"Chico and the Man"
"Chico, don't be discouraged,
The Man he ain't so hard to understand.
Chico, if you try now,
I know that you can lend a helping hand.
Because there's good in everyone
And a new day has begun
You can see the morning sun if you try.
And I know, things will be better
Oh yes they will for Chico and the Man
Yes they will for Chico and the Man."
- Chico and the Man Theme Song (12)
Chico and the Man Opening Scene (Left), starring Freddie Prinze and Jack Albertson (Right).
NBC's Chico and the Man debuted on September 13, 1974 and was a hit from the start (10). Set the in barrio of Los Angeles, the show was based upon a clash of cultures between two men who go into business together - Ed Brown (Albertson), the old cynical, sarcastic owner of a garage, and Chico Rodriguez (Prinze), a young, enthusiastic Chicano (14). Initially, Brown did not try to work with Chico and fought him, but underneath it all he was happy to have Chico around. However, during season three, Prinze took his own life, causing consideration to cancel the show. Instead he was replaced by a 12 year old boy, Raul, who Brown called "Chico" as a nickname (2). The comedy continued until being cancelled in July of 1978.
(11)
"Chico and the Man was a cultural touchstone for an entire generation of people and it represented the pinnacle of Freddie Prinze's all too short career." - Larry W. Jones, Executive Vice President and General Manager of TV Land (12)
Additional Chico and the Man Websites:
Sitcoms Online - Chico and the Man