Joe Biden Once Had a Gig on a Popular Kids’ Game Show in the ’90s
Most politicians have dabbled in activities that go beyond the scope of their duties, and that includes U.S. President-elect Joe Biden.
Some, such as Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, have made appearances in television and film productions. While the public may be used to seeing Biden behind a podium, he joins a list of presidents who have done guest spots on TV series before (and after) moving into the Oval Office.
For Biden, that includes a cameo on a children’s show that was popular in the ’90s.
Joe Biden helped gumshoes on ‘Carmen Sandiego’
Carmen Sandiego found new life on Netflix in 2019 as an animated reboot, but years before that, it was a PBS gem.
After the character took off as a character in a kids’ computer geography game, PBS adapted it as a game show.
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? aired on the network from 1991-1996 and featured contestants who tried to solve crime using geography clues.
Senator Joe Biden appeared in a 1992 episode called “The Amazing Boomerang Effect” to deliver a video clue for some amateur gumshoes. In character as a senator, he relayed information to help the kids capture the criminal of the day, RoboCrook.
“Senate leaders have just been briefed on RoboCrook,” he said.
“He’s in Jackson Hole, a place nicknamed the equality state because it’s the first state to give women rights that they didn’t have. A place where they first got to vote. A place where they first held public office. And a place where they elected the first woman governor,” Biden stated.
He urged the contestants to remember the ACME Triangle of Excellence and wished them luck. Unfortunately, no guessed Wyoming correctly, but they did catch RoboCrook by the end of the game.
Biden appeared on ‘Carmen Sandiego’ twice
In that same year, Biden surprised fans with by popping up in another episode of Carmen Sandiego titled “Big Bad Lug Bags Big Egg.” He didn’t provide any clues, but he did do a sketch where he rang up host Greg Lee for a spoof phone call.
Biden informed Lee that congress members agreed to name him the “Somewhat Notable Detective of the Next 12 Minutes.” The short skit was meant to act as a moment of comic relief, a bit that was par for the course for the series.
Biden wasn’t the only public figure to drop in for that particular episode, as music legend Bo Diddley also showed up to help the kids solve the mystery.
Decades later, Biden jumped into a sitcom
Parks and Recreation fans may remember Biden doing two cameos in the series. In one season 5 episode, Leslie got a little comfortable when speaking to the then-vice president, and Ben intervened. Congressman Newt Gingrich and Senator John McCain also had guest spots on the show.
Although Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? is not currently streaming on any platform, fans can dig up old episodes of the Peabody Award-winning series on YouTube. One may be stunned to find other famous folks who scored a role in the game show.
