Con Lo Que Cuenta Este País
Encyclopedia
Con Lo Que Cuenta Este País (in English
, What The Country's Counting On) was a popular Puerto Rican
comedy
sitcom that capitalized on the popularity of its main character named Chevy (played by (Melwin Cedeño).
The show began airing on 1991 on Telemundo of Puerto Rico, and lasted until 1993. It remained on the top spots during its run. Some of the characters gained so much popularity that they would reprise their roles on other shows.
started playing his character Chevy in the late 80s. The character was so popular among teens that producers Hector Marcano
, Jackie Torres, and Jose Vallenilla, presented a new sitcom to Telemundo of Puerto Rico. The show was added to Telemundo's programming on 1991.
The show was quickly received and cherished by Puerto Rican
audiences and occupied the top places in ratings. It remained very popular until its cancellation on 1993. Cedeño has continued to perform as Chevy on other programs and activities, and some of the actors involved have reprised their roles in other shows (see El Gran Bejuco).
teenager that upon returning to Puerto Rico
starts working at restaurants. He is hired by "Don Vale" (Pucho Fernández
, son of the international star Tres Patines) at the restaurant "El Gandongo Express" with Chevy working as a waiter
. "Don Vale" had a beautiful daughter named "Beba" (Felicidad Morales) who instantly fell in love with "Chevy" (Melwin Cedeño
).
The restaurant was located in an alley
corner, and Chevy would always arrive in his flamboyant
Volkswagen Beetle
listening to loud music. After getting down, he would perform some dance stunt, and then go to work.
The restaurant and the street in front become a meeting place for Chevy and his friends. Anything could happen on that street: parties, fights, and even a pool party.
The restaurant would also draw some bullies that try to pick fights with Chevy. The leader of this gang is "Cholón" (slang for a big head), performed by Wilfred Morales, and "Bejuco" (slang for skinny), performed by Miguel Morales. Most of the time, Chevy would beat them up, and kick them out of the restaurant.
All of these characters would also create sub-stories with their relatives, friends, or love interests. After some time, Fernández left the show and Georgina Borri replaced him as "Margot", Chevy's mother who had bought the restaurant. She was the last manager of the restaurant on the last season of the show.
Since the first episode, the show had four open credits sequences, six wrestling/boxing episodes and a mini-serial named "Chevy, ¿culpable o inocente?" that lasted 10 episodes.
Aside of its obvious slapstick
humor, the show sometimes tried to address common social situations present in Puerto Rico
.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, What The Country's Counting On) was a popular Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
sitcom that capitalized on the popularity of its main character named Chevy (played by (Melwin Cedeño).
The show began airing on 1991 on Telemundo of Puerto Rico, and lasted until 1993. It remained on the top spots during its run. Some of the characters gained so much popularity that they would reprise their roles on other shows.
Show History
Comedian Melwin CedeñoMelwin Cedeño
Melwin Cedeño is a Puerto Rican actor, comedian, merengue musician, and singer. Cedeño is better known for his comedic character role as Chevy, el Ponzonu, a Nuyorican teenager....
started playing his character Chevy in the late 80s. The character was so popular among teens that producers Hector Marcano
Hector Marcano
Hector Marcano is a Puerto Rican comedian, producer, and game show host in Puerto Rico.Hector Marcano was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on November 3, 1956. Marcano's career took off after Luis Vigoreaux's death...
, Jackie Torres, and Jose Vallenilla, presented a new sitcom to Telemundo of Puerto Rico. The show was added to Telemundo's programming on 1991.
The show was quickly received and cherished by Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
audiences and occupied the top places in ratings. It remained very popular until its cancellation on 1993. Cedeño has continued to perform as Chevy on other programs and activities, and some of the actors involved have reprised their roles in other shows (see El Gran Bejuco).
Show Synopsis
Chevy is a NuyoricanNuyorican
Nuyorican is a portmanteau of the terms "New York" and "Puerto Rican" and refers to the members or culture of the Puerto Rican diaspora located in or around New York State especially the New York City metropolitan area, or of their descendants...
teenager that upon returning to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
starts working at restaurants. He is hired by "Don Vale" (Pucho Fernández
Pucho Fernández
Leopoldo "Pucho" Fernández II was a Cuban-Puerto Rican comedian. He was the son of veteran Cuban comedian Leopoldo Fernández, known as Tres Patines.-Biography:...
, son of the international star Tres Patines) at the restaurant "El Gandongo Express" with Chevy working as a waiter
Waiter
Waiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
. "Don Vale" had a beautiful daughter named "Beba" (Felicidad Morales) who instantly fell in love with "Chevy" (Melwin Cedeño
Melwin Cedeño
Melwin Cedeño is a Puerto Rican actor, comedian, merengue musician, and singer. Cedeño is better known for his comedic character role as Chevy, el Ponzonu, a Nuyorican teenager....
).
The restaurant was located in an alley
Alley
An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane found in urban areas, often for pedestrians only, which usually runs between or behind buildings. In older cities and towns in Europe, alleys are often what is left of a medieval street network, or a right of way or ancient footpath in an urban setting...
corner, and Chevy would always arrive in his flamboyant
Flaming
Flaming, also known as bashing, is hostile and insulting interaction between Internet users. Flaming usually occurs in the social context of an Internet forum, Internet Relay Chat , Usenet, by e-mail, game servers such as Xbox Live or Playstation Network, and on video-sharing websites...
Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
listening to loud music. After getting down, he would perform some dance stunt, and then go to work.
The restaurant and the street in front become a meeting place for Chevy and his friends. Anything could happen on that street: parties, fights, and even a pool party.
The restaurant would also draw some bullies that try to pick fights with Chevy. The leader of this gang is "Cholón" (slang for a big head), performed by Wilfred Morales, and "Bejuco" (slang for skinny), performed by Miguel Morales. Most of the time, Chevy would beat them up, and kick them out of the restaurant.
All of these characters would also create sub-stories with their relatives, friends, or love interests. After some time, Fernández left the show and Georgina Borri replaced him as "Margot", Chevy's mother who had bought the restaurant. She was the last manager of the restaurant on the last season of the show.
Since the first episode, the show had four open credits sequences, six wrestling/boxing episodes and a mini-serial named "Chevy, ¿culpable o inocente?" that lasted 10 episodes.
Aside of its obvious slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
humor, the show sometimes tried to address common social situations present in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
Lead Characters
- Melwin CedeñoMelwin CedeñoMelwin Cedeño is a Puerto Rican actor, comedian, merengue musician, and singer. Cedeño is better known for his comedic character role as Chevy, el Ponzonu, a Nuyorican teenager....
as Chevy, a NuyoricanNuyoricanNuyorican is a portmanteau of the terms "New York" and "Puerto Rican" and refers to the members or culture of the Puerto Rican diaspora located in or around New York State especially the New York City metropolitan area, or of their descendants...
that works as a waiterWaiterWaiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
at "El Gandongo Express" restaurant. He drives a brightly colored Volkswagen BeetleVolkswagen BeetleThe Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
and enjoys rap music. He is in love with a girl named Beba. He is smart but tends to have a short temper and is always getting in fights with bullies and even clients. - Pucho FernándezPucho FernándezLeopoldo "Pucho" Fernández II was a Cuban-Puerto Rican comedian. He was the son of veteran Cuban comedian Leopoldo Fernández, known as Tres Patines.-Biography:...
as Don Vale, the first manager of "El Gandongo Express", and the father of Chevy's on-and-off girlfriend "Beba". - Raúl Carbonell as Israel, the owner of the newsstand next to "El Gandongo Express" and one of Chevy's friends.
- Felicidad Morales as Beba, the daughter of "Don Vale" and Chevy's on-and-off girlfriend. She usually corresponds him, but their relationship is usually portrayed in a childish way. She is nice but has a tough attitude to people that doesn't treat her right.
- Yamaris Latorre as Sissi, one of Beba's best friends. She enjoys rock musicRock musicRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and usually dresses in jeansJeansJeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
and loose, wild hair. On the first years of the show, she was portrayed as being an airheadAirheadAn airhead is a designated area in a hostile or threatened territory which, when seized and held, allows the air landing of further troops and material via an airbridge, and provides the maneuver and preparation space necessary for projected operations. Normally it is the area seized in the assault...
or dimwitted, but on later years, her character took more importance. She happened to fall in love with Chevy, but was never able to tell him. - Ildia Santiago as Deborah, Beba's other best friend. She enjoys exercising and usually wears sportswearSportswearSportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons....
. - Wilfred Morales as Cholón, the leader of the bully gang. He is a fat, bald man with a scarScarScars are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin after injury. A scar results from the biological process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. With the exception of very minor lesions, every wound results in...
red face. He is very strong, but not very clever, and Chevy always takes advantage of this. - Miguel Morales as Bejuco, one of Cholon's friend. As opposed to him, he is thin and weak. He is always wearing a shirtShirtA shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for almost any garment other than outerwear such as sweaters, coats, jackets, or undergarments such as bras, vests or base layers...
with the Puerto Rican flag and a baseball capBaseball capA baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...
put on backwards. He tends to be one of the most obnoxious members of the gang. He would go inside the restaurant and ask Chevy to tell him everything in the menuMenuIn a restaurant, a menu is a presentation of food and beverage offerings. A menu may be a la carte – which guests use to choose from a list of options – or table d'hôte, in which case a pre-established sequence of courses is served....
only to end up asking for a glass of waterWaterWater is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. Chevy would then beat him up, and kick him out. Bejuco went on to have his own show (see El Gran Bejuco). - Georgina Borri as Margot, Chevy's mother. She became the owner of "El Gandongo Express" during the last season.
Supporting Characters
- Raquel Montero as La Tia Paca, Don Vale's sister and briefly the manager of "El Gandongo Express" (when Pucho Fernandez left the show). Then, her character stayed as the next door neighbor and romantic interest of a security guardSecurity guardA security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...
named "Polo". - William Gracia as Polo, Beba's uncleUncleAn uncle is a type of familial relationship.Uncle may also refer to:* Uncle , by J. P. Martin* U.N.C.L.E., a fictional organization in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E....
(her mother's brother). He came to help her with the management of "El Gandongo Express" just before Paca's arrival. He was like a handymanHandymanA handyman is a person skilled at a wide range of repairs, typically around the home. These tasks include trade skills, repair work, maintenance work, both interior and exterior, and are sometimes described as "odd jobs", "fix-up tasks", and include light plumbing jobs such as fixing a leaky toilet...
taking care of several jobs (shoemaker, cooker) finally becoming a security guard. He was the object of Paca's affection, but his heart belonged to Margot (Chevy's mother). - Víctor Santiago as Mostro, another member of Cholon's gang. He sports a flat top haircut with colored stripes and would always go on asking everybody for two dollars. His famous line was: "El hombre brega". Like Cholón, he is not very clever.
- Cuco Sandoval as Cuco, the last member of Cholon's gang. He was added when the production team needed a greater gang for a wrestling match episode and his character stayed. He is the dumbest of the gang, almost never talked, and is usually spaced out and sleeping.
Recurring Characters
Several characters made cameo or special appearances on the show.- "Volcan" (Angel Javier) He was the son of the original Gandongo Express owner who rent it to "Don Vale". At first he was like a "troublemaker" but then the character changed to be like a Daddy's Boy (always saying: "Papi dice" {"Daddy says"}) and great friend of Chevy and the gang.
- "René" (René López) an orphan kid who play along the streets. He was very smart and always get the way to earn money the easy way.
- "Don Goyo" (Joaquin Jarque) an old man with bad temper. He only appeared on several episodes.
- "Mimi" (Alba Raquel BarrosAlba Raquel BarrosAlba Raquel Barros is an actress, comedian, and dancer. She is better known for her acting career, and she has won many national awards for her work, both in the television and theatrical fields....
) a mature woman with a silly laugh. She was Don Vale's love interest. - "Tito" (Wilfred Morales) he was a kid who lived with his mom across the street. He made silly statements and always was accusing everyone with his mom. His famous line was: "¡Se lo voy a decir a mami!" ("I'm going tell mom").
- "Marta" (Jackie Torres) she appeared in a two part episode and became Israel's only known girlfriend. Then, later on the show, she re-appeared and tries to make him believe she is pregnant with his son.
- "Gregory" (Edwin Francisco), Volcan's cousin. He was cocky and a total bully. He was attracted to Beba.
- "Pupe" (Raúl Carbonell), a bum, he always carried a rum bottle. He once was a famous trumpeter and used his talent on several episodes.
- "Sessi" (Yamaris Latorre) Sissi's twin sister. She only appeared in several episodes trying to win Chevy's love just to annoy Beba.
- "Chola" (Vanessa Rosario) Cholon's younger sister, quite overweight, and in love with Chevy.