Part 1 - Carmen Sandiego
In 1991, I would have been 6 years old, in 1st grade at Granger Elementary (now called South Union Elementary) with a young and eager mind excited to learn new things. By this time, I had already taken a liking to detectives, crime-solving, and was a fan of Dick Tracy. So when I saw this new game show that combined learning with crime-solving while presenting it in a fun and exciting way, I knew it was something special.
Just looking at that logo is causing the nostalgic vibes to rush back to me.
You know how nowadays, when we watch a show like Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy!, we yell the answers at the screen, showing everyone in the room how much better we are than them? That was me for Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?. Especially if they were dealing with North America, cause I knew I had that shit ON LOCK!
The show was hosted by Greg Lee, who I first saw on Double Dare and later heard via his voice work on Doug. He now works in Nashville, TN in a variety show called Tokens. I may have to go check them out and try to get a picture. Hmm.
"The Chief" was played by Lynne Thigpen, who was a well decorated stage and screen actress. This would be my first observation of her talents, later on, I watched the movie version of Godspell that she was in religiously (pun intended FOR SURE) in preparation for our high school's production of it, and she is also the voice of the Radio DJ in The Warriors which would become one of my favorite movies ever. Sadly, Ms. Thigpen is no longer with us after passing away in 2003, just months after the release of her final film, Anger Management, appearing alongside Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson.
The big star for me, however, was Rockapella. The house band/comedy troupe who found there way in more and more parts of the show, always brought a smile to my face and began my interest in a cappella music. Also, no matter how old I get, even after I show signs of Alzheimer's, I will always remember every single word to the theme song.
You're welcome for getting that stuck in your head.
The voice acting was superb as well. Since every criminal had to make a phone call to Carmen, giving the Gumshoes a clue. I always loved Double Trouble since they talked like Jack Nicholson. Every character was unique and added a lot to the show.
I always wanted to be a Gumshoe. Usually the age of the contestants was around 10 - 14 years old. Unfortunately for me, when I became 10 in 1995, the show was in its final season and I missed my chance. Of course, I thought I could just send a letter and be on the show. We did have a contest in 4th grade to potentially win a spot on the show. We had to solve a few geography questions and hope we got them all right and selected to be on the show. I was so proud that I was the first in my class to get it done and was VERY confident I had all the right answers, but I was never selected. It's ok...I'm not repressing any anger or disappointment or anything...
Of course, Carmen Sandiego began as a video game. There are around 20 or so iterations that cover the PC and older consoles. Young Jeff never got into those games, though. They involved reading and patience, two things that Young Jeff didn't have yet. The Jeff of NOW enjoys those games a lot.
By the time Where in the World became Where in Time, I had moved on to other things and it did not hook me the way the original show did. There was also a cartoon called Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego that I watched occasionally, but again, that original show grabbed me and never let go and I will always cherish those years. I will also thank the good Lord for YouTube, which still has full episodes. Enjoy one!
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? was absolutely one of my favorite shows and really helped me and my growing mind. I will always be thankful to have experienced this in my youth and will always jam out to that theme song. You should also search YouTube for more of Rockapella's stuff. The lineup may have changed over the years, but they are still fantastic musicians.
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