A.k.a. Pablo
Encyclopedia
a.k.a. Pablo is an American
sitcom
that aired on ABC
from March to April 1984.
, it focuses on struggling Hispanic
stand-up comic Paul Rivera and his large Mexican American
family, who still called him by his given name Pablo. While they supported his career and longed for his success, his tradition
alist parents were offended by the ethnic humor he incorporated into his act and urged him to be more respectful of his heritage. Rounding out the boisterous family were his sister Lucia and know-it-all brother-in-law Hector and their five children, his "stuffed shirt" brother Manuel and flirty sister-in-law Carmen and their two children, and his very-anxious-to-wed spinster
sister Sylvia. José was Paul/Pablo's slick but inexperienced agent.
The cast included Paul Rodriguez
, Joe Santos
, Katy Jurado
, Hector Elizondo
and Mario Lopez
.
The first episode of the ABC
series aired on Tuesday, March 6, 1984 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times. The show was quite controversial, because of its use of "Latin slang" and offended many of the Latin and Hispanic community.
The show was cancelled after six broadcasts.
In 2002 TV Guide
ranked the series number 45 on its TV Guide's 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time list.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from March to April 1984.
Synopsis
Produced by Norman LearNorman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
, it focuses on struggling Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
stand-up comic Paul Rivera and his large Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
family, who still called him by his given name Pablo. While they supported his career and longed for his success, his tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
alist parents were offended by the ethnic humor he incorporated into his act and urged him to be more respectful of his heritage. Rounding out the boisterous family were his sister Lucia and know-it-all brother-in-law Hector and their five children, his "stuffed shirt" brother Manuel and flirty sister-in-law Carmen and their two children, and his very-anxious-to-wed spinster
Spinster
A spinster, or old maid, is an older, childless woman who has never been married.For a woman to be identified as a spinster, age is critical...
sister Sylvia. José was Paul/Pablo's slick but inexperienced agent.
The cast included Paul Rodriguez
Paul Rodríguez
Paul Rodriguez is a Mexican-American stand-up comedian and actor.-Personal life:Rodriguez was born in Culiacán, Sinaloa, México to Mexican agriculture ranchers.. His family migrated to East Los Angeles, where he enlisted in the military; he was stationed in Iceland and Duluth, Minnesota...
, Joe Santos
Joe Santos
Joe Santos is an American film and television actor.-Biography:Santos was born Joseph Minieri in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Rose and Joseph Minieri. He began his film acting career in the mid-1960s, appearing in films directed by his cousin, Joseph W...
, Katy Jurado
Katy Jurado
Katy Jurado , born María Cristina Estela Marcela Jurado García in Mexico, D.F., was a Mexican actress who had a successful film career both in Mexico and in Hollywood....
, Hector Elizondo
Hector Elizondo
Héctor Elizondo is an American actor. Elizondo's first major role was that of "God" in the play Steambath, for which he won an Obie Award...
and Mario Lopez
Mario López
Mario Michael Lopez, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway. He is best known for his portrayal of the character A.C. Slater on Saved By The Bell, which he also portrayed as a regular on Saved by the Bell: The College Years...
.
The first episode of the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
series aired on Tuesday, March 6, 1984 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times. The show was quite controversial, because of its use of "Latin slang" and offended many of the Latin and Hispanic community.
The show was cancelled after six broadcasts.
In 2002 TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
ranked the series number 45 on its TV Guide's 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time list.
Episodes
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | Pilot | March 6, 1984 |
| 1-2 | "The Big Mouth" | March 13, 1984 |
| 1-3 | "My Son, the Gringo" | March 20, 1984 |
| 1-4 | "The Presidential Joke Teller" | March 27, 1984 |
| 1-5 | "The Whole Enchilada" | April 3, 1984 |
| 1-6 | "The Woman Who Came to Dinner" | April 10, 1984 |