Dora the Explorer was one of Nickelodeon’s longest-running and best-selling franchises during its time on the air between 2000 and 2014. Being one of the longest-running shows, Dora has been through several voice actors, movies, and even some live action stage shows. She became one of the best-represented Latinas on television, giving many young girls of all ethnicities a fearless and kind role model to look up to.
But it takes a village to give life to Dora, Boots, and all their other friends; and all the time, money and work paid off. Even though the original show is no longer producing new episodes, two spin-off shows, Go, Diego, Go! and Dora and Friends: Into the City!, continue to tell the story of everyone’s favorite (or least favorite) little explorer.
The creators of the show have gone on record describing a lot about the show we could have seen, had their original plans gone through. There was a lot to teach from Spanish words and phrases to interpersonal skills. No matter how cheerful the show is, there will always be unknown secrets behind the scenes. Between original ideas, Hollywood starlets acting out and the creators on the future of the series, there is a LOT to unpack from one of Dora’s handy companions, Backpack. There might be more to unpack than originally thought in this eight-season show. So, without further ado, “Come on, vamanos, everybody let’s go!” (And admit it, you sang that.)
25 The Live-Action Pilot
The idea for Dora the Explorer was not originally pursued because Nickelodeon did not have the funds available to have the show in animated form like the creators were imagining. Instead, the idea was to have live actors dressed up in animal costumes. The show was going to be called “The Knock Arounds.” There were very specific elements that the creators wanted to use in each episode, like what we see in Dora now. They included a strong story, a way to interact with the show and great characters.
It wasn’t until one of the creators went to a conference talking about minorities in television that the creators realized that the world didn’t need another talking animal show. Having a preschooler star in her own show for children of that age would help bring diversity and understanding to children of that age. Not long after, Nickelodeon got the funds needed to create an animated tv show and greenlighted Dora. Everything after that is history.
24 Dodged The Bullet By A Hare
Many of the shows we see on television today focus on talking animals. From Paw Patrol to The Lion Guard, it seems like they’re just a dime a dozen today. Back when Dora began in 2000, however, the TV culture was quite different. You had talking animals occasionally, but most of the programs featured kids around the age of the target demographic. Thus, Dora was born. When the show was still planning on being called “The Knock Arounds,” Dora was imagined to be a rabbit. First male then ultimately changed to female, Dora would have been quite different as a little bunny.
As the funding for animation came in and more ideas were passed around, it seemed much more in line with the creator’s image for their main character to be a strong female who could bring some sorely needed diversity to the network. Making Dora’s main premise about teaching Spanish and life lessons transformed the show from your typical fantasy show exploring the world of talking animals with a similar social structure to a relatable character who is learning about the world around her. Animals are still very prevalent in the show, however, Dora being human sets her apart and allows the viewers to see how she interacts with others who are very different.
23 Insert Animal Companion Here
Dora herself went through a few changes before the team was content with her design. They had to make sure she was drawn at least a little realistically so that the target audience could see themselves in her. As for her animal companions, the sky was the limit. Boots also went through a few changes, although not nearly as drastic as Dora’s were. Originally, our rainboot-wearing friend was supposed to be a mouse, helping his rabbit pal on her many adventures and having fun and learning stuff too. When Dora changed from rabbit to girl, Boots got an upgrade, too. Gone were the little ears and whiskers and in came the long tail and love of bananas.
But Boots didn’t become the monkey we know overnight. He was originally yellow with red boots instead of the iconic blue and yellow we see today. There are many reasons why the artists may have chosen to change his color scheme. Whatever the reason, he remains Dora’s faithful companion who aids in teaching children about interacting with others in a kind manner. Because a lot was changed before animation went into production, who knows if Boots would have had some of the same personality traits?
22 Judges Spookier Than Simon Cowell
American Idol judges may be scary, but they have nothing on the screeners for Dora the Explorer! Before the show aired in 2000, the producers and studio did a test run with preschoolers in 1998. Because they loved it so much, Dora could be aired on Nickelodeon. They gave her a few slots a week to test the waters. The response was incredible, and the search for the first voice actors commenced. In keeping with tradition, each episode was judged by more preschoolers to meet quality. Who knew that a show so widely respected such as Dora the Explorer would have to face such a panel every episode?
Kids say the darnedest things; hopefully, it's a positive review!
Of course, that may very well be just what the show needed. The target audience was preschoolers, so their judgment was invaluable. Children are, frankly, some of the most honest judges and could let the creators know when something was or wasn’t quite right.
21 What Dora Does In Her Spare Time
While Dora is squeaky clean in her on-screen pastimes, one of her voice actresses, Fatima Ptacek, got a negative story run about her in many online news stories involving two other girls and vaping while attending their private school. Ptacek and two friends were caught with the vape in the bathroom when still very young. While one of her friends got off basically scotch free, Ptacek was suspended and the other friend was forced out of school. Talk about a bad turn on the map! Both girls confessed to what happened, but the punishments stayed.
The trouble only went further when the parents of the girl who was forced out sued the school for giving preferential treatment. According to the Daily Mail, the girl “had never been in trouble before” but “being untrustworthy” was the cited reason for the girl being forced out. It seems that the lessons learned from her days of voicing Dora went out the window the second consequences landed. Neither Nickelodeon nor the school were willing to make a statement, so the writing was on the wall. Ay caramba, what a mess. No magic talking map or monkey to get you out of this one. Remember, vapor no vaping!
20 An Improbable Connection
Voice acting can be a hard gig to get in. Not being able to rely on body language or facial features leaves a lot to depend on in the vocal chords. Keeping consistency is hard enough for one character, but for one person to keep up with two characters over the course of a few years calls for talent. Granted that most characters who are not Dora or Boots have minimal lines, kids can usually pick up if something is different over a course of time.
The casting team, however, does a very good job of making sure that there is a semblance of consistency.
Which makes it surprising to learn that the guy who voiced the map between 2000 and 2014, Marc Wiener, also provided the voice for Swiper the fox. Knowing this tidbit of information makes it much easier to recognize how both voices are the same person, but to a preschooler, this is an incredible piece of information. It is interesting as well that they are on opposite sides; one helps Dora and Boots, while the other likes to steal from them. Many of the characters are changed out every few years when their voices change and can no longer sound young. Being that the map and Swiper are seemingly ageless, it’s even cooler to see one man be both characters.
19 The 90s Were A Different Time
Speaking of Marc Wiener, while most of his credits have withstood the test of time, there is one project, especially, that has not withstood the test of time at all. Marc Wiener had a one-man show on Nickelodeon targeted at older children that was centered around a place called Wienerville and the puppets who lived there.
Occasionally, he’d stick his head on a puppet’s body and leave the modern viewer mystified. They have specials for Chanukah, New Year's, and even one about the election. These shows were their own kind of weird and don’t necessarily deserve to be associated with Dora the Explorer or even on this list. However, because Dora has turned into a multi-million franchise, it was bound to be noticed by someone.
It was an odd show even for its time.
Just like the title says, it WAS the 90s. Growing up in that era myself, I understand it a little better than those who grew up with Dora. I have faint memories of the TV show, but didn’t realize it was the same guy until looking through IMDB. The lesson here is that the internet is a wild place and can sometimes show you things you didn’t know you didn’t want to know. Go figure.
18 The Ballad Of Who?
Another Dora the Explorer voice actor with diverse projects under his belt is none other than Harrison Chad, a name that means nothing to you till you know he is the guy who voices Boots. One of the characters who is sweet and naïve to things of this world. He’s simply a monkey who likes to give his friend hugs and help her solve puzzles to get wherever they’re going that day. The irony of this comes when you learn that Harrison Chad has a pretty good range of acting. Between 2000 and 2007 he’s voicing Boots, and two years later he appears in Rockstar’s hit game, Grand Theft Auto IV.
From monkey to rock star in just two years.
What makes that even BETTER is when you realize he’s Bobby Blue in the mission The Ballad of Gay Tony. While not a key role in the episodes of the franchise, Harrison Chad’s character is quite the far cry from his time in both Dora the Explorer and Little Einsteins. From there Chad has evolved as an actor, as one should. Like the last entry, it is just a little surprising when characters from one genre of media hop over to a darker one and you don’t even recognize them anymore.
17 Cashing In On A Growing Fanbase
It seems like they’ll make movies out of anything nostalgic these days, for the better or worse. That is another list entirely, perhaps to save for a rainy day. On this day instead, it is notable to discuss the fact that Dora the Explorer is getting her own movie. Many of us have seen the College Humor trailer made a few years ago with a similar idea. Dora and Diego are all grown up and still exploring after all these years. The difference is that this one is being picked up by a major movie studio and will not (completely) be played for laughs.
What's the price of nostalgia?
With the people who grew up with Dora being adults themselves, it only makes sense to cash in on their nostalgia. Dora lends herself to be a basic action hero who likes to explore and gets into trouble. Any similarities between that and the show though are up for debate. The movie will not be coming out until late 2019, so there is still plenty of time to speculate and plenty of trailers to pick apart. I personally am hoping for something balanced between action and puzzle solving. Trying to use the show as a large amount of source material could make it feel quite a bit hokier. Although that might land the movie in the "so bad it’s good" territory...
16 Not Quite Your Lara Croft
Discussions about a Dora the Explorer movie have happened quite a while ago, as they have already found their Dora. She is experienced with action movies from her time in the Transformers franchise for one thing, and for another, she is quite closely linked to Dora herself. The actress is Isabela Moner, one of the voice actresses for the Dora series. Although grown up a little more since her voice over days, her age lends perfectly to telling a grittier story where Dora must make adult decisions and face the very real consequences. What the story will be and how she will preform is up in the air.
The Last Explorer could have been a title.
In all reality, the noise, explosions and bad writing did not give Isabella a chance to show the world what she could do as an actress. Stepping into the role isn't something that's going to be easy, and it’s arguable that she has not had much time to spend getting to know Dora. However, as this film will obviously be for an older generation, that will not be much of a problem. She can make Dora into whomever she wants her to be. Let’s hope that backpack is as useful in the movie as it is in the show.
15 Not The Crossover We Were Expecting
Upon hearing the news that a Dora the Explorer movie is going to be made, you may be tempted to do a quick Google search to see any details you can about the flick; who’s going to write it, who’s going to produce it, etc. When you do that, I can guarantee you that the first few links you’ll see promise a movie by Michael Bay. It makes perfect sense, right? Dora is an explorer and will certainly be facing some baddie who wants her gone. It’s just like any other adventure movie you claim. And yet, that’s where you’d be wrong.
Strangest. Mashup. Ever.
On October 25th of last year, it was confirmed that Michael Bay did not have anything to do with the project. It was only through his connection to the producing company that his name was thrown to the masses. Instead, Dora’s adventure to the city with Diego will be left in the hands of Nicolas Stoller as the writer. He is not necessarily famous for action flicks, so this may just be a kid’s movie after all. There go all of our Transformers-Meets-Dora fanfiction ideas. Having cast Moner, they could have made for some interesting canon. Que perdida; what a loss!
14 What Will They Think Of Next?
When movie directors aren’t turning Dora into an action hero, the fans are. As with anything that has a huge fan base with nostalgia fueling it, you’re going to see some crazy fan theories. Upon researching, I stumbled on quite a few that support the idea that Dora the Explorer is not a show meant for kids. Swiper being a symbol of demonology? No, thank you.
I rather like the idea of Dora being a show meant to teach children good character and language. Another harmless one is that when she grew up and needed a job, Dora turned to be the maid in Family Guy. I haven’t seen the show, so I can’t say one way or the other, but I’d like to think it was a cover.
My favorite fan theory is that Dora herself is an A.I. computer program from the game Portal, training people to be resilient and garner good problem-solving skills. What? It makes sense, though. The start of every episode shows very clearly that Dora is a computer program, and that we as the audience are the players. In the end, she occasionally gets to eat, which is the biggest part of the cake is a lie meme from the same game. It’s an interesting one to check up on if you have the time.
13 That's One Dedicated Fanbase
As you can imagine, each episode of Dora the Explorer is worked on by a very large team of animators, sound technicians, and directors, among other things. Just like it takes a couple of years before a new animated movie will come out, each episode of Dora the Explorer takes months to make from start to finish. About eighteen months, that is. Because each episode has music, backgrounds and animals to animate, it’s no wonder that the episodes can be slow in coming. Luckily and unluckily for most parents, kids today have access to streaming devices, allowing their little ones to watch their favorite tv shows where and when they want.
Working hard or hardly working?
Seeing that it takes so long to make a new episode, however, can make the time in between nearly unbearable for the parents who must hear the same episodes over and over. Dora the Explorer is a show that relies on teams both here in the United States as well as Korea to help with the animation. Everything has to be drawn in, and in the 2000s, the technology had not caught up to allow for swifter animation. Props to those parents who made it through the same episode 27 times!
12 No Wall Tall Enough
When you think of Dora the Explorer, an image of a Latina girl pops up, probably alongside one of her many animal friends helping someone in need or sharing some laughs. That’s not the image that is being used by some people on the internet. Anti-Immigration supporters have discussed the idea that Dora is an illegal alien, trying to soften the idea to children that we should all welcome everyone from Latin America and support them, even if they did not properly enter the country. Doctored images have been circulated; satires on sites like The Onion and YouTube have only fueled the fire.
It was only a matter of time before Dora was drawn into the political ring. With the topic of illegal immigration on the rise (particularly in states like Arizona), it is nearly impossible to expect she would escape the heat of Washington. Nickelodeon has not made any official statement as to Dora’s country of origin, as one of the main ideas in the show was to be inclusive of all Hispanic Cultures. I suppose it really is true that there will be haters for everything. Despite the claims, Dora has still given many children the opportunity to learn about a new culture and language.
11 Friends In High Places
As to be expected on any hit television show, spin-off movies of all kinds were made. Dora has helped mermaids, learned how to ice skate, thrown a Quinceanera (a party that celebrates a girl's transition into womanhood, usually around the age of 15 or 16) and been a gymnast, just to name a few. After seeing such popularity from each of these movies, many celebrities wanted to get in on some of that sweet sweet franchise cash. A few of these stars include then-Disney channel's Hilary Duff, musician Jewel, and actor and screenwriter Mel Brooks. While most of these celebrities are people that most of the Dora fan base will not recognize right off the bat, it gives the parents listening in something to watch, as they know the stars and will likely be entertained. I know I have found myself watching something merely because of an actor (i.e. Netflix's Series of Unfortunate Events and Nathan Fillion. Come for the captain and leave with the story!)
As with any appearance, each celebrity was chosen for their talent and how they fit into the story. Each could help kids understand one aspect of life or another and boosted sales. But hey, even if you're a multi-billion franchise, a little star power can't hurt.
10 Don't Bite The Hand That Feeds
When Dora the Explorer was originally being produced, it was not expected to have done as well as it did. That's one of the reasons Caitlin Sanchez took a deal and signed a contract with the Nickelodeon company to voice the iconic character, Dora. Sanchez provided the voice for everyone's favorite bilingual explorer between 2008 and 2014 before handing the role over to Fatima Ptacek for the show's last year. When Sanchez was fired from the show for growing up and no longer fitting the role of her character, Caitlin Sanchez went on to fade into obscurity. However, once she saw how lucrative a franchise Dora the Explorer had come, Caitlin Sanchez took Nickelodeon to court, claiming that they owed her millions for unpaid work.
Divas to the left, please.
Nickelodeon wasn't having any of that, though, as they had legally outlined any payments and salary items in the original contract, to which Sanchez signed. Having had experience with child actors before, Nickelodeon and their lawyers were able to quickly settle the case privately. They even had to deal with Sanchez's lawyer threatening to expose dark secrets behind the company's employees if they did not meet the demands given. I imagine there were quite the skeletons in those closets.
9 Not A Bad Payday
Caitlin Sanchez may not have received the millions she thought she was worth, but for her time on Dora the Explorer, she made a pretty penny. Her net worth was about $300,000 over three years. Now, I understand that voice acting is a hard gig, and there are many hours that one spends in the recording booth, getting lips to match up with the words and putting in the right inflections. In comparison to how many hours the average person works for minimum wage, I can guarantee that many people would take the salary and be completely satisfied; myself included. (Nickelodeon, you can contact me at any time.)
She was supposed to receive about $5,000 per episode as well as merchandising and travel pay while helping to promote the show. Sanchez's lawyer claimed there were missteps in the contract and sloppy writing that allowed for Nickelodeon to get away with paying her less. Having a child sign a long contract promising fortune and fame is an easy way to set up loopholes, as there are even adults who don't understand legal jargon. However, it was a legally binding document, so at the end of the day, Caitlin was forced to deal with the settlement promised by the court. Hindsight shows us that's not quite what happened, though.
8 Let The Defendant Beware
After the settlement from Nickelodeon, it seems Caitlin Sanchez and her family weren't quite finished. The Sanchez family then turned around and started a case against the man who had provided legal services for them, claiming that they should not have to pay for services rendered as a host of complaints floated to the surface. Some of those included future royalties Sanchez receives as part of his payment, being lied to about ending court "with prejudice" and having a false notarization, to name a few. Out of the $500,000+ Sanchez earned from her settlement with Nickelodeon, the lawyer, Balestriere, would earn over $200,000 of it.
There's a reason people joke that lawyers have their own special spot in Hades, but this case alone is one of the prime examples of how bad it can be. As of 2012, it seems that the family has been unsuccessful at winning their case against a former ally. While we cannot know the extent of how the family treated Balestriere, it can not have been all roses and rainbows. Either way, both lawsuits have been closed and you can bet that any chance to come back to Hollywood for Caitlin Sanchez grow smaller with every passing year.
7 What's In A Name
Contrary to miniscule belief, 'the explorer' is not Dora's last name. Canonically, she is Dora Marquez. At first glance, this is a fairly typical surname for Dora and is par for the course. However, it was later revealed that the name Marquez was not simply a name chosen because it sounded good. The name comes from a Nobel prize winning author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who is connected to a genre called 'magic realism.' Most of Marquez's stories are placed in the real world and have pretty everyday happenings. what make them stand out is one or two elements of magic.
Maybe magic realism explains why animals can talk to Dora.
For example, one of the most known stories by Marquez is "The Man with Very Enormous Wings," which is the story of a sleepy town overlooking the sea. One day, a man with a pair of large wings washes up on their shore, and they use him to earn money as a tourist attraction. He ends up flying away and life returns to what it was before. It makes for a great introduction to more Hispanic creators to use Marquez's last name for Dora. There are so many artists of every kind in Hispanic culture that can be found because of a television show with a Latina lead.
6 Language, Dora
In order to create an all-inclusive heroine and to avoid having to pinpoint Dora's nationality to one place (real or fake), Nickelodeon simply chose not to have the issue come up. When writing the script for Dora and looking at the Spanish that will be taught and used, Nickelodeon had to consider differences in all of the versions of Spanish that exist. Much like the United States ranges in accents and definitions; Spanish varies from country to country. Certain conjugations are used in one part of the world but are disregarded in others. For example, in Spain the conjugation for you (more specifically the form 'vosotros' ending in -eis) is used alongside the other kinds of conjugation. However, you wouldn't hear someone from Mexico using the vosotros version of 'to be,' as their language is slightly different.
By using words that are universal in Spanish and don’t have separate meanings in different countries, Dora not only unifies the language; but she is able to simplify it for children who are learning Spanish as a second language. Teaching children the entirety of the Spanish language is not what Dora was made to do. It did become a large part of how people identified her. The fact that the creators were so conscious about their words earns some points in my book.