Netflix has been putting out pretty inventive programming lately, from the novel choose-your-own-adventure Black Mirror: Bandersnatch to the conceptual horror (and endless meme-source) Birdbox. But they have have just put their logo on the weirdest swerve yet.
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? was an edutainment show about a world-class antiquities thief who stole priceless artifacts while being pursued by history-learning sleuths. The title character was an archvillain and a fashion icon, and Netflix is bringing her back in a new animated show set to premiere January 18. But while the trend with other reboots, most notably the sex-filled Riverdale and uber-satanic The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, has been to take childhood staples and make them as gritty as possible, with Carmen Sandiego Netflix is pivoting in the other direction. Now, she's yellow turtleneck-less, Robin Hood-esque hero who steals from other thieves.
Not everything has to be a dark reboot, but a truly grim and bloody Carmen Sandiego would have been a hell of a ride. Fingers crossed producers take the hint when there's inevitably a new Darkwing Duck.