For those of you who grew up in a Latin American family, then you must be familiar with El Chavo, perhaps the most prolific characters in the history of Mexican television. El Chavo del Ocho has reached within the homes of millions of people since Roberto Gomez Bolanos created it back in 1971. It soared in popularity because of its unique approach to sketch comedy.
El Chavo Del Ocho managed to get more viewers than the 2014 Super Bowl, which was arguably the most watched show in American television history. In fact, the Super Bowl event attracted more than 111.5 million viewers according to CBS News.
Watching the show every now and then will send us to a trip down the memory lane. We personally know of some people who can't hold their tears back at the sight of El Chavo goofing around.
Many people have tried to uncover El Chavo's real name, but much to their chagrin, they're left wondering and guessing. The Goemz Bolanos came close to revealing the real name in 2012 but it came out in mumbles, our best guess? Roberto.
Some things are best kept a mystery because it keeps people glued to the show for the long haul. Every now and then one does wonder what El Chavo's real name might be, one thing leads to another and you end up watching the whole show.
Gomez Bolanos authored a book titled El Diario del Chavo (El Chavo's Diary) after the show ended. The book revealed that El Chavo never really knew his father and his mother picked him up from a daycare and eventually stopped visiting him at all.
The nickname La Chilindrina comes from the famous pastry in Mexico which is well known for sprinking sugar over their pastries. The result is their trademark signature freckled look. That's where the character's nickname was inspired from.
Maria Antonieta de las Nieves was the actress who portrayed the 8 year old La Chilindrina, was actually pregnant while filing during part of the series. The bun in the oven was however not visible because of the oversized dress.
Just like any other popular, timeless show, El Chavo continues to air on television even though it has completely run its course. What remains are beautiful memories and reruns on the Univision owned network Galavision. It remains the No. 1 rate show in Mexico.
Some TV shows become so popular that they end up becoming full fledged franchises which can rake in billions of dollars. According to various sources, Televisa has made over $1.7 billion in syndication fees since the show stopped airing in 1992.
The main reason why the show was called El Chavo del Ocho is because it first ran on Mexico's canal 8. After gaining enough popularity, the show switched to a larger network. To further justify the show's name, El Chavo claimed he lived in apartment 8.
The show's popular theme song (which plays on an endless loop in our heads) is called, "The Elephant Never Forgets" and was created by Jean Pacques Perrey. It is primarily based off Beethoven's Turkish March and has heavy similitude to the its rhythm.
Roberto Gomez Bolanos was admirably nicknamed as Chespitito. It was bestowed to him by a theater director who likened hi to Shakespeare. The word Shakespearito roughly translates to Little Shakespeare. It is a testimony to how great Gomez is as a director.
One of the most recurring themes of the show was the live of an orphan in Mexico. People who do not have any one backing them up are stepped on by society and are often treated as push overs.
Although the show may have tried to downplay the dangerous effects of El Chavo's miseries by converting them to comic relief, the titular character was going through real misery and pain, he tried to cover it by using comedy.
Another show which explores the life of an orphan in an oppressive world is Naruto. Both stories share the same theme of their titular characters overcoming bullies and oppression from adults by using their charm, wit and perseverance. We hope both shows will make us more sympathetic to the case of orphan children.
