Comedias de Situación con México (Sitcoms with Mexican Themes) - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

MrCleveland · 05-06-2016, 12:33 PM

I know Cinco de Mayo was yesterday, but there's been sitcoms that used a Mexican Restaurant (Gimme a Break with "Mom's Birthday"), Mexican songs (Home Improvement with "The Naked Truth"), and even dressing as a Mexican (Happy Days with "Fonzie for the Defense").

In "Fonzie for Defense", the subplot is Richie Cunningham is trying a song for their group and they dress as "The Three Caballeros"...and ironically...Ron Howard would later direct Splash...BOTH Splash and The Three Caballeros are Buena Vista Films!

In "Mom's Birthday", Nell Harper suggests the Kaniskis to go out to dinner and they go to a Mexican Restaurant. Things go well until the staff sing "Happy Birthday" to a family.

In "The Naked Truth", Tim tries to tiptoe around the concept that he saw Nancy in the shower. Tim hears "La Caucaracha" and says that's their song...then Nancy says that she and Tim saw each other naked!

Any other shows that used Mexico or anything Mexican?

Sal · 05-06-2016, 02:02 PM

On his show, Jack Benny would do a hilarious routine with Mel Blanc that might have been inspired by "Who's On First?" in which Blanc (the voice of Speedy Gonzales) plays a Mexican named Sy who keeps saying "Si" or words that sound like "Si".

icecream · 05-06-2016, 03:55 PM

George Lopez and Cristela had Mexican casts.

howilu · 05-07-2016, 06:47 AM

There was also the short-lived Norman Lear sitcom a.k.a. Pablo that starred Paul Rodriguez.

MrCleveland · 05-08-2016, 03:03 PM

I also forgot about Chico and the Man which is set in a Mexican-American neighborhood...though Freddie Prinze was Puerto Rican.

biffbronson · 05-08-2016, 10:19 PM

On My Three Sons, Steve & Barbara honeymooned in Mexico. Some hot food for Steve...! Also, there was an episode in which Uncle Charley had a cameo in a western TV episode set in Mexico, wearing a big sombrero.

On The Andy Griffith Show, Aunt Bee and a couple of her friends vacationed in Mexico.

bh7812 · 05-12-2016, 11:39 PM

!Rob! was a pretty heavily Spanish influenced sitcom despite it's short run.

Another Spanish sitcom that was huge in Mexico and South America for a while was Solo En Anerica, about a lady who moved from Mexico to New York City with her I think it was 2 daughters. I'm not sure about outside Chicago but for a lot of the second half of 2000 the Telemundo affiliate here ran it a few times a week with English subtitles! It was part of, at the time, Telemundo's effort to make some of its prime time shows accessible to everyone-English and Spanish speaking viewers. I really enjoyed what I saw of Solo En Anerica and if I could get the whole series-which ran for several years in Mexico-with English subtitles I'd certainly buy it! The prime time Spanglish block consisted of that, a Charlie's Angels reboot, and another show I never found out the name of that was one of the most violent TV shows I'd ever seen!

WSNS was supposed to stop the Spanglish stuff in early 2001 but the station manager at the time believed those shows should be available and accessible to all. I agreed 100 percent with that. He more or less defied Telemundo upper honchos and kept the Spanglish going quite a fair ways into 2001. He was also running English infomercials during iver nights-straight up English no Spanish subtitles. I guess Telemundo got tired of the defiance since they canned him suddenly. I'd talked to him by mail quite a few times-very nice guy who was all too happy to have an actual dialogue with me and we did. He asked for my input on the Spanglish block, how he could improve it along with my input on other things going on at the station at the time. I liked the guy a lot and felt very sorry for him when he got canned. I hope Mr. Cordova knows how much I appreciated his time and how grateful I was he wanted my input. He actually replied to all of it!

George Lopez seemed to be Spanish influenced too so those three shows are my votes!

biffbronson · 05-13-2016, 06:30 AM

On Father Knows Best, the Andersons become involved in the life of Mexican immigrant "Frank."

Also, on My Three Sons a Spanish bullfighter visited (played by Alejandro Rey), but I can't recall if he was from Mexico -- or from Spain?

MrCleveland · 05-13-2016, 10:46 AM

Here's a One-Year Wonder show that was Mexican-American themed...First Time Out.

In The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, there's an episode called "Lucy Goes To Mexico" where Lucy is in a bullfight.

05-06-2016, 12:33 PM	#1
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,223	Comedias de Situación con México (Sitcoms with Mexican Themes) I know Cinco de Mayo was yesterday, but there's been sitcoms that used a Mexican Restaurant (Gimme a Break with "Mom's Birthday"), Mexican songs (Home Improvement with "The Naked Truth"), and even dressing as a Mexican (Happy Days with "Fonzie for the Defense"). In "Fonzie for Defense", the subplot is Richie Cunningham is trying a song for their group and they dress as "The Three Caballeros"...and ironically...Ron Howard would later direct Splash...BOTH Splash and The Three Caballeros are Buena Vista Films! In "Mom's Birthday", Nell Harper suggests the Kaniskis to go out to dinner and they go to a Mexican Restaurant. Things go well until the staff sing "Happy Birthday" to a family. In "The Naked Truth", Tim tries to tiptoe around the concept that he saw Nancy in the shower. Tim hears "La Caucaracha" and says that's their song...then Nancy says that she and Tim saw each other naked! Any other shows that used Mexico or anything Mexican?
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05-06-2016, 02:02 PM	#2
Sal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 20, 2001 Location: Oakville, Ont. Canada Posts: 6,181	On his show, Jack Benny would do a hilarious routine with Mel Blanc that might have been inspired by "Who's On First?" in which Blanc (the voice of Speedy Gonzales) plays a Mexican named Sy who keeps saying "Si" or words that sound like "Si".
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05-06-2016, 03:55 PM	#3
icecream Cat-tastic and Whiskerlicious Forum Celebrity Join Date: Sep 01, 2006 Location: The Catacombs Posts: 20,760	George Lopez and Cristela had Mexican casts.
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05-07-2016, 06:47 AM	#4
howilu Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 20, 2003 Location: St. Louis Park, MN Posts: 1,961	There was also the short-lived Norman Lear sitcom a.k.a. Pablo that starred Paul Rodriguez.

05-08-2016, 03:03 PM	#5
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,223	I also forgot about Chico and the Man which is set in a Mexican-American neighborhood...though Freddie Prinze was Puerto Rican.

05-08-2016, 10:19 PM	#6
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,488	On My Three Sons, Steve & Barbara honeymooned in Mexico. Some hot food for Steve...! Also, there was an episode in which Uncle Charley had a cameo in a western TV episode set in Mexico, wearing a big sombrero. On The Andy Griffith Show, Aunt Bee and a couple of her friends vacationed in Mexico.

05-12-2016, 11:39 PM	#7
bh7812 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 21, 2005 Posts: 272	!Rob! was a pretty heavily Spanish influenced sitcom despite it's short run. Another Spanish sitcom that was huge in Mexico and South America for a while was Solo En Anerica, about a lady who moved from Mexico to New York City with her I think it was 2 daughters. I'm not sure about outside Chicago but for a lot of the second half of 2000 the Telemundo affiliate here ran it a few times a week with English subtitles! It was part of, at the time, Telemundo's effort to make some of its prime time shows accessible to everyone-English and Spanish speaking viewers. I really enjoyed what I saw of Solo En Anerica and if I could get the whole series-which ran for several years in Mexico-with English subtitles I'd certainly buy it! The prime time Spanglish block consisted of that, a Charlie's Angels reboot, and another show I never found out the name of that was one of the most violent TV shows I'd ever seen! WSNS was supposed to stop the Spanglish stuff in early 2001 but the station manager at the time believed those shows should be available and accessible to all. I agreed 100 percent with that. He more or less defied Telemundo upper honchos and kept the Spanglish going quite a fair ways into 2001. He was also running English infomercials during iver nights-straight up English no Spanish subtitles. I guess Telemundo got tired of the defiance since they canned him suddenly. I'd talked to him by mail quite a few times-very nice guy who was all too happy to have an actual dialogue with me and we did. He asked for my input on the Spanglish block, how he could improve it along with my input on other things going on at the station at the time. I liked the guy a lot and felt very sorry for him when he got canned. I hope Mr. Cordova knows how much I appreciated his time and how grateful I was he wanted my input. He actually replied to all of it! George Lopez seemed to be Spanish influenced too so those three shows are my votes!

05-13-2016, 06:30 AM	#8
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,488	On Father Knows Best, the Andersons become involved in the life of Mexican immigrant "Frank." Also, on My Three Sons a Spanish bullfighter visited (played by Alejandro Rey), but I can't recall if he was from Mexico -- or from Spain?

05-13-2016, 10:46 AM	#9
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,223	Here's a One-Year Wonder show that was Mexican-American themed...First Time Out. In The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, there's an episode called "Lucy Goes To Mexico" where Lucy is in a bullfight.