I'll never understand why such a classic show has been kept out of the public for so long. One of my favorites when it debuted. I've worn out the limited release they had of selected episodes.

I'd love to know too. I would buy it if it came out on dvd. :)

Odd because a TV show that came out in 1976 and lasted to 1978 has been completed on DVD this year called CPO SHarkey

Not sure why this show is not on Cable, Digital TV, or DVD

I would think that the reason is pretty simple: The overwhelming memory people who watched this show have of it is that the star committed suicide during the show's run and it stirs up unpleasant thoughts so people won't buy it. There was no good ending to the show, just a cynical Hollywood attempt to keep a hit show running when they should have closed it down.

still waiting impatiently for them to release all the seasons, or at least the Freddie episodes on DVD

I was a casual watcher of this show. I could have sworn after Freddie died that the title was changed to Chico and The Other Man? I was having a discussion with a co worker and good friend and we were talking about old shows from the 1970s and this show came into the talk. They do not make television shows like them these days.

I was watching a episode of George Lopez and he made a reference to Chico and the man when he said

"that's not my job man"

I heard it was music rights issues.

Figures.

I'd love to see a complete series DVD box set of "Chico and the Man" released someday, but I wouldn't count on it, given Freddie's tragic death. It's also the same reason why "Chico" is seldom seen in syndication. If all four seasons of "Chico" ever do receive a DVD release, it'll probably be a MOD (manufacture on demand) release, with the episodes duplicated (or "burned") on DVD-R (non-recordable) discs.

I was a casual watcher of this show. I could have sworn after Freddie died that the title was changed to Chico and The Other Man? I was having a discussion with a co worker and good friend and we were talking about old shows from the 1970s and this show came into the talk. They do not make television shows like them these days.

Nope, frankred...it was still called "Chico and the Man," with Gabriel Melgar as Chico's "replacement," twelve-year old orphan Raul Garcia. Needless to say, audiences didn't accept Melgar ("Chico's" ratings plummeted after Freddie's death), and NBC cancelled "Chico" in 1978 after four seasons.

Thank You for the update. I was wrong I liked this show but it was not one of my favorites.

Thank You for the update. I was wrong I liked this show but it was not one of my favorites.

You're welcome, frankred! Anytime!

I'd love to own "Chico" as a complete series set from Shout! Factory

I heard it was music rights issues.

Figures.
9 times out of 10, that's the reason.

However, I think that 1 time, it's just that the rights holder of the show just doesn't care about releasing it on DVD.

I would think that the reason is pretty simple: The overwhelming memory people who watched this show have of it is that the star committed suicide during the show's run and it stirs up unpleasant thoughts so people won't buy it. There was no good ending to the show, just a cynical Hollywood attempt to keep a hit show running when they should have closed it down.

Also, the later episodes w/ Freddie Prinze are kind of uncomfortable to watch in hindsight anyway because you can tell how much he deteriorated due to the effects of substance abuse.

I think the biggest reason this hasn't been released on DVD is who own the rights....Warner Bros.....They're notorious for not releasing TV shows on DVD and they hardly ever let another company release any of their shows.

I think the biggest reason this hasn't been released on DVD is who own the rights....Warner Bros.....They're notorious for not releasing TV shows on DVD and they hardly ever let another company release any of their shows.

How come they don't want to make money on their back catalogue?

^With having to pay for music rights...etc., they probably don't think they'll make a profit from releasing certain shows on DVD.

Don't fret! I am sure one day it will be released!

I would love a complete series but there are MANY shows ahead of it I need to buy ... this summer I'm going to try to focus on the great Shout sets like "FOL", "The Jeffersons", "WBK", "Hill Street Blues", "Leave It to Beaver", "Dobie Gillis" and "Mr. Ed."

I would love a complete series but there are MANY shows ahead of it I need to buy ... this summer I'm going to try to focus on the great Shout sets like "FOL", "The Jeffersons", "WBK", "Hill Street Blues", "Leave It to Beaver", "Dobie Gillis" and "Mr. Ed."
I have all of these sets except for "Hill Street Blues", and they're all great!

^ Why didn't you get Hill St Blues?

^ Why didn't you get Hill St Blues?

It's not one of my favorites. I do want it but there's no rush for me.

I understand. I've wanted it for awhile and will probably get it this summer

Why hasn't this been released in a complete series set? I just have a feeling it will be soon! Keep fingers crossed, guys!

I have the complete series on copied Dvds...met Freddie when I was a young teen in the 70's-was a very nice person-was so sad when he passed away...still miss him-x

TV Land ran a marathon of this series over the weekend of Jan. 20-21, 2001. Some people, like a friend I remember, taped the whole marathon, which included all 88 episodes plus 8 more run a 2nd time, over 48 hours, so these people may be the ones who now have it available. I was out of town that weekend so saw only parts of it. It didn't last long on TV Land. A book about sitcoms mentioned that since Freddie Prinze & Jack Albertson had both died, the demand for this show by local stations was very low. I do have the 6 episode Television Favorites for this series, and it was fun watching this show again.

TV Land ran a marathon of this series over the weekend of Jan. 20-21, 2001. Some people, like a friend I remember, taped the whole marathon, which included all 88 episodes plus 8 more run a 2nd time, over 48 hours, so these people may be the ones who now have it available. I was out of town that weekend so saw only parts of it. It didn't last long on TV Land. A book about sitcoms mentioned that since Freddie Prinze & Jack Albertson had both died, the demand for this show by local stations was very low. I do have the 6 episode Television Favorites for this series, and it was fun watching this show again.


On Jan 20, 2001, I didn't have the internet, tv land, and didn't know what sitcomsonline was. Lol

"Music rights"....how often did anyone hear music of that time in any of the episodes...NEVER.

Only cousin Pepe singing on there was an ep where Chico was dancing to music and Ed Brown came downstairs fussy.

I fear Chico and the Man will never see the light of day with the current volatility of society and social issues. Young people are too judgmental and do not know how to recognize growth through tolerance and understanding. This show is a great study of that.

I fear Chico and the Man will never see the light of day with the current volatility of society and social issues. Young people are too judgmental and do not know how to recognize growth through tolerance and understanding. This show is a great study of that.

I hate that is not even on youtube which means it will always be a lost sitcom of the 70's

There's quite a few full episodes of Chico And The Man on dailymotion.

https://www.dailymotion.com/search/chico%20and%20the%20man/videos

There's quite a few full episodes of Chico And The Man on dailymotion.

https://www.dailymotion.com/search/chico%20and%20the%20man/videos

Thank you so much for this.

Thank you so much for this.

You're welcome. I watched a lot of them there a few years ago and I really enjoyed them.

You're welcome. I watched a lot of them there a few years ago and I really enjoyed them.

This show was filmed in front of a studio audience right?

This show was filmed in front of a studio audience right?

Yeah, it was.

Yeah, it was.

I decided to give up. I couldnt watch it because it was two 40 second ads in the first 10 mins of the episode. That is too many for a short period of time and too long. Atleast youtube is only 5 seconds.

Also, the later episodes w/ Freddie Prinze are kind of uncomfortable to watch in hindsight anyway because you can tell how much he deteriorated due to the effects of substance abuse.

To add to my original point, the sales results on the 2005 DVD release (http://amzn.to/2BtRDHh) of a selection of episodes weren't very good. Studios have done test releases like this often, releasing a low priced episode selection or a first season only. The resulting sales data was used to calculate the profitability of releasing full or subsequent seasons. There are a number of series that only had a season one release with no following seasons due to sales results.

Simply put, if they couldn’t generate enough interest in the mid-2000s heyday of TV on DVD, it is highly unlikely it would be released now that we are into a major decline of packaged media sales. Companies don’t go through that process unless they think they are going to make a profit. They may or may not obviously but they aren’t going to do it if they think they will lose money.

And quite frankly, it seems apparent that Chico and the Man simply doesn’t have the fan base that is willing to buy a DVD set to warrant a release. The show as it stands also hasn't really aged well even if you take out the tragic circumstances surrounding Freddie Prinze's death. The show was about a Mexican guy who is caught sleeping in a van inside of a racist old white man’s garage. "Hilarity" ensues and what basically follows is a near endless stream of racial and ethnic jokes, tied together by a supporting cast of Black actors (who oddly are not the butt of any of the jokes).

This show was filmed in front of a studio audience right?

I can still hear Freddie in my head say “‘Chico And The Man’ was filmed in front of a live studio audience at NBC Studios, Burbank, California” at the end of the show.(IIRC, Jack Albertson and Scatman Crothers said it later.)

This is going to sound a tad bit harsh, but another possible reason for why it has never been released on DVD is because none of its cast arguably has a significant following in this era. While Jack Albertson, Della Reese, and Scatman Crothers were all exceptional performers, they are largely forgotten by modern audiences.

Freddie Prinze sadly did not live long enough or do enough to establish himself as a longterm talent. His premature death ended any hopes that he would have a lengthy television career or even a film one and so there’s little to attract new viewers (or even older ones who remember the program) to the series.

His tragic death as alluded to before, was always going to be the proverbial elephant in the room. After he killed himself at the end of its third season, Chico and the Man as a series essentially ended from that point going forward. Let's be real here, there’s not much call for a sitcom where the star kills himself in real life.

The fourth season quite frankly, really never should have been produced, nor aired. So on that end, there’s not much to see and releasing a DVD box set so abbreviated would almost certainly be a money loser.

This is going to sound a tad bit harsh, but another possible reason for why it has never been released on DVD is because none of its cast arguably has a significant following in this era. While Jack Albertson, Della Reese, and Scatman Crothers were all exceptional performers, they are largely forgotten by modern audiences.

Freddie Prinze sadly did not live long enough or do enough to establish himself as a longterm talent. His premature death ended any hopes that he would have a lengthy television career or even a film one and so there’s little to attract new viewers (or even older ones who remember the program) to the series.

His tragic death as alluded to before, was always going to be the proverbial elephant in the room. After he killed himself at the end of its second season, Chico and the Man as a series essentially ended from that point going forward. Let's be real here, there’s not much call for a sitcom where the star kills himself in real life.

The third season quite frankly, really never should have been produced, nor aired. So on that end, there’s not much to see and releasing a DVD box set so abbreviated would almost certainly be a money loser.


What kind of following did the cast of Angie have? That show ran 2 seasons and out on DVD. And the star killing himself shouldnt stop the show being on DVD only syndication

His tragic death as alluded to before, was always going to be the proverbial elephant in the room. After he killed himself at the end of its second season, Chico and the Man as a series essentially ended from that point going forward. Let's be real here, there’s not much call for a sitcom where the star kills himself in real life.

The third season quite frankly, really never should have been produced, nor aired. So on that end, there’s not much to see and releasing a DVD box set so abbreviated would almost certainly be a money loser.

Freddie died during the third season. I'm unsure if filming had wrapped up for that season yet or not, it was January when he killed himself. It was the fourth season that had that Raul kid.

This is going to sound a tad bit harsh, but another possible reason for why it has never been released on DVD is because none of its cast arguably has a significant following in this era. While Jack Albertson, Della Reese, and Scatman Crothers were all exceptional performers, they are largely forgotten by modern audiences.

Della Reese is probably best remembered by “modern audiences” for Touched By an Angel.
“Chico” wasn’t the only series featuring Della Reese where the lead actor died during production.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royal_Family_(TV_series)

Della Reese is probably best remembered by “modern audiences” for Touched By an Angel.
“Chico” wasn’t the only series featuring Della Reese where the lead actor died during production.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royal_Family_(TV_series)

It was nothing funny about her so dont know why she was so high in demand

It was nothing funny about her so dont know why she was so high in demandDella Reese fit right in on Touched by an Angel, which was probably her most famous role. And since that show was a drama, no need to be funny there.

Has anyone tried to contact Freddie Prinze, Jr. and see if HE knows why his late father's series has never been released?

Of course, there's virtually no regular cast members still living- unless they attempt to track down Gabriel Melgar and hope HIS recollections are enough to make the set worth marketing!

Just cant understand why this show is not inside the Vault

What kind of following did the cast of Angie have? That show ran 2 seasons and out on DVD. And the star killing himself shouldnt stop the show being on DVD only syndication

I can't really answer for Angie but in the case of Chico and the Man, whenever discussion of that show is brought up now, the unfortunate early demise of its star is likely the first thing that is brought up. It's hard to watch a sitcom and laugh and feel entertained knowing that the star of the show violently kills himself in the middle of its run. It's one of those cases where it's a challenge to separate "fantasy" from "reality", especially since the show went on for one more season after Freddie's death.

I also think that it hasn't been out on DVD or syndication, because the powers that be, want to prevent any sort of bile or morbid curiosity into the show. Like they don't want us the see the third season, when it was quite apparent that Freddie Prinze was physically and mentally deteriorating. Nor do they want us to see the Prinze-less fourth season, which was only produced as a financial incentive.

I can't really answer for Angie but in the case of Chico and the Man, whenever discussion of that show is brought up now, the unfortunate early demise of its star is likely the first thing that is brought up. It's hard to watch a sitcom and laugh and feel entertained knowing that the star of the show violently kills himself in the middle of its run. It's one of those cases where it's a challenge to separate "fantasy" from "reality", especially since the show went on for one more season after Freddie's death.

I also think that it hasn't been out on DVD or syndication, because the powers that be, want to prevent any sort of bile or morbid curiosity into the show. Like they don't want us the see the third season, when it was quite apparent that Freddie Prinze was physically and mentally deteriorating. Nor do they want us to see the Prinze-less fourth season, which was only produced as a financial incentive.


I ended up buying the show on DVD last year from someone on this site and watched the whole series. Not really that great of a show and probably will never watch it again. it was just fun to watch at the time because I had never seen it before. The character ED didnt make me laugh until season 3 which was way too late. Not sure how this was a top 10 show

I think it would totally sell. Not everyone thinks about that stuff. What about news radio? One of the main characters got blown away by his own wife. That makes no sense to me. Jmo

I think it would totally sell. Not everyone thinks about that stuff. What about news radio? One of the main characters got blown away by his own wife. That makes no sense to me. Jmo

Probably wouldnt sell because the show is not being seen in the Digital TV, Cable or Streaming world to even gain a new fanbase.

The newer Tubi versions have been put into a 4 disc set for people who don't want to wait.
https://classictvshop.net/

The newer Tubi versions have been put into a 4 disc set for people who don't want to wait.
https://classictvshop.net/

Once I finally saw the show after so many years, I wasnt all that impressed. I rather take $45 to the nudie bar:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

How the show is streamed on TUBI will be the best indicator of potential DVD sales.

I have skipped around on episodes. Some episodes are more enjoyable than others.

Perhaps I'm a TV snob, but I like this show best in small doses.

How the show is streamed on TUBI will be the best indicator of potential DVD sales.

I have skipped around on episodes. Some episodes are more enjoyable than others.

Perhaps I'm a TV snob, but I like this show best in small doses.


The old man is cranky and not funny which is one of the main reasons I couldnt get into the show. Just walking around irritable all the time