Chico and the Man

Chico and the Man has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available. The 4-season run is exactly the right length for what it is doing. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Freddie Prinze sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Start it whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Chico and the Man earns its spot. The jokes in Chico and the Man land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. Chico and the Man is an American sitcom which ran on NBC for four seasons, from September 13, 1974, to July 21, 1978. It stars Jack Albertson as Ed Brown, the cantankerous owner of a run down garage in an East Los Angeles barrio, and Freddie Prinze as Chico Rodriguez, an upbeat, optimistic Chicano young man who comes in looking for a job. It was the first U.S. Freddie Prinze and Della Reese lead a cast that never overplays a joke. It ran for 4 seasons (1974–1978), and the writing holds up across every one of them. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Chico and the Man holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Chico and the Man is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. If you have already watched The Honeymooners, Chico and the Man is a natural next step. Short enough to finish in a weekend, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Freddie Prinze anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.

Chico and the Man wrapped up in 1978, created by James Komack — and 4 seasons are available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.