Ep 1. Hot Seats

The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo is a children's television series that first aired on Nickelodeon in 1996. Starring Irene Ng as the titular Shelby Woo, the show follows the adventures of a teenage girl who works as an assistant for the police department in the fictional town of Seahaven.

The first episode of season one, titled Hot Seats, sees Shelby investigating a series of car thefts in Seahaven. The episode opens with the police department receiving reports of several vehicles being stolen from a local car dealership. Shelby is eager to help with the investigation, but is initially told by Lieutenant Parminter (Pat Morita) that she is too young and inexperienced to be involved. However, Shelby persists and eventually convinces Parminter to let her assist in the case.

Shelby's first lead comes from a witness who saw one of the stolen cars being driven away by a person wearing a red baseball cap. Shelby and her friend Angie (Elizabeth Morehead) start investigating everyone in Seahaven who owns a red cap, hoping to find a suspect. They come across several people who match the description, including a guard at the local museum and a pizza delivery boy, but none of them seem to be involved in the thefts.

Meanwhile, Shelby's other friend, Noah (Adam Busch), tells her about a group of kids who are selling "hot" merchandise, including car stereos and other parts. Shelby and Noah go undercover as buyers and meet the leader of the group, a boy named Jake (Ryan Reynolds). Jake denies any involvement in the car thefts, but offers to help Shelby and Noah catch the real culprits.

With Jake's help, Shelby and her team are able to track down the stolen cars to a hidden garage on the outskirts of town. The garage is owned by a man named Ted (John Billingsley), who had been working with the car dealership's mechanic to steal and dismantle the vehicles. Shelby and her team arrest Ted and the mechanic, and the stolen cars are returned to their rightful owners.

The episode ends with Parminter praising Shelby for her detective work and officially making her part of the police department's investigation team. Shelby is thrilled to have proven herself and looks forward to more cases in the future.

Overall, Hot Seats is a fun and engaging introduction to The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. The show's mix of mystery, humor, and teenage drama makes it an entertaining watch for kids and adults alike. Irene Ng delivers a charismatic performance as Shelby Woo, and the supporting cast is equally strong. The episode's central mystery is well-crafted and keeps viewers engaged until the very end.