In moving Carmen to television, substantial changes were made. A set of cartoon crooks was invented, and new questions were written to include more humor and more material about history and culture.

Set in the office of the Acme Crimenet, each episode is structured around a detective-drama story line: a treasure is stolen by one of Carmen's cohorts. The three young contestant-detectives then try to capture the crook and Carmen by answering the most questions correctly and solving other puzzles. Greg Lee, who had been emcee of the Nickelodeon variety show "Total Panic," is the host.

Rockapella, an a cappella group, provides sound effects and music. There are short animated segments as well as cameo appearances by the likes of Sinead O'Connor, Dennis Hopper and Walter Cronkite. Almost every 15 seconds, something new starts happening, Mr. Blumenthal said, giving the show a frenetic pace. "Adults complain that it's too fast," he said, "but kids love it."

The contestants are selected from a field of students who score well on a geography test given in schools in the Northeast. At a recent taping, the contestants, wearing "Carmen Sandiego" baseball jackets, fidgeted as they learned that the Mona Lisa had been stolen by Carmen's underling, Vic the Slick.

In one question, the chief says: "Acme Art Net has traced Vic to the place where Leonardo painted Lisa. He has been spotted pinching a pinky ring at the Ponte Vecchio, where they've been making jewelry since 1593. Now this city is often called the birthplace of the Renaissance, and the artists Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo did some of their greatest works here. Their decision to become Ninja Turtles was initially controversial but is now considered just another example of their genius." (Ten points to those who answered Florence.)

In the final round, Jason Morgan of Manhattan was faced with the daunting task of having 45 seconds to identify seven countries on a giant map of Africa. If he succeeded, he would win a free trip for himself and a parent.