TELEVISION; The Case of the Game-Show Ploy

" 'Carmen Sandiego' is not in the traditional PBS mode," said Howard J. Blumenthal, the show's senior producer, who has developed game shows for MTV and Nickelodeon. "It's an idea that a lot of people never thought would come to pass."

Prizes awarded on a public television show? The producers struggled with the idea before deciding that it was essential to keep the young viewers' interest. "It's part of the thrill of the game-show format," said Jay Rayvid, an executive producer. The program foots the bill rather than accepting free prizes in return for promotion on the show. All the awards have something to do with geography, from atlases to world-beat compact disks.

Initially, "Carmen Sandiego" was to have been presented in a straightforward question-and-answer format, like "Jeopardy." But, said Mr. Blumenthal, research revealed that children wanted something different.

The show is loosely based on a computer game of the same name that was created five years ago by Broderbund Software to teach children geography; the game has sold more than two million copies. Its star is the redheaded master criminal, Carmen Sandiego, a spy-turned-thief who leads a gang of outlaws.

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."

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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.

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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.

As the audience screamed, Jason quickly located Morocco. But blaring penalty buzzers went off when he failed to find the Sudan and then Uganda and Nigeria. His time ran out.

According to Kate Taylor, executive producer of the program, between 80 to 100 facts about art, music and popular culture as well as geography are packed into each show. But, she said, the goal isn't to get students to memorize information. "The idea is to be motivational, to interest them in the subject."

In the studio audience, at least, Carmen had sparked some interest. At the end of the program, everyone rushed onto the set, dancing and singing along with the show's theme song as if it were the latest hit by New Kids on the Block. And as the children filed out, several were arguing about the location of Uganda. P.S. TV

The skills of an entertainer often come in handy in the classroom, as any teacher can testify. Perhaps that accounts in part for the abundance of prime-time series set in schools. Learning, of course, usually takes a back seat to laughs.

This season's new entries set in academia are two fish-out-of-water tales: "Teech" (Wednesdays at 8:30 P.M. on CBS), with Phill Lewis (in photograph) as a black music professor at a tweedy prep school; and "Drexell's Class" (Thursdays at 8:30 P.M. on Fox) stars Dabney Coleman as a con man forced to teach fourth grade to pay off an I.R.S. debt. The series was originally titled "Shut Up, Kids," but market research revealed so much parental disapproval of that phrase that Fox renamed it. Mr. Coleman and Mr. Lewis have a number of predecessors. Here are some:

Eve Arden played a wisecracking English teacher in "Our Miss Brooks" (1952-56; CBS).

Lloyd Hanes and Karen Valentine played idealists in "Room 222" (1969-74; ABC), created by James L. Brooks. David Hartman starred in "Lucas Tanner" (1974-75; NBC), set in the Midwest. Gabe Kaplan played a remedial student who returned to his alma mater to teach in "Welcome Back, Kotter" (1975-79; ABC). Most famous alumnus: John Travolta.

Students were more memorable than teachers in "Square Pegs" (1982-83; CBS), created by Anne Beatts and starring Sarah Jessica Parker as a girl who just wanted to be popular. The cast included Tracy Nelson and Jami Gertz.

Howard Hessman taught smarties in "Head of the Class" (1986-91; ABC). Billy Connolly replaced him for the last season.