Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego
| Carmen Sandiego | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Created by | Broderbund |
| Original work | Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1985) |
| Owner | Broderbund The Learning Company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
| Print publications | |
| Book(s) | John Peel Melissa Peterson |
| Comics | DC Comics |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | Where in the Universe is Carmen Sandiego? |
| Television series |
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? |
| Animated series |
Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? Carmen Sandiego |
| Theatrical presentations | |
| Musical(s) | Where in the World of Music Is Carmen Sandiego? |
| Games | |
| Video game(s) | Computer game series |
| Audio | |
| Soundtrack(s) |
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Carmen Sandiego: Out of This World |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Annual event | Carmen Sandiego Day |
Carmen Sandiego (sometimes referred to as Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? between 1985 and 1996) is a media franchise that is also a series of computer games created by the American software company Broderbund. Originally classified as a "mystery exploration" series by creators and the media, the series were later classified as edutainment when the games became unexpectedly popular in classrooms. The franchise centers around the fictional thieving villain of the same name, who is the ringleader of the criminal organisation, V.I.L.E.; the protagonists (most often including a computer player) are agents of the ACME Detective Agency who try to thwart the crooks' plans to steal treasures from around the world, while the later ultimate goal is to capture Carmen Sandiego herself.
The franchise primarily focuses on teaching children geography, but has also branched out into history, mathematics, language arts, and other subjects. An attempt was made to create a series of state-specific games in the 1980s, but the only prototype to be completed was North Dakota. Beginning in 1988, Carmen Sandiego Days became popular across American public schools. In the 1990s, the franchise extended into three television shows, books and comics, board games, a concert series, two planetarium shows, and two music albums. Towards the turn of the 21st century, the Carmen Sandiego property passed through a series of five corporate hands: Broderbund (1985-1997), The Learning Company (1998), Mattel (1999), The Gores Group (2000), and Riverdeep (2001–present). Subsequent acquisitions and mergers of Riverdeep led to the franchise currently being in the possession of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
The franchise has become known for its ability to surreptitiously teach facts, breed empathy for other cultures, and develop logic skills, all behind a mask of highly entertaining detective mystery experiences. One aspect of the series that has received consistent praise by critics is its diverse representation of strong, independent, and intelligent minority women. Carmen Sandiego herself is Hispanic, and it has never been implied that her ethnicity is correlated to her thievery. Meanwhile, The Chief from the World game show was African American, an unusual choice for children's television when she appeared between 1991 and 1996. These two characters have helped to bring such representations into the mainstream and demonstrate leadership roles for young women. It has been noted that many of the geographical locations at the time of the franchise's release were no longer accurate, due to the events such as the dissolutions of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia that signalled the end of the Cold War.
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