Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego (game show)
Encyclopedia
Original music and theme song
All of the music on the series was vocal music, arranged and performed by the a capella group, RockapellaRockapella
Rockapella is an American a cappella musical group formed in 1986 in New York City. Their name is derived from the words "rock" and "a cappella". They sing original vocal music and a cappella covers of pop and rock songs; over time, their sound has evolved from high-energy pop and world music...
. The music package included a popular theme song, and many short signature stings, such as "Let's Get Packing" when the contestant won the grand prize. The full theme song was played over final (animated) credits, as Greg Lee invited the final contestant to look up and shout, "Do it, Rockapella!"
The theme song, "Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?", was written by Sean Altman and David Yazbek
David Yazbek
David Yazbek is an American writer, musician, composer, and lyricist. He wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals The Full Monty , Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown ....
, and performed by Rockapella as the studio audience danced to the music.
Rockapella's original recording appears on the 1992 soundtrack album Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (album)
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? is the soundtrack to the popular educational children's TV game show of the same name that ran from 1991 to 1996...
and Television's Greatest Hits
Television's Greatest Hits
Television's Greatest Hits is a series of albums containing recordings of TV theme songs through the years. The series was first introduced in 1985 as the centerpiece of the then-new TVT Records. Each of the original 8 volumes contains 65 theme songs. The format of the original eight volume series...
Volume 7: Cable Ready(TVT 1996).
The Chief
The Chief was played by Broadway and television actress Lynne ThigpenLynne Thigpen
Cherlynne Theresa “Lynne” Thigpen was an American stage and television actress, most famous as "The Chief" in the various Carmen Sandiego television series.-Early life:...
as a comically no-nonsense figure with a strong sense of justice who spoke with dialogue that was riddled with pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
s, alliteration
Alliteration
In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of Three or more words or phrases. Alliteration has historically developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to...
and other forms of word play
Word play
Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
.
The character proved popular and became a part of subsequent editions of the computer games. Thigpen reprised the role for the Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? series.
The Chief also has a great-grandmother, Agnes Acme, who is the founder of ACME. Agnes Acme was also played
Dual role
Dual role refers to one actor playing two or more roles, which may be deliberately scripted in a play or film, or merely be a by-product of a low budget. In a theatrical production where more than one actor plays multiple characters, it is sometimes referred to as an "Ironman" cast...
by Thigpen and is apparently deceased, though that didn't stop her from providing clues.
Greg Lee
Although Greg Lee was referred to by his real name, he adopted a goofy yet amiable persona, often playing "LucyLucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
" to Lynne Thigpen's "Desi
Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz was a Cuban-born American musician, actor and television producer. While he gained international renown for leading a Latin music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, he is probably best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the American TV series I Love Lucy, starring with Lucille Ball, to...
" in various sketches. On the show, it was explained that he was a Special/Senior Agent in charge of training new recruits, but the show's continuity was very loose and the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
was frequently (and intentionally) broken.
Featured crooks
- Carmen Sandiego—the titular character appeared on each episode, heard during a phone tap as she plotted with each episode's crook from her gang. The ultimate goal of the game was to capture her after the day's crook was jailed.
- The Contessa is a so-called criminal of style. The Contessa spoke with a distinctly Italian accent and that most of her fashion features styles from MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. As her moniker implies, she considers herself to be near royalty. The character was absent in Seasons 2 and 3. - Double Trouble are a pair of different-colored twins who mirror each other in a Yin and YangYin and yangIn Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
fashion. They are international playboys and spoke in a manner similar to Jack NicholsonJack NicholsonJohn Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
. - Eartha Brute is a muscle bound, slow-witted woman with a green beehive hairdo. Eartha Brute wears a pink singlet uniform complete with weight belt that has the V.I.L.E. initials on the gold plate.
- Kneemoi is an alien from the planet Roddenberry with a round body and two tentacled arms. She has a reputation on 93 planets as a space outlaw and is a pink ball of ectoplasmEctoplasmEctoplasm may refer to:* Ectoplasm , the outer part of the cytoplasm* Ectoplasm , supposed physical substance that manifests as a result of spiritual energy or psychic phenomenon...
that can morph into any form she desires. Her name is a reference to Leonard NimoyLeonard NimoyLeonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
of Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
and her home planet is a reference to Star Trek creator Gene RoddenberryGene RoddenberryEugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
. Kneemoi debuted in Season 2. - Patty Larceny is a ditzy, blonde schoolgirl who has a rather cloyingly sweet and giggly personality. Carmen Sandiego treats her as if she were her niece. Though she is a wanted thief she is described as a very kind and polite person. She wears an orange shirt, a green jacket, green skirt and saddle shoes. Her name is a play on "petty larceny".
- RoboCrook is a cyborg parody of RoboCopRoboCopRoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
who also appears in third version of the software, Where in the U.S.A. is Carmen Sandiego?Where in the U.S.A. is Carmen Sandiego?Where in the U.S.A. is Carmen Sandiego? is a computer game based on the popular game, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? In the game, players, who are ACME agents, travel to 51 locations around the United States in order to find Carmen Sandiego's V.I.L.E. henchmen...
. His real name as mentioned in the phone conversation with the winning sleuth during the 3rd and 4th seasons of the show is "RoboCrook Unit-059". - Sarah Nade is a punk rock teenager with rainbow-colored hair who loves concerts and singing (her name is a pun on the word "serenadeSerenadeIn music, a serenade is a musical composition, and/or performance, in someone's honor. Serenades are typically calm, light music.The word Serenade is derived from the Italian word sereno, which means calm....
"). She came from the computer game Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Deluxe Edition. She joined Carmen's gang on the TV Show in Season 3. - Top Grunge is a large smelly biker with flies hovering over his head. Due to his filthy nature, he seems to have a chronic head cold and a very bad navel. He rides on a badly-tuned motorcycle that spits out smoke wherever he goes. His eyes are always covered by large sunglasses.
- Vic the Slick is a shrewd salesman in a loud polyester suit and an even louder tie with a seedy moustache, shifty eyes and slicked black hair. He often tries to hit on Carmen Sandiego, giving her pet names such as "sweetheart" and "doll-face."
- Wonder Rat is a parody of superheroes. He is Carmen Sandiego's personal caped criminal who considers himself "The Rat of Steel" (a reference to both SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and Harry HarrisonHarry HarrisonHarry Harrison is an American science fiction author best known for his character the Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! , the basis for the film Soylent Green...
's hero The Stainless Steel RatThe Stainless Steel RatJames Bolivar DiGriz, alias "Slippery Jim" and "The Stainless Steel Rat", is the fictional hero of a series of humorous science fiction novels written by Harry Harrison.-James Bolivar diGriz:...
.) Wonder Rat can't fly on his own, so he has to resort to using the Rat-Copter with himself strapped to a bungee cord while the helicopter is on automatic pilot. Wonder Rat debuted in Season 2.
Gameplay
Opening
In the program's opening, the three gumshoes are introduced, followed by Greg's entrance into the office where he meets them. The Chief explains the spectacularly impossible heist by one of the bad guys in Carmen Sandiego's gang, accompanied by an animation of the criminal inserted into stock photographs, perpetrating the crime in a humorous way. The opening typically ended with the Chief explaining for what reason the criminal wanted the loot (examples: Vic the Slick steals Carmen Island as a gift for Carmen's birthday, Patty Larceny steals the LascauxLascaux
Lascaux is the setting of a complex of caves in southwestern France famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings. The original caves are located near the village of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne. They contain some of the best-known Upper Paleolithic art. These paintings are estimated to be...
cave painting
Cave painting
Cave paintings are paintings on cave walls and ceilings, and the term is used especially for those dating to prehistoric times. The earliest European cave paintings date to the Aurignacian, some 32,000 years ago. The purpose of the paleolithic cave paintings is not known...
s so she can turn them in as her school art project and Wonder Rat steals the Kenyatta Conference Center
Kenyatta International Conference Centre
Kenyatta International Conference Centre is a 30-storey building located in Nairobi, Kenya.It is located in the central business district of Nairobi. It is a venue for conferences, meetings, exhibitions and special events within a walking distance of several five star hotels...
so that he can make it the centerpiece of his resort, "Rat-lantic City".)
Round One
Each gumshoe was given 50 "ACME crime bucks" (the program's official currency) to begin the round. Various live action, celebrity, musical, animated, and costumed comedy sketches were performed, each providing clues to a geographical location of the day's criminal. Examples included a "Dying Informant" who fell into a typical crime scene chalk outline and took seemingly forever to die while providing essential clues; a world band radio; an animated fish that sounded a lot like actor Joe PesciJoe Pesci
Joseph Frank "Joe" Pesci is an American actor, comedian, and musician.He is known for playing a variety of different roles, from violent mobsters to comedic leads to quirky sidekicks...
, celebrities including first lady Barbara Bush
Barbara Bush
Barbara Pierce Bush is the wife of the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush, and served as First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993. She is the mother of the 43rd President George W. Bush and of the 43rd Governor of Florida Jeb Bush...
, stars of dozens of television series, famous models, politicians and ballplayers, and more, songs that parodied pop hits performed by Rockapella (often in silly costumes; a song about Nebraska, for example, featured the singers as giant ears of corn). After each clues were provided, a map with three possible locations, all within proximity to one another, were shown to the players. Each gumshoe chose his or her answer and was rewarded 10 ACME crime bucks if correct. Other features of this first game:
- Lightning Round – After several sketches were performed, the "Lightning Round" began with a deliberately cheesy lightningLightningLightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
effect, followed by three fast-paced multiple choice questions about the correct response on the most recent clue, each worth 5 crime bucks.
- The Chief's Office – After the Lightning Round, Greg always went into the Chief's office for a special briefing, conversation or other purpose. This was used as a comedy break, an opportunity for a bizarre interaction between the Chief and Greg. Bits included pretzel farming, the transformation of her office into Grand Central Station, a celery (salary) dispute involving a ten-foot piece of celery, and other silly stuff. Usually, the Chief would announce that the gumshoe who would capture Carmen would win a grand-prize trip.
- Training Exercise – Added in Season 5, the gumshoes met Greg in the alley after he finished up with the Chief. Each one was assigned a trash can and told to search for clues in the garbage. Hidden in each can was card with a flag of a location on one side and a clue on the other. The first gumshoe who found their the card first got a chance to identify it. The first to identify the location earned 10 crime bucks.
- Phone Tap – After the Office Sketch or the Training Exercise (in season 5), the gumshoes watched an animated phone conversation (aka "phone tapTelephone tappingTelephone tapping is the monitoring of telephone and Internet conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitoring connection was an actual electrical tap on the telephone line...
" ) between Carmen and the criminal via ACME Bug Net. In this sequence, Carmen would tell the criminal where to go and, typically, become exasperated by their stupidity. The gumshoes were then asked where the criminal's location was.
- The Chase – Starting in Season 2, there was a series of four or five questions known as "The Chase," introduced with a chase scene performed by Rockapella and various studio guests (usually carrying props from earlier in the show as gags) and on rare occasions with the Chief or Greg. The Chase provided clues about locations that followed a path, indicating that the gumshoes were close on the trail. Each question had three locations as choices and the first gumshoe to buzz in and guess correctly received five crime bucks.
After a few more clues or The Chase, Greg showed the gumshoes one more map, in this case before the skit was performed. They were asked to make a wager of anywhere from 0–50 crime bucks, in increments of 10, on their ability to provide a correct answer. After the final skit was performed, the gumshoes select their answers. If the gumshoe answered correctly, their wager was added to their score, but if the gumshoe answered incorrectly, the wager was subtracted from their score. The top two gumshoes advanced to the next round, and the third gumshoe was eliminated.
In case of a tie for second place, Greg read clues related to a famous person or place (typically a U.S. state). Gumshoes could buzz in as often as they wanted; the first gumshoe to guess correctly earned 5 ACME crime bucks, and moved on to Round Two. In case of a three-way tie, Greg would read two tiebreaker questions.
Round Two
The two gumshoes advanced to their final destination from the first round, where The Chief described various landmarks in that country, city or region, in what was called a "Photo ReconSlideshow
A slide show is a display of a series of chosen information or pictures, done for artistic or instructional purposes. Slide shows are conducted by a presenter using an apparatus, such as a carousel slide projector, an overhead projector or in more recent years, a computer running presentation...
". Often, these descriptions were silly and poked fun at the pictures (in one notable visit to Key West
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, for example, the camera zoomed in on graffiti on a small landmark and the Chief openly scolded the people who had spray painted their first names on it). Fifteen names of the local landmarks were placed on a board. Hidden behind three of the landmarks were the loot that was stolen at the beginning of the program, the warrant to arrest the criminal, and the criminal him/herself. Hidden behind the remaining landmarks were shoe prints, indicating that nothing was there.
The top gumshoes played first (if the two gumshoes were tied, a coin toss determined who started). If a gumshoe found any of the three key items, they could select again. Their turn ended if they found a box with shoe prints, denoting nothing was at that location, took more than 10 seconds picking a location or found the loot, the warrant, and the crook in the wrong order in a single turn.
The gumshoes alternated turns until one found the loot, the warrant, and the crook in that order in a single turn (as the loot is the evidence needed to get a warrant and the warrant is needed to arrest the criminal). When the gumshoe found all three items in the correct order, they pull on a hanging chain to capture the criminal before advancing to the final round, while the runner-up is eliminated.
On the one occasion in the show's history that a gumshoe (Ali Haider) won the round on the first try, he also earned the chance to win a $100 savings bond. The bond was hidden behind one of the remaining 12 landmarks, and Haider was given 5 chances to find it, although he was unsuccessful in doing so.
Final Round – The Map
In the final round, the gumshoe was given a chance to capture Carmen Sandiego. If the gumshoe captured Carmen, he or she won the all-expenses paid trip to anywhere in the lower 48 United States in season one and North America after that. After the gumshoe wrote down the desired trip destination, the henchman called him or her on a telephone so as to rat on Carmen. The henchman gave Carmen's general location, one of five continents or the United States. The Chief then gave a list of 13 possible locations Carmen may have traveled in that area.The gumshoe was presented with a giant map that covered the floor of the studio, often with small circles representing the cities. As Greg read off a location, the gumshoe had to place a marker with a red flashing siren light on the map in the same location. If the gumshoe guessed correctly, the marker was activated and the gumshoe was given the next location. If the gumshoe was incorrect, a two-note buzzer sounded and he or she would try again. After two incorrect guesses, the gumshoe had to leave the marker where it was, pick up a new marker and receive the next location.
If within 45 seconds, the gumshoe could successfully identify 7 locations (8 after Season 1) on the map, he or she captured Carmen and won the trip. If not, the show awarded consolation prizes. Regardless of the outcome, the Chief promotes the gumshoe to a "sleuth."
In the unaired episode "Auld Lang Gone," the winning gumshoe (Jasmine Doman) slipped and broke her arm on the map during the final round. Production stopped for a moment until the second-place finisher (Ed Mann) ran the map for her.
The maps featured on the show are as follows:
- United States: Used only in Seasons 1 and 2.
- North America: Replaced the United States for Seasons 3–5. This map featured small circles for both cities and islands and squares to represent national parks and monuments (the squares were seldom used).
- South America: Used regularly in all seasons.
- Europe: Used only in the early-to-mid episodes of Season 1, then used regularly from Season 2 onward.
- Asia: Used regularly in all seasons. In Season 1, before the round began, Greg would point out to the gumshoe the locations of the Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific OceanPacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, mostly due to the map's size. Also in two episodes of Season 1, the time limit was 60 seconds instead of the usual 45 seconds. - Africa: Used regularly in all seasons.
Beginning in Season 3 for the North and South America maps and in Season 4 for all other maps, each map also featured arrows for bodies of water.
Closing
The show is noted for concluding with Greg complimenting the winning gumshoe on their work (regardless of the result of the bonus round), while reminding the contestant there was one more thing for them to do and "you know what it is": Greg, the sleuth and the audience pointing and yelling "Do it, Rockapella!" into the camera, signaling the group to begin again their title song for the animated closing credits, which depicted members of Carmen's gang stealing the names of production staff members against a background resembling a notepad (for the final season a black backdrop with confetti was used). After the credits and in Season 2 (sometimes in Season 1), the audience was invited onto the map to dance and sing the theme song.Afterward, the Chief, who has joined in the celebration from her office, says "This is Lynne Thigpen speaking for Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, and remember, (something funny in rhyme)," or instead of the rhyme, she would say "See ya next time!" Before the camera fade, a disclaimer would appear on the screen reading, "All contestants have been briefed prior to their appearance." In Seasons 2 and 3, the Chief read the disclaimer aloud. Seasons 4 and 5 did not have the disclaimer.
Variations
One episode (Season 2's "Disturbing the Heavenly Peace") has a celebrity teamup with the gumshoes. The celebrities were Mayim BialikMayim Bialik
Mayim Hoya Bialik is an American actress who also holds a PhD in neuroscience.Her most notable TV roles have been as Blossom Russo on NBC's Blossom and as Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS's The Big Bang Theory.-Early life:...
(Blossom
Blossom (TV series)
Blossom is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC from January 3, 1991 to May 22, 1995. The series stars Mayim Bialik as Blossom Russo, a teenage girl living with her father and two brothers. It was created by Don Reo.- Synopsis :...
), Tatyana Ali
Tatyana Ali
Tatyana Marisol Ali is an American actress and R&B singer, best known for her childhood role as Ashley Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air...
(The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
), and Jeremy Miller
Jeremy Miller
Jeremy James Miller is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Ben Seaver on Growing Pains and its two reunion movies...
(Growing Pains
Growing Pains
Growing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985 to April 25, 1992.-Synopsis:The show's premise is based...
).
Pilot/Early episodes
The series was produced without a pilot, but the first few episodes were produced as examples of the series, and so, included several elements later discarded. For example, in these early episodes, the map of the United States was used in the bonus round, and the markers placed on it were flags of each state. Sound effects from Double DareDouble Dare
Double Dare is a children's game show, originally hosted by Marc Summers, that aired on Nickelodeon. The show combines trivia questions with occasionally messy "physical challenges"...
(5 quick bells and a short buzz, respectively) were used in the pilots instead of the usual siren and two-note buzzer; in addition, the time buzzer sound was performed by one of the Rockapella singers. Sound effects from various game shows were used in the other early-recorded episodes until the flags were replaced by markers. The pilot episodes did not require the correct order of the loot, warrant and crook in the second round. In the pilots, gumshoes started with 125 Crime Bucks and correct answers for questions reduced the gumshoes' score by 10 Crime Bucks. An incorrect answer reduced the Gumshoes' score by 15. Also, the limit on the amount of Crime Bucks that could be wagered was 25 (20 in the first pilot), in increments of 5. Also in the pilot episodes, there was no Lightning Round. In each season, the order and rules of the games changed slightly, mostly to maintain audience interest, sometimes to eliminate tricky or costly production sequences.
If episodes with these differences aired (and at least one did), there was a disclaimer before the show notifying the home audience that, though the scoring was different, the game was the same.
Grand Prize
A trip to anywhere in the continental United States (season 1) or anywhere in North America (all subsequent seasons). For each trip, the winning sleuth, a parent, and a guest flew round-trip coach from New York City to the selected location. The sleuth spent one week at a luxury hotel chosen by the Chief. Later in Season 4, the sleuth stayed in the hotel of his or her choice. A rental car was included in Seasons 3–5. The sleuth also received extra money to add to the Crime Bucks as spending money.- Season 1: $250
- Seasons 2–4: $500
- Season 5: $750 (later $1,000).
Consolation prizes
Gumshoes who were eliminated received a set of consolation prizes called the official ACME Crimenet Travel Kit, renamed Travel Pack in Season 4 and Gumshoe Gear in Season 5. Some of the consolation prizes on the show included:Third place: The ACME Travel Kit. This typically included:
- World Atlas by Rand McNally
- Official Carmen Sandiego watch (Season 1–3)
- Official Carmen Sandiego sweatshirt (pilots and mid-to-late Season 1)
- Official Carmen Sandiego T-shirt (early-to-mid Season 1, Seasons 2–5)
- One year subscription to National Geographic World magazine
- A portable basketball globe, with which the Chief would either try to make a basket behind her back or slam dunk it into the basket in the back corner of her office (Seasons 2–3)
- The ACME Travel Pack (backpack with the show's logo, and the ACME Crime Net Logo) (Season 4; which has the atlas, t-shirt, magazine, and wallet)
- ACME Voice Identification Badge and Leave-a-Message Wallet (Season 4)
- ACME Stealth Pen Recorder (Season 5)
- The ACME Crime Net Cap (Season 5)
Second place
- ACME Travel Kit
- A pocket translator (Seasons 1–3)
- Two ACME Secret Senders (Personal Organizers) (Seasons 4–5)
- A world-band radio (Seasons 1–4) (In season 4, a manual is included)
- Automatic camera (Season 3)
Final round loss:
- A portable CD player, and a library of CDs from around the world (a CD by Rockapella, featuring the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? theme song included in seasons 2 and 3) (Seasons 1 and 3, but was given for advancing to the 2nd round in season 2)
- (both loss and win) a Carmen Sandiego "Sleuth" Jacket; if the sleuth got at least 6 locations right in the Map, they receive a camera as well. (Season 2)
- A boom box (season 4)
- An ACME pocket color television (season 5)