Carmen Sandiego: 3 tips it should take from She-Ra for success

Netflix’s success with cartoon reboots is unlike anything we’ve seen before. To ensure Carmen Sandiego’s a hit, it should follow these tips from She-Ra.

Netflix has been around for years, but 2018 was when the streaming service came into its own. Their originals were devoured by viewers, talked about the media and became a category all their own. This year, they’re keeping with that trend and introducing even more including reboots.

Recently, the trailer for Carmen Sandiego was released. 90’s kids remember it as a live-action and animated hybrid, following Carmen Sandiego on her adventures around the world. Carmen was actually made popular first by a video game where you would try to capture her. The premise of both was to educate kids on geography which they succeeded at.

Reboots generally are a mixed bag when it comes to fans of the original. One show that fans loved was She-Ra and The Princesses of Power. It’s a unique take on the original She-Ra series but still stands on its own. For Carmen Sandiego to be successful, there are a few key tips it should take from the success of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

The main tip Carmen Sandiego should take from She-Ra is to make changes when necessary. Yes, it’s based on an older property but that should be a footnote. Changes aren’t easy but it’s necessary. No doubt the series will need some updating as did She-Ra. Whether it’s character designs, the plot or a backstory, there’s no shame in improvement. It might not make some older fans happy but that’s the price of a reboot.

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What made She-Ra and the Princesses of Power so beloved is its characters. She-Ra is the main focus on the show and she’s given a lot more backstory. In the original series, she was He-Man’s sister and it ended there. From the trailer, it looks like Carmen Sandiego is going to take a similar approach. That’s going to be key in connecting the new and old audience.

It’s arguably more important to the older audience. A tricky thing about reboots is moving past the original but not forgetting about it. A new viewer doesn’t have those preconceived notions about Cameron Sandiego. Reintroducing the character and establishing their backstory is a must.

Another tip that Carmen Sandiego should take from She-Ra is not to skimp on the action. Despite being an educational show, it featured a lot of action. Carmen Sandiego is a thief and that’s a recipe for disaster. There’s going to be fight scenes, scenes of her stealing and probably jumping out of planes. Action cartoons are rare so having action scenes is crucial.

If there’s a company you want rebooting your property, it’s Netflix. Overall, the success of Carmen Sandiego is up to Netflix. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power was a delightful surprise in 2018 and Carmen Sandiego could be a lovely companion in 2019. As long as it follows the tips above, there’s no way it will fail.

Carmen Sandiego starts streaming January 18 on Netflix.

What do you think about Netflix’s surge in cartoon reboots? Will you watching Carmen Sandiego when it starts streaming?