Chico and the Man: Season 4

[fg76]

I'm hoping people on FECC actually remember comedian Freddie Prinze, and his winning TV series back in the 1970's - Chico and the man. The show launched in 1974/75 and featured veteran actor Jack Alberston as cranky old Ed Brown.

Prinze, however, had his own drug related issues and ended up killing himself in Jan. 1977. Prior to his death, Della Reese had been added to the cast due to some of Prinze's issues, and many felt he really was too messed up to be Ed's foil anymore, so they gave Ed a new foil - but Prinze still performed average, although you could tell he lost a lot of weight and seemed "zoned out" during some of the final episodes he shot. Drugs and a broken marriage doomed Prinze to self-destruction.

However, the series didn't end there. It probably should have ended, but TV contracts needed to be completed and the show filmed two episodes without Freddie Prinze. One dealing with Louie (Scatman Crothers) being fired as the garbage man and joining a "refuse company" that collected garbage - which showed the show could have gone on with Della, Ed, and Louie. The second one dealt with an episode dealing with cock (Chicken) fighting that really missed Prinze's humor.

A third episode served as the opener for the ill fated 4th season, as they wrote in a 11-year old Mexican Kid (Rouel (sic)) hides in Ed's car when Louie and Ed are fishing in Mexco, and Ed ends up adopting him.

The show was painful to watch that 4th season, as they did everything, including giving Ed a new "Chico" to try to keep the show going. Della Resse ended up guest starring in only a few episodes before bailing on the show, with her final episode (shot - not aired) was her sitting at a table watching the new Chico and his Aunt Charo (Yes, they actually had the infamous Charo play herself) playing a musicial number.

Shockingly - and I mean shockingly, ratings didn't go up with Aunt Charo added to the cast. And she was in about five or six episodes too.

Then the show actually did something right, as they filmed a two parter involving Freddie Prinze's Chico's death. Most fan-sites note that Chico left Ed's gas station to work for his estranged dad between the third and fourth season, but with the writers knowing the show was going to get canned - just had Ed admit to Rouel (sic) that Chico had died, but it was too painful to talk about it. Rouel (sic) does run away back to Mexcio, but in the end he returns to Ed. This would have been a nice ending to the series, except the show went on for about five more episodes.

At this point the show was a dead show walking, and they brought in runaway teenaged actress Monica to be on the show. She did some crazy comedic spots to try to fill in Prinze's hole for the duration of the series, and again - it didn't work. Watching the second to last episode with Monica and her girlfriends turning the gas station into a car wash was just boring. In spite, of pretty girls in swimsuits and cheerleading outfits - the episode just dragged on. Albertson and Crothers both looked like they wanted to be anywhere but there.

Finally, the last show aired guest starring Alice Ghostly, and the show ends with a prank between Ed and Louie - which was really the best way to end the floundering series that should have died after Prinze did.

[drjohncarpenter]

Is there some kind of DVD being released?

[elvis4life]

This is the only DVD release of it, but it don't seem to be the entire series, just selected episodes:

[jake]

I have fond memories of this show growing up as a kid in the '70's. Have been waiting for a proper DVD release for ages.

[elvis4life]

The complete series [which includes the unaired "Waiting for Chongo" episode] is now available on Tubi FOR FREE:
https://tubitv.com/series/300001212/chico-and-the-man

[drjohncarpenter]

The complete series [which includes the unaired "Waiting for Chongo" episode] is now available on Tubi FOR FREE:
https://tubitv.com/series/300001212/chico-and-the-man

Well, "FOR FREE" with commercials. The entire series is available on a fan-made DVD set:

CHICO AND THE MAN - THE COMPLETE SERIES (NBC 1974-78)
https://www.rewatchclassictv.com/products/chico-and-the-man-the-complete-series

It's still hard to remember this talented young man was only 22 when he died. He had been accepted by his peers, old school stars, new stars of the 1970s, and everyone who watched his show. He was at the top, his future seemed assured. Then, gone. The closest I can compare it to was when we lost Kurt Cobain in 1994. An instant void of someone who had impressed so many.

R.I.P., Freddie.

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