Viva Valdez
Viva Valdez is an American sitcom starring Rodolfo Hoyos Jr. and Carmen Zapata that aired on ABC from May 31 to September 6, 1976.[2][3]
| Viva Valdez | |
|---|---|
 Viva Valdez title card | |
| Genre | Situation comedy |
| Created by | Bernard Rothman Stan Jacobson Jack Wohl |
| Directed by | Alan Rafkin |
| Starring | KC Lyn Valdez Rodolfo Hoyos Jr. Carmen Zapata James Victor Nelson D. Cuevas Lisa Mordente Claudio Martinez Jorge Cervera, Jr. Maria O'Brien |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Bernard Rothman Stan Jacobson Jack Wohl |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | Rothman/Wohl Productions Columbia Pictures Television[1] |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | May 31 – September 6, 1976 |
Cast
- Rodolfo Hoyos Jr....Luis Valdez
- Carmen Zapata...Sophia Valdez
- James Victor...Victor Valdez
- Nelson D. Cuevas...Ernesto Valdez
- Lisa Mordente...Connie Valdez
- Claudio Martinez...Pepe Valdez
- Jorge Cervera, Jr....Jerry Ramirez
- Maria O'Brien...Inez
Synopsis
The Valdezes are a closeknit Mexican-American family living in East Los Angeles, California. The parents, Luis and Sophia, try to maintain traditional values, while their four children – Victor, Ernesto, Connie, and Pepe – are more attuned to the latest trends in mid-1970s American life. Luis runs a plumbing business with Victor, Ernesto is an artistic young man who is in training to work for the telephone company, Connie is an irrepressible teenager, and Pepe is a 12-year-old baseball fanatic. Jerry Ramirez is a cousin who has recently arrived in the United States and has trouble with the English language. Inez is Connie's friend.[2][3][4]
Production
Bernard Rothman, Stan Jacobson, and Jack Wohl created Viva Valdez and were its executive producers.[2][5][6] Alan Rafkin directed all twelve episodes.[5] Earl Barret wrote for the show.[6]
Broadcast history
Viva Valdez premiered on May 31, 1976, as a summer replacement series and aired on Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. through July 5, 1976. After a four-week hiatus, it returned to the air in the same time slot on August 2, 1976. Its twelfth and final episode aired on September 6, 1976.[2][3]
Episodes
| Season # | Episode # | Title | Plot/Notes | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Father and Son Day" | Pepe concludes that his birth was neither expected nor wanted. | May 31, 1976 |
| 1 | 2 | "My Fair Jerry" | Sophia decides to become a matchmaker for cousin Jerry, and the Valdez family becomes obsessed with finding him a girlfriend. | June 7, 1976 |
| 1 | 3 | "The Nurse's Pipes" | While Luis and Victor perform a plumbing repair job at the home of a divorced nurse named Gladys Gettys, Gladys makes romantic overtures to Luis. After they leave Gladys's home, Luis guiltily confides to Victor that he was attracted to Gladys. He does not tell Sophia, but he does decide to take Sophia out to dinner to ease his conscience. As they are leaving for dinner, Gladys calls about a plumbing emergency and the unsuspecting Sophia tells her that Luis will be right over – causing Luis to panic and insist that he cannot go unless Victor comes with him. Doris Roberts guest-stars as Gladys. | June 14, 1976 |
| 1 | 4 | "Nervous Break-Up" | Jerry begins sleepwalking – keeping the Valdez family up all night – and acting strangely, and the Valdezes try to figure out why. | June 21, 1976 |
| 1 | 5 | Pilot | Victor demands that his father take him on as a partner in the plumbing business. | July 5, 1976 |
| 1 | 6 | "Mama Doesn't" | Sophia refuses to do housework until Luis permits her to use the house for a women's liberation meeting. Teresa Hoyos guest-stars. | August 2, 1976 |
| 1 | 7 | "Pick Up" | Victor accuses Jerry's girlfriend of cheating. | August 9, 1976 |
| 1 | 8 | "Papa's Legacy" | A close friend dies, panicking Luis into composing his own will. | August 18, 1976 |
| 1 | 9 | "Mama Sees a Thief" | Victor discovers that he has been unknowingly fencing stolen goods. | August 18, 1976 |
| 1 | 10 | "Brothers' Rivalry" | Ernesto and Victor become hotheaded rivals for the favor of an attractive young woman. Maria Grimm guest-stars. | August 23, 1976 |
| 1 | 11 | "Weekend" | The Valdez children give their parents a chance at a second honeymoon. David L. Lander guest-stars. | August 30, 1976 |
| 1 | 12 | "The Apprentice" | Luis hires the bumbling Jerry as an apprentice. Dick Bakalyan guest-stars. | September 6, 1976 |
References
- IMDb Viva Valdez Company Credits
- McNeil, Alex, Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, p. 887.
- Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present, Sixth Edition, New York: Ballantine Books, 1995, ISBN 0-345-39736-3, p. 1098.
- tvguide.com Viva Valdez
- IMDb Viva Valdez Full Cast and Crew
- tv.com Viva Valdez Cast
- tvguide.com Viva Valdez Episode List
- imdb.com Viva Valdez (TV series 1976)
- tv.com Viva Valdez Episode Guide