Chespirito (TV series)
Chespirito is a Mexican sketch comedy series created by and starring comedian and actor Roberto Gomez Bolaños, whose nickname gave the show its title.
| Chespirito | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Los Supergenios de la Mesa Cuadrada (1970) Chespirito y la Mesa Cuadrada (1970–1971) |
| Created by | Roberto Gómez Bolaños |
| Directed by | Sergio Peña and Alberto del Bosque (1970-1973) / Roberto Gómez Bolaños and Roberto Gómez Fernández (1980-1995) |
| Starring | Roberto Gómez Bolaños (1980-1995) María Antonieta de las Nieves (1980-1994) Florinda Meza (1980–1990; 1991–1995) Ramón Valdés (1981–1982) Rubén Aguirre (1980–1995) Angelines Fernández (1980–1991) Édgar Vivar (1980–1990; 1992–1995) Horacio Gómez Bolaños (1980–1995) Raúl "Chato" Padilla (1980; 1982–1994) Benny Ibarra (1980-1982) Roberto Gómez Fernández (1984-1985; 1987-1988) Carlos Pouliot (1987-1992) Anabel Gutiérrez (1987–1989; 1991-1995) Moisés Suárez (1980-1985; 1990; 1992–1995) Paulina Gómez (1992-1995) Arnoldo Picazzo (1994-1995) |
| Opening theme | "The Elephant Never Forgets", by Jean-Jacques Perrey (1980-1981) "El Chapulín Colorado", by Víctor Arcos (1981-1993) |
| Country of origin | Mexico |
| Original language | Spanish |
| No. of seasons | 16 |
| No. of episodes | 692 approximately (1980-1995) |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes (1970–1971; 1993-1994; 1994-1995); 45 minutes (1971); 60 minutes (1971-1973; 1980–1993; 1994) |
| Production company | Televisa |
| Original release | |
| Network | El Canal de las Estrellas |
| Release | April 2, 1980 – September 25, 1995 |
Two series were produced with the same title. The first premiered as Los Supergenios de la Mesa Cuadrada on Televisión Independiente de México on October 15, 1970, after a two-year span of this sketch being part of the Sábados de la Fortuna/Sábados con Neftalí/Carrousel con Neftalí show (hosted by Neftalí Lopez Paez), aired in the same channel, since October 1968, during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City; the independent series adopted the Chespirito y La Mesa Cuadrada and later the Chespirito title in 1971, and aired until February 1973. The second series, which aired on the TIM's successor, Televisa, premiered on 4 February 1980 and aired until 25 September 1995.
Alongside Bolaños, other famous Mexican actors starred in the sketches. In the two periods, characters like El Chavo del Ocho, El Chapulín Colorado, Los Caquitos, Dr. Chapatín, Los Chifladitos, El Ciudadano Gómez, La Chicharra, Chespirito, Los Chiripiojos and the parodies of Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy starred in sketches 2–15 minutes long. The 1980-1995 period also featured special 40-minute episodes, even consisting of two or three 40-minute long parts.
The show's first seasons featured a canned laugh track, but Bolaños made the then-controversial decision to drop it in 1982, After the departure of Ramón Valdés. From 1982 to 1985, most presentations of the show include the announcer's warning that, out of respect for the audience's intelligence, there was no laugh track.