Entertainment

Interactive 'Carmen Sandiego' Special On Netflix Lets Kids Weigh In On The Action

Kids don't get to make a whole lot of decisions in their young lives, but they can help decide the fate of a renowned thief in a red trench coat in the new interactive Carmen Sandiego special on Netflix. Deep diving into an adventure where they can actually change someone's fate is guaranteed to keep kids from screaming "I'm bored" for at least an hour or two.

Netflix has rebooted another fan favorite from the 90s that's sure to be a hit with millennials and their little ones with the new special Carmen Sandiego: To Steal Or Not To Steal? The special stars Gina Rodriguez as the voice of the iconic Carmen Sandiego, who parents will recognize from the educational mystery video game series Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego.

The new special, which will be available for streaming on March 10, is loyal to the original premise of the video game series, which always included some sort of theft that had to be solved by the players following a series of clues to catch the ever-elusive Carmen Sandiego and her underlings. Through the years, the character has become so popular that Google Earth even got involved in trying to find her, as The Verge reported. This time around, it seems Netflix is flipping the script just slightly as Carmen Sandiego's friends Zach and Ivy have been kidnapped during a heist in Shanghai and she will have to steal for her old school called V.I.L.E. if she hopes to see them again.

The story alone would be exciting enough for kids to watch, but it's that added element of getting to have a say in the way things turn out that really changes things. Last month, Netflix shared a trailer for the new interactive special and it immediately gives a sense of how kids can affect the story. Whether or not she should surprise her enemies from the top floor or the ground floor, looking for a lab or trying to catch a plane before it takes off. So many options to choose from that it's difficult to say how long the runtime would be since that will depend on the kids. Netflix notes the special is set to run for 30 minutes, but that could go longer depending on kids' directions.

The Carmen Sandiego special is just one of the many interactive shows Netflix will be launching in the next few months and even a few that are already streaming like Captain Underpants Epic Choice-O-Rama, Puss In Boots: Trapped In An Epic Tale, and Stretch Armstrong: The Breakout to name a few.