The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo explained

Creator:Alan Goodman
Starring:
Composer:Bill Johnson
Num Seasons:4
Num Episodes:41
Executive Producer:
Producer:
  • Angelika Bartenbach-Kidd
  • Jim Burns
  • Stewart Harding
Runtime:30 minutes
Camera:Single-camera
Network:Nickelodeon

The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo is a children's mystery television series that ran on Nickelodeon between 1996 and 1999.[1] A total of 41 episodes of 30 minutes each were produced. Episodes from the first three seasons were taped at Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, and was one of the few single-camera productions there, while the final season's episodes were shot in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

History

The series first aired in March 1996 as a six-episode test run, since Nickelodeon usually produced one major new series at a time and they were already producing Space Cases.[2] The success of the test run prompted Nickelodeon to re-introduce the series on SNICK in January 1997, along with seven new episodes. During the show's third season, production stopped after eight of a proposed thirteen episodes were filmed due to a crew strike, as the show's budget did not cover the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees's demands, partly due to the decision to shoot film instead of videotape.[3] Production resumed in Montreal in February 1998, after Cinar agreed to co-produce the series.[4] As a result, the show's setting changed from Cocoa Beach, Florida, to Boston, Massachusetts.

Starring Irene Ng as the title character, the series revolves around the adventures of a Chinese American teenage girl who lives with her innkeeper grandfather and works as a non-sworn intern at the local police department where she helps out with odds and ends around the office. Occasionally an intriguing case comes to Shelby's attention, prompting her to apply her unique insight and enlist the help of her friends to solve it. Her supervisors, however, do not appreciate her help, as she is only a teenager. Her grandfather also does not want her getting involved in cases, often reminding her "We are not detectives with warrant badges, we are innkeepers with brooms." Many of the stories, with three clear suspects, keep the audience guessing until the truth is ultimately explained.

Cast

Primary characters

Recurring characters

Episodes

Season 4 (1998–99)

Notes and References

  1. The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo: The Complete Series (DVD) . 2014 . Viacom International Inc..
  2. Web site: 16 February 1997 . Shelby Woo, Relentless Girl Detective . 1 May 2016 . The New York Times.
  3. Web site: Woo Producer: Lousy Weather, Unruly Unions . 1 May 2016 . Orlando Business Journal.
  4. Web site: Kelly . Brendan . Cinar Picks Nick to 'Woo' . 1 May 2016 . Variety.