El Chapulín Colorado was a television series parody of super hero shows that was created by Chespirito. It was televised from Mexico by Televisa, from 1970 to 1978, alongside sister production El Chavo del Ocho. The name translates literally as "The Red Grasshopper".

Chapulín would invariably catch innocent people and let the criminals go, or, in the process of saving someone's home, destroy all the furniture. However, at the end, everything would be clarified, typically by others, and the bad guys would be taken to jail, and Chapulín would take credit for the criminal's capture.

El Chapulín... was played by Chespirito, the only actor from El Chavo.. to have recurring roles at El Chapulín.... He was a superhero who was dressed all in red, with yellow hot pants and shoes, (although sometimes he used an alternative yellow uniform), with a yellow heart with the initials CH inscribed in red. He had two, red and yellow antennas for ears, what he called his vinyl antennas. Chapulín always carried a red hammer, which he called his Chipote chillón. He also could take his famous "pastillas de chiquitolina", which would shrink him down to the size of a mouse.

In the show's opening, Chapulin would always be introduced in the following way:

Más ágil que una tortuga...más fuerte que un ratón...más noble que una lechuga...su escudo es un corazón...es el Chapulin Colorado!

(More agile than a turtle...stronger than a mouse...nobler than a lettuce...his sign is a heart...it's the Chapulin Colorado!)

Famous Phrases

Usually Chapulin would wait for someone to be victimized of such things as burglary, breaking in, or other crimes. The victim would ask "O, y ahora ¿quién podrá defenderme?" ("Oh, and now, who can help me?"). Chapulin would appear out of nowhere (usually hitting himself with, or dropping, an object), and say "Yo, ¡el Chapulín Colorado!" ("Me, the Chapulin Colorado!"), after which he'd be thanked by the victim. He always answered by saying "¡No contaban con mi astucia!" ("They didn't count on me being so smart!).

Some of Chapulin's other famous phrases include "¡Síganme los buenos!" ("Follow me, good guys!" - after which he would walk into a wall), "Lo sospeché desde un principio" ("I suspected it from the beginning" - which he would say after someone pointed out a better way to do what he was trying to do), "Todos mis movimientos están friamente calculados" ("All my movements are cold calculations", his explanation for falling on his face, breaking something valuable, etc.), and "Se aprovechan de mi nobleza" ("They're taking advantage of my nobleness" - which he would usually say after an insult, like "We should've called Superman or Batman...") and "Yo opino..." ("My opinion is..." - phrase that always left unfinished because someone interrupted him). Also, in trying to provide advice, he would take two traditional two-part Spanish sayings and mix them together, always beginning with, "Como dice el viejo y conocido refrán..." ("As the old and well-known saying goes..."). For example,

• "Cría cuervos y te sacaran los ojos" ("Raise ravens and they'll take out your eyes"; i.e., a bad plan will have a bad effect)

and

• "Crea buena fama y échate a dormir" ("Create a good reputation and then go to sleep"; i.e. once you're famous you don't have to work anymore).

become

• "Cria cuervos y echate a dormir...no no no...crea buena fama y te sacaran los ojos... no...bueno, la idea es esa." ("Raise ravens and then go to sleep...no no no...create a good reputation and they'll take out your eyes...no, well, that's the idea.")

Similarly, "Que no cunda el pánico" ("Nobody panic") would become "Que no panda el cúnico" ("Pobony nadic")

Pioneer in visual effects

WIth Chapulín, Chespirito, along with his production team, made extensive use of the chroma key device and bluescreen to produce visual effects which made more interesting the adventures of this dumb superhero. Though a little cheesy for the actual standards, the show achieved surprising effects like floating in the air or flying, performing impossible acrobacies, fighting against martians, strange creatures, witches and all kind of monsters, and mainly to get the physical reduction effect thanks to his famous "pastillas de chiquitolina" ("smalline pills"), which Chapulín used with measure to pass under doors, reaching dangerous areas without attracting attention or solve any problem with the size changing trick.

This innovation, which was already known in the mexican television but not wide used, gave to Chapulín the distinction to be virtually the only fiction and adventures comedy transmited in Mexico.

Popularity

Chapulín enjoyed great popularity all over Latin America, the United States, Spain and other countries, albeit somewhat less than its sister production of El Chavo.... Like El Chavo..., it is still shown with re-runs at various countries. The cast list of "Chapulin" was the same as "El Chavo"'s, although only actors Florinda Meza, Carlos Villagrán, and Ramon Valdés were usually in every episode. Shorter Chapulin adventures were preceded by a skit, usually featuring Chespirito's other characters, like "Dr. Chapatin", a tactless impatient old medic, or "El Chompiras", an incompetent pickpocket. "Chompiras" came to dominate the later years of "Chespirito", an hourlong showcase for all Chespirito's characters.

The physic diversity of actors of Chespirito permitted the richness of characters in the adventures, each week a new one. Chapulín was a hero of undetermined geographic and temporal ubication: his adventures could develop in the ancient Chine, in London, in the Swiss Alps, in the Spanish Inquisition, in pirate ships or in the outer space, and his enemies range from the Yeti to egyptian mummies, including his interaction, in some ocassions, with literature characters as Romeo and Julieta (Juleo and Romieta).

Creator of The Simpsons Matt Groening has declared that he created the Bumblebee Man character after watching El Chapulín Colorado on a motel at the mexican borderes:El Chapulín Colorado