El Chapulín Colorado (English: The Red Grasshopper) is a Mexican television comedy series that ran from 1973 to 1979 and parodied superhero shows. It was created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños (Chespirito), who also played the main character. It was first aired by Televisa in 1973 in Mexico, and then was aired across Latin America and Spain until 1981, alongside El Chavo del Ocho, which shared the same cast of actors. Both shows have endured in re-runs and have won back some of their popularity in several countries such as Brazil, Colombia or Peru. Although the series has a regular cast, all actors but Gómez Bolaños play different characters each episode, and it is therefore described as an anthology series.
Overview
"Chapulín Colorado" translates literally in English as "The Red Grasshopper" or "The Cherry Cricket" (the word chapulín is of Nahuatl origin and applies to a Mexican species of grasshopper, while colorado means "red"). The show embodies many aspects of Latin and Mexican culture while making a critique on the unrealistic image of superheroes. In each episode, people recognized Chapulín wherever he appeared (one episode took place on the planet Venus), believing him to be a great superhero. Recognition caused him to boast, only to stumble and fall right away, proving himself to be puny and timid, and disappointing his fans. Despite this, Chapulín tried his best to help, and all his adventures ended well (though sometimes by sheer good luck or outside help).
Parodying Superman's "Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive" introduction, Chapulín was introduced as follows in the show's opening, reinforcing the idea of a barely powered hero:
Más ágil que una tortuga, más fuerte que un ratón, más noble que una lechuga, su escudo es un corazón... ¡Es el Chapulín Colorado! (More agile than a turtle, stronger than a mouse, nobler than a lettuce, his shield is a heart... He's the Cherry Cricket!) Más veloz que una montaña, Más ágil que un refrigerador, Más astuto que un aguacate, ¿y quién es?, Es……, ¿Una paleta helada, ¿Un clavel?, ¿Un cuaderno cuadriculado?, ¡No!, Es…., ¡El Chapulín Colorado! (Faster than a mountain, More agile than a refrigerator, smarter than an avocado and who is he?, He’s……, A popsicle?, A carnation?, A squared notebook?, No!, He’s…., The Cherry Cricket!
Recurrent characters besides the protagonist
Heroes
Súper Sam (Super Sam): (1973–1978; 1981) Played by Ramón Valdés. He is a superhero that hails from somewhere in the U.S. (most probably its southernmost regions) whose appearance is very similar to that of Uncle Sam (including the famous top hat with the colors of the U.S.), but his suit is similar to Superman's. Half of the things Súper Sam says are in English, considering his inadequate skills with Spanish (he is known for having to carry an English-Spanish dictionary in his pocket whenever he needs to save someone in Mexico). Súper Sam's primary weapon is a bag full of dollars that he says were "few, but very powerful"; it is usually used to beat on the head of the wrongdoers or Chapulín, as both don't get along very well. Every time he uses his weapon, the ringing of a cash register chimes in the show's audio. His catchphrase is "Time is Money, oh yeah!" and when present, most people say that "they don't want imported superheroes", much to Súper Sam's annoyance. According to Florinda Meza's character, Super Sam is "just like Chapulín, but with a bank account."