Chico and the Man: Season 01 (1974)

Synopsis
Season One of Chico and the Man begins as crotchety garage owner Ed Brown (Jack Albertson), the last remaing WASP in a predominately Mexican-American neighborhood of Los Angeles, begrudgingly hires affable Hispanic youth Chico Rodriguez (Freddie Prinze) as a mechanic and Jack-of-all-trades. Although Ed is bigoted, abrasive, and stingy, lovable Chico is able to discern that the old guy is a sweetheart deep down inside, and the two men become friends--or at least, they don't try to kill each other. During the first-season episodes, Scatman Crothers makes regular drop-ins to Ed's garage in the role of neighborhood garbage collector Louie Wilson ("I'm the man who empties your can"). Less frequently seen are Bonnie Boland as letter carieer Mabel, Isaac Ruiz as Chico's friend and confidante Mando, and Rodolfo Hoyos as Ed's old buddy and verbal sparring partner Rudy. Guest stars this season include Jim Backus as a philandering husband in "The Beard", Shelley Winters as a predatory widow in "Ed Steps Out", and Sammy Davis Jr. as Himself in "Sammy Steps In." Thanks largely to Freddie Prinze's bottomless reserve of comic catchphrases ("Looking gooood!") and his warm rapport with costar Jack Albertson, Chico and the Man proved an audience favorite from the get-go, closing out its first season as America's third highest-rated TV program (only All in the Family and Sanford and Son attracted more viewers). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide