, and Widemir Noumil as "The Engine Crew". Gameplay in this version stayed the same as the original, with each pilot going through all six gates and capturing Carmen wins a grand prize package that included a mountain bike instead of a computer system. Joe Bocan played Carmen Sandiego.