Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? was an animated children's show based on a series of educational computer games that used Carmen, a master thief, as a vehicle to teach geography. Carmen had inspired two kids game shows airing on PBS and FOX got in on the action with a Saturday morning cartoon.

Carmen Sandiego was up to her old tricks, stealing stuff and traveling around the world. It was up to the ACME detective agency to track her down using clues about the cities she visited and catch up with her. The main characters were two teenage detectives, sibling Zac and Ivy who existed as part of a computer game inside the computer of a live-action kid known only as "The Player." Let's bow our heads in silence out of respect for Tron, everybody.

ACME and its detectives had to match wits and knowledge with Carmen's criminal organization, V.I.L.E. A number of villains and thieves worked for V.I.L.E., recognized by their humorous names like Dr. Sara Bellum and Mason Dixon. ACME's chief was changed from a real person to a holographic one, projected by a computer. The Chief still provided exposition and briefed Zac and Ivy about Carmen's latest theft.

Like all versions of Carmen Sandiego, the show was popular as well as educational, quizzing viewers on geography and challenging them to solve the puzzle along with Zac and Ivy. The series won an Emmy and high praise from critics, parents and educators.