Carmen Sandiego

I've been a fan of the animated series "Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?" ever since it first came out in 1994, and despite the fact that it's now on only on reruns, I still like to watch what I consider is one of the best animated series I've ever seen.

Why do I like the series so much? Well, my initial attraction was the fact that it taught geography lessons in a very fun context, and it's still an attraction to me today. Also, it is really well-drawn, with neat scenes of various locations around the world. However, my favorite thing about the series is not the mixture of humor and education, or the scenery, but the story and the characters.

In the show, Carmen Sandiego is the world's greatest thief. She is chased around the world by Acme sister/brother detectives Ivy and Zack, and the Chief, a holographic figure, plus the occasional assistance of fellow Acme detectives. Also helping is a Player in front of a computer screen. Carmen is assisted in her capers by various henchmen, some named, others unknown. Carmen always steals a few items, but the items are recovered, while Carmen escapes.

I like Ivy, Zack, and the Chief for various reasons (the Chief's so funny; Zack is sometimes funny, but also very intelligent, as his knowledge of languages and computers indicates, and Ivy is really courageous and skilled in a fight), but interestingly enough, my favorite character is Carmen herself. She's a thief, but she never harms anyone, and doesn't steal for the money, but primarily for the challenge of a certain caper and for the artistic value of an object. That makes her a fascinating mixture of good and bad. She's very mature, and has many great quotes which get you thinking. One time she tells the Player that a philosopher once said that competition can make you stronger. When she's asked which philosopher said that, Carmen says, "Me!" I love that line! Also, she sure has style, what with her red coat and fedora cocked at just the right angle! And she has a great deal of knowledge of many subjects. I usually don't admire criminals, but Carmen's an exception. And she's the main reason why I love the series now and think it one of the best animated series out there.

Belle Book

I haven't watched this show in about 3+ years and I've decided to revisit it. It is just as epic as I first watched it. It's suspenseful, educational and fun. I absolutely love it and recommend it.

I hate how the Chief of Acme is just a floating, surreal head. They should have a) made the chief an android/robot b) have the hologram be a live image of a human Chief with a complete body c) have the chief be a human that talks to Zack and Ivy in person.

Also why did the series have to be centered around two novice, teen "detectives" that do not take the initiative. Each episode should alternate between teams. There should have also been a variation of whether Carmen S. escapes or gets caught. Acme agents rarely use gadgets to catch Carmen while Carmen uses gadgets to steal and escape.

The C-5 is also cheesy. Why is ACME the only agency to have teleportation

This show was wonderfully done. It contained a storyline that could be enjoyed by both children and adults. The stories were simple enough to be understood, yet they had some concepts that were aimed at the older audience.

One such theme was of true good and evil. At first, you saw Carmen as the villain of the series, but her character was developed so that she basically had shades of gray. She was a thief yes, but she was "a crook with class" as detective Zack called her. She never harmed anyone in her capers and even saved the lives of the detectives (Zack and Ivy) who pursued her.

Somehow, this series well mixed these interesting storylines with humor (mostly provided by the wacky Chief) and educational value. At times the education seemed a bit thrown in, but overall, the facts fit in with the dialogue and plot.

A tip of the hat to everyone at Dic Animation for this series!