I have some questions for only those people who were OLD ENOUGH to understand CATM when it ran on NBC In the mid 70's.

Was Chico's absence explained during the remainder of he 3rd season? or the beginning of the 4th?

WAs it hard to watch the show after Freddie Died?

Was the Show still high in the ratings during the 77-78 season?

Was it explained why Freddie committed suicide?

WAs part of LA was this show based in?

I did watch the show during it's original airing, but not the third and fourth seasons because I was in college at the time and didn't have access to a TV. I do remember watching it in re runs tho and can answer some of your questions.

1. After Freddie's death, the remainder of the third season, it was explained that Chico went to visit his father in Mexico. The very next show after Freddie's death had Della receiving a gift from him in the mail. Once Raul was introduced at the very end of the season, and into the fourth season, no mention was made of the original Chico until the two parter where Raul gets into the van and finds Chico's stuff. Ed yells at him and then he runs back to Mexico. Ed goes after him and then explains to Raul that Chico died. Ed never says how, tho. I think that the fans of the show weren't happy with the way the show had treated Chico's absence, in light of the fact that Freddie had died, so they finally conceded to put closure on Chico.

2. In re runs, I hated to watch the shows after Chico. I did watch several of them, and there were a few good ones, but once Charo was introduced, I said the heck with this and didn't see the rest. I did see part of one of the last ones with that annoying actress who played Ed's neice. I think the hardest part about watching the ones without Chico, was not only the fact that I expected to see Freddie bound onto the set like he did when he was alive and knowing he wouldn't, but also watching the bitterness Jack Albertson couldn't hid anymore about having to continue without Freddie. I could tell they were close, more from Freddie's absence in his life than even when they were together. I know Scatman and Jack were good friends too, but it wasn't the same.

3. The rating fell dramatically in the 4th season. The first two seasons saw the show in the top five. When Freddie was not himself in the third season, the ratings fell some, but the show managed to maintain its top ten standings. The fourth season's ratings were dismal. Most fans of the show watched it for the rapor between Freddie and Jack. It wasn't Chico and the Man anymore for most of us.

4. Freddie's suicide was never addressed on the show, which was probably for the best. Chico's death was never really explained, just stated as a fact. Years later, his mother was instrumental in getting the suicide verdict overturned to accidental death midagated by the abuse of prescription drugs. I think the doctors responsible for the prescriptions were sucessfully sued by both Mrs. Pruetzel and Freddie's widow.

5. The show was based in the East Los Angeles section of LA, the area known as the Barrio. This was a predominantly Hispanic (Chicano) section of LA, like WATTS was mostly African American (reference to Sandford and Son which was set in WATTS) I am not 100% sure, but I believe these neighborhoods are still made up of the same ethnic groups today.

I hope this answers your questions. :)

Originally posted by Luckymama58
I did watch the show during it's original airing, but not the third and fourth seasons because I was in college at the time and didn't have access to a TV. I do remember watching it in re runs tho and can answer some of your questions.

1. After Freddie's death, the remainder of the third season, it was explained that Chico went to visit his father in Mexico. The very next show after Freddie's death had Della receiving a gift from him in the mail. Once Raul was introduced at the very end of the season, and into the fourth season, no mention was made of the original Chico until the two parter where Raul gets into the van and finds Chico's stuff. Ed yells at him and then he runs back to Mexico. Ed goes after him and then explains to Raul that Chico died. Ed never says how, tho. I think that the fans of the show weren't happy with the way the show had treated Chico's absence, in light of the fact that Freddie had died, so they finally conceded to put closure on Chico.

2. In re runs, I hated to watch the shows after Chico. I did watch several of them, and there were a few good ones, but once Charo was introduced, I said the heck with this and didn't see the rest. I did see part of one of the last ones with that annoying actress who played Ed's neice. I think the hardest part about watching the ones without Chico, was not only the fact that I expected to see Freddie bound onto the set like he did when he was alive and knowing he wouldn't, but also watching the bitterness Jack Albertson couldn't hid anymore about having to continue without Freddie. I could tell they were close, more from Freddie's absence in his life than even when they were together. I know Scatman and Jack were good friends too, but it wasn't the same.

3. The rating fell dramatically in the 4th season. The first two seasons saw the show in the top five. When Freddie was not himself in the third season, the ratings fell some, but the show managed to maintain its top ten standings. The fourth season's ratings were dismal. Most fans of the show watched it for the rapor between Freddie and Jack. It wasn't Chico and the Man anymore for most of us.

4. Freddie's suicide was never addressed on the show, which was probably for the best. Chico's death was never really explained, just stated as a fact. Years later, his mother was instrumental in getting the suicide verdict overturned to accidental death midagated by the abuse of prescription drugs. I think the doctors responsible for the prescriptions were sucessfully sued by both Mrs. Pruetzel and Freddie's widow.

5. The show was based in the East Los Angeles section of LA, the area known as the Barrio. This was a predominantly Hispanic (Chicano) section of LA, like WATTS was mostly African American (reference to Sandford and Son which was set in WATTS) I am not 100% sure, but I believe these neighborhoods are still made up of the same ethnic groups today.

I hope this answers your questions. :)


Two more questions

If East LA was primarily Hispanic, What was Sammy Davis reason for making a guest appearance on the show. I think he brought his car to the garage.

You mentioned that Chico wasn't hisself during the 3rd season. Can you give me some examples.

Personally, I always thought Sammy Davis Jr.'s visit was a bit contrived and not very believable. It wasn't one of my favorite episodes, but I know others enjoyed it. I know one thing that always irritated me about that episode was they had Chico painted as a no talent singer and song writer, when in real life Freddie was very talented in both areas. Even on other episodes they had his vocal talent showcased in short clips and he could sing very well. I just got a copy of him singing on the Tony Orlando and Dawn Rainbow hour and he was a very talented singer. And in his mother's book about his life, she mentions that Freddie sold some of his songs to others. So I guess he could write songs as well as sing them.

Freddie was starting to show the effects of his abuse of both prescription drugs as well as some street drugs. His weight had gone down and toward the end, even his concentration wasn't up to his usual standards. He was always the professional, tho, and it is quoted from some of his co workers on the set that he always came in sober enough to work. Still, it is said that they brought in Della Reese to be a foil to Ed Brown, because Freddie wasn't up to the job of arguing with Ed as Chico anymore. I would like to think that he didn't argue as much because Chico was more a friend to Ed by now and not so much a foil. If you watch the third season shows, Freddie is very much the professional and there are great scenes in there. I guess the thing I noticed the most was Freddie did look more tired a great deal of the time. Still, he was a great performer even if he wasn't 100% himself. More so, because he had a talent for hiding his problems, a talent that could have contributed to his not getting the help he needed and to his eventual death.

BTW all of these are my own opinions, but they are based on extensive research into the life and death of Freddie Prinze.

Originally posted by Luckymama58
Personally, I always thought Sammy Davis Jr.'s visit was a bit contrived and not very believable. It wasn't one of my favorite episodes, but I know others enjoyed it. I know one thing that always irritated me about that episode was they had Chico painted as a no talent singer and song writer, when in real life Freddie was very talented in both areas. Even on other episodes they had his vocal talent showcased in short clips and he could sing very well. I just got a copy of him singing on the Tony Orlando and Dawn Rainbow hour and he was a very talented singer. And in his mother's book about his life, she mentions that Freddie sold some of his songs to others. So I guess he could write songs as well as sing them.

Freddie was starting to show the effects of his abuse of both prescription drugs as well as some street drugs. His weight had gone down and toward the end, even his concentration wasn't up to his usual standards. He was always the professional, tho, and it is quoted from some of his co workers on the set that he always came in sober enough to work. Still, it is said that they brought in Della Reese to be a foil to Ed Brown, because Freddie wasn't up to the job of arguing with Ed as Chico anymore. I would like to think that he didn't argue as much because Chico was more a friend to Ed by now and not so much a foil. If you watch the third season shows, Freddie is very much the professional and there are great scenes in there. I guess the thing I noticed the most was Freddie did look more tired a great deal of the time. Still, he was a great performer even if he wasn't 100% himself. More so, because he had a talent for hiding his problems, a talent that could have contributed to his not getting the help he needed and to his eventual death.

BTW all of these are my own opinions, but they are based on extensive research into the life and death of Freddie Prinze.



Thank You for your response

I'd never really heard much of the Barrio until CATM came out. I think the show raised peoples awareness of the Barrio...

I think when Freddie died there were 2 more episodes left to tape in the season so those were Raul free as Raul hadn't been picked yet for the show. One was about Ed's Uncle Sonny & the other was GREGORY PECK WAS A ROOSTER which had Pat Buttram of Green Acres as a guest star & Had Ed trying to save a fighting **** rooster. I noticed how after Chico died how sentimental Ed started getting. I think in one of those episode Della shows off a new poncho Chico sent her in the mail from Mexico. Anyway, she says that Chico went to Encinada to help his dad with his business. We all know that was not believable as Chico would've gone to visit his dad but never left Ed for good. They never did explain Chicos death which was disapointing as I'd loved to have know why he died.

Later in the Raul episodes came Monica the runaway girl Ed takes in. The RAUL & 2 non-Raul episodes were good but not as good as the Chico ones. I watched them mainly for continuation of the story & cuz I'd always enjoyed the show. I feel they should've explained Chicos death on there doing an hour long episode that tributed him & then ended the show. We would've missed Jack, Scat & Della but it just wasn't the same without Chico. Raul was a cute & precocious little thing & did a good job of acting but we still missed Chico... Mando was only in one Raul episode, the Raul runs away. I wish he'd been in more Raul episodes as we like him too!

In the 3rd season, I assumed that Freddie was so thin due to people in hollywood wanting to be so thin. I had no idea of his problems. I agree that he kept them very well hid. & That was the problem. Had he confided his problems to someone he might've been able to have gotten help. Sadly Jack, Scat & Della, Mando & Freddies parents had no idea how bad off he was & thought he was just depressed over Kathy divorcing him & would get over it soon. Sadly he didn't get over it...

Originally posted by Cheryl Harrell
I think when Freddie died there were 2 more episodes left to tape in the season so those were Raul free as Raul hadn't been picked yet for the show. One was about Ed's Uncle Sonny & the other was GREGORY PECK WAS A ROOSTER which had Pat Buttram of Green Acres as a guest star & Had Ed trying to save a fighting **** rooster. I noticed how after Chico died how sentimental Ed started getting. I think in one of those episode Della shows off a new poncho Chico sent her in the mail from Mexico. Anyway, she says that Chico went to Encinada to help his dad with his business. We all know that was not believable as Chico would've gone to visit his dad but never left Ed for good. They never did explain Chicos death which was disapointing as I'd loved to have know why he died.

All though I wasn't born then,

#62. Ed Talks to God This is Chico's last episode.

#63. Louie's Can Can No Chico or Raul. Della brings her poncho to the garage, which Chico sent her from Mexico.

#64. Gregory Peck Is a Rooster No Chico or Raul. Ed tells Della that the rooster will keep him company while Chico is away. Making it sound like he was coming back.

#65. Uncle Sonny At least in the TV Land version, they didn't mention Chico at all. Ed was gone and his Uncle Sonny (played by Jack Albertson) visited.

#66. Who's Been Sleeping in My Car? Filmed as a season finale for the third season, Raul is introduced. However, the episode was held over and became the fourth season premiere.

So in other words:
Chico Rodriguez (episodes 1-62)
Raul Garcia (episodes 66-88)