Read more about Chapulin Colorado at: Wikipedia

Official Site: Chespirito

El Chapulín Colorado (Spanish: The Red Grasshopper) is a television series, created and played by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, also known as Chespirito, a successful Mexican comedian and TV show producer, which parodied superhero shows. It was first aired in Mexico by the Televisa network in 1970, but then was aired across Latin America and Spain until 1981, alongside sister production El Chavo del Ocho, which shared the same cast of actors. Both shows are incredibly enduring as they still are constantly re-run, and have won back some of their popularity in several countries such as Colombia, where it has aired in competition with The Simpsons (which has a character based on him). The name translates literally in English as "The Red Grasshopper" (the word chapulín is of Nahuatl or Aztec origin, and a current part of Mexican Spanish).

The show's success was largely due to the fact that it embodied many aspects of Latin and Mexican culture, while making a critique on the unrealistic image of superheroes. From the name itself to the slang and proverbs, Chespirito made a great effort to reflect Latin culture. Many of his characters' names start with "Ch" (a separate letter in the Spanish alphabet) and several secondary characters with the Spanish letter "Ñ".

The typical Chapulín episode had some person get in trouble and say aloud, "Oh! And who can help me now?" followed by Chapulín bursting in through the nearest available opening or materializing inside a wardrobe, under the sheets of a bed or the like. He would be immediately recognized (regardless of the time or place- one episode took place in the Planet Venus, for example) causing him to boast, only to stumble and fall right away. For some reason, Chapulín is believed by people to be a great superhero, but they usually end up disappointed when they realize he is actually puny and timid. Despite this, Chapulin did try his best to help, and all his adventures ended well (though sometimes by sheer good luck or outside help.)

The show featured a permanent cast of actors, in a similar way to that of Monty Python. However, the only actor from El Chavo to have a recurring role in El Chapulín Colorado was writer and director Chespirito, as a different cast of characters was featured every episode. He was a superhero who dressed all in red, with yellow shorts and shoes, (although sometimes he used an alternative yellow uniform), and bore a yellow heart on his chest with CH inscribed in red (akin to Superman's "S"). He had two red and yellow antennae, which he called his "antenitas de vinil" ("little vinyl antennae") that beeped whenever something dangerous approached. He always carried a red hammer, which he called his "chipote chillón" ("squeaky mallet") as his weapon (much like Thor's Mjolnir), and could take his famous "pastillas de chiquitolina" ("tinycyline pills"), which would shrink him down to the size of a mouse. He also had a "chicharra paralizadora" ("paralyzing horn"): a bicycle horn that, when aimed at a person or object and sounded, would freeze it immediately in mid-air.

CBUB Match Record: