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NASH BRIDGES/CBS/1996-2001
*(Cheech Marin/costar) Joe Dominguez, a balding, easy-going Mexican-American
police detective teamed with a white partner who chases crooks through the
streets of San Francisco in a yellow 1970s Barracuda. Joe was married to a
Swedish woman named Inger. Stephen Berra played their son J.J. Dominguez. Also
featured were Jaime P. Gomez as detective Evan Cortez [later killed in a drug
bust gone bad]. Evan fell in love with Nash Bridges daughter, Cassidy. He died
from a gun shot during a drug bust.
NASTY BOYS/NBC/1990
*(Benjamin Bratt/costar) Eduardo Cruz, a Latino policeman and one of five drug
agents known as the "Nasty Boys" working undercover in Las Vegas. Bratt studied
acting at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
THE NEW DICK VAN DYKE SHOW/CBS/1971-74
**(Henry Darrow) Alex Montenez, Hispanic stage manager for a Arizona-based
daytime soap opera "Those Who Care" starring Dick Preston as Brad Fairmont. Also
featured were Chita Rivera as Connie Richards, the Preston's next-door neighbor;
and Carmen Zapata as the Preston's maid.
THE NEW DRAGNET/SYN/1989-90
*(Bernard White/costar) Carl Molina, an Hispanic plainclothes detective working
for the Los Angeles Police Department. Molina (who didn't speak Spanish) was
teamed with a white partner (who did speak Spanish).
NIGHTINGALES/NBC/1989
**(Roxann Biggs) Yolanda "Yolo" Puente, a token Latino student nurse working at
the Wilshire Community Hospital in Los Angeles.
THE NINE LIVES OF ELFEGO BACA/ABC/1958
*(Robert Loggia) Elfego Baca, a peace-loving frontier sheriff of Mexican descent
(later turned lawyer) who lived in Socorro County, New Mexico in the 1880s.
Elfego chose compromise over fighting, and avoided wearing firearms if he could
solve a confrontation amicably. The program was produced under the "Frontierland"
banner of WALT DISNEY PRESENTS/ABC/1954-61. Also featured were Leonard Strong as
Zangano; Valerie Allen as Lucita; and Ramon Navarro as Don Estevan.
OHARA/ABC/1987-88
**(Richard Yniguez) Lt. Jessie Guerrera, an Hispanic Los Angeles police
detective working with a Japanese police detective named Ohara whose martial
arts skills helped both of them out on occasion.
ON THE ROCKS/ABC/1975-76
*(Jose Perez) Hector Fuentes, a wisecracking, convicted petty thief imprisoned
with a variety of felons at the Minimum Security Prison at Alamesa, California.
PACIFIC BLUE/USA/1996-2000
**(Mario Lopez) Bobby Cruz, a Mexican-American security guard (introduced during
1998 season) who teams with a group of Southern California beach patrol bike
cops to snare a drug dealer and later joins the group as a police officer.
Earlier during the 1996-98 season Marcos A. Ferraez appeared as Officer Victor
Del Toro. His mother raised Victor alone while living in Santa Fe. To potty
train her son, she gave him a nickel each time he successfully did his duty.
PAYNE/CBS/1999
**(Rick Batalla) Bellhop, a bumbling Hispanic bellhop working at the Whispering
Pines hotel along the California coast. The character was based on a bellhop
from Spain (Barcelona) seen on the BBC produced series FAWLTY TOWERS.
PEE WEE'S PLAYHOUSE/CBS/1986-91
**(Animated Cartoon) El Hombre, a bearded Hispanic cartoon hero who helped the
weak and defenseless and spoke only in Spanish. He wore a tee-shirt and a
bandana wrapped around his head. Also featured was Jimmy Smits as an Hispanic
electrician who repaired Pee Wee's robot named Conky.
PROFILER/NBC/1996-2000
**(A. Martinez) Nick Cooper, Hispanic Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
agent (explosives expert) working for a group of Atlanta-based FBI serial
profilers. For a time, Nick was the love interest of a near clairvoyant forensic
psychologist named Samantha Waters. Nick first joined forces with the VCTF
(Violent Crimes Task Force) on a case involving a bomber who was threatening to
blow up a power plant in Pittsburgh. He was later retained as a consultant with
the VCTF. Also featured was Roma Maffia as Dr. Grace Alvarez, a Forensic
Criminalist and Pathologist assigned to the VCTF.
RAWHIDE/CBS/1959-66
**(Robert Cabal) Hey Soos Patines, a Mexican cattle drover who worked with a
crew of cowhands along the Kansas Sedalia Trail of the late 1800's.
THE REAL MCCOYS/ABC/CBS/1957-63
**(Tony Martinez) Pepino Garcia, a guitar-playing, Mexican farmhand who worked
at a San Fernando Valley ranch owned by a grouchy Grandpa McCoy and his newlywed
grandson, Luke. Pepino often answered in the affirmative by saying "Si, Señor
Grandpa". When Pepino speaks Spanish, Grandpa says “Talk United States. I don’t
understand that lingo.”
REDIGO/NBC/1963
**(Mina Martinez) Linda Martinez, the Mexican cook at a New Mexico cattle ranch
owned by James Howard Redigo. Other cast included Rudy Solari as Frank Martinez,
Linda's husband and Redigo's ranch hand; and Elena Verdugo as Gerry, Redigo's
romantic interest who worked as the assistant manager of the Gran Quivera Hotel
in the nearby town of Mesa.
RESURRECTION BLVD./SHO/2000-2002
*(Michael DeLorenzo) Carlos Santiago, a Mexican-American boxer who becomes the
Middle Weight Champion of the world after a remarkable recovery from a gunshot
wound. Carlos lives with his widower father Roberto Santiago (Tony Plana) and
three generation of his family (Miguel, Yolanda, Alex and Victoria) under one
roof on Resurrection Boulevard in East Los Angeles. Nicholas Gonzalez as Alex
Santiago is the youngest son, who quit UCLA to fill in for Carlos as the
family's boxing contender only to be robbed of his title, has now returned to
school as a pre-med student. Ruth Livier as Yolanda Santiago is the oldest
sister. Mauricio Mendoza as Miguel Santiago is the oldest son who helped train
his brothers, but has moved on to become a boxing promoter and fight organizer
focused on Carlos' career. Marisol Nichols as Victoria Santiago is a high school
student and the youngest of the Santiagos. Elizabeth Peña as aunt Beatrice "Bibi"
Corrales is Roberto's sexy and outspoken sister-in-law, has kept the Santiago
household in order since the death of Roberto's wife. Daniel Zacapa as Ruben
Santiago, Roberto's brother is a brain damaged ex-boxer who doesn't speak, but
nonetheless is smarter than he lets on.
SANCHEZ OF BEL AIR/SYN/USA/1986-87
*(Reni Santoni) Ricardo Sanchez, an Hispanic clothing manufacturer who moved his
family from the barrio of East Los Angeles to the exclusive neighborhood of Bel
Air. His family members included Marius Del Mar as Rita; and Richard Coca as
Miguel.
SANTA BARBARA/NBC/1984-92
*(A Martinez/costar) Cruz Castillo, leading Hispanic hunk/heroic cop, who has
suffered through earthquakes, car crashes and being framed for murder on this
popular daytime soap opera. He married Eden Capwell, a beautiful Caucasian in
the Spring of 1988. A Martinez later starred as a lawyer on L.A.
LAW/NBC/1992-93.
SANTA BUGIOT/CBS/1995-96
*(Cartoon Characters) - Carmen and Paco de la Antchez, two bugs who lived in the
insect town of Santa Bugito located along the Mexican border. The main hangout
in this sleepy little borough of bugs was Carmen's Cafe.
SARGE/NBC/1971-72
**(Ramon Bieri) Barney Verick, an Hispanic San Diego chief of detectives and
friend of "Sarge," a policeman turned priest.
SAVED BY THE BELL/NBC/1989-93
*(Mario Lopez) A .C. Slater, Hispanic friend of white teenager attending Bayside
High School in Palisades, California. Slater continued to appeared in the
spin-off series SAVED BY THE BELL: THE COLLEGE YEARS/NBC/1993-94 when he
enrolled at California University.
SECOND CHANCES/CBS/1993-94
**(Jennifer Lopez) Melinda Lopez, a Mexican-American coed engaged to a socially
prominent non-Hispanic law student. Pepe Serna played Salvador Lopez, her overly
protective father who sought to sabotage his daughters romance. Both actors
played the same roles in HOTEL MALIBU/CBS/1994. Also featured were Daniel
Gonzalez as Cesar Lopez; and John Chaidez as Johnny Lopez.
SIX FEET UNDER/HBO/2001-2005
**(Freddy Rodriquez) Frederico "Rico" Diaz, a Latino restorative artist who
worked at Fisher & Sons Funeral Home in Los Angeles, California. Seeing talent
in Rico, Mr. Nathaniel Fisher, the owner of the mortuary put Frederico through
mortuary school. Unfortunately, about five years later Mr. Fisher was killed
when a bus broadsided the new company hearse. Subsequently, Fisher's sons Nate
and David took over the business. When Rico asked for a raise and was refused,
he took a job at the rival conglomerate Kroehner Service International. But the
new place was cold and impersonal and the hours were bad. Luckily, Nate Fisher
offered to take Rico back at the same ray rate as their rival. Now Rico
meticulously prepares dead bodies with makeup and other cosmetic improvements
before they are put out for burial. A perfectionist, by nature, Rico once
protested "The woman looks like a banana. I don't airbrush her, the family's
gonna freak. You want to put her out like that then take my name off the
certificate." Rico is married with two children. Justina Machado played the role
of Vanessa Diaz, Rico's wife. Actor Freddy Rodriquez is a Chicago native. His
other TV credits included Oh Grow Up (1999), Seduced by Madness (1996) and Party
of Five (1994) and a starring role in the HBO film, For Love or Country: The
Arturo Sandoval Story with Andy Garcia and Gloria Este.
SOMETHING IS OUT THERE/NBC/1988
**(Gregory Sierra) Vic Maldonado, Los Angeles-based police lieutenant who
supervises an Irish-American detective (whose partner is an outer space alien).
SONS OF THUNDER/CBS/1999
*(Marco Sanchez/costar) Carlos Sandoval, Mexican-American private eye based in
Dallas, Texas who ran the "Sons of Thunder" detective agency. with his white
partner. Carlos is martial arts trained and ready for action. According to the
TV theme song Carlos and his partner "got thunder in their soul."
THE STEVE HARVEY SHOW/WB/1996-2002
**(Sophia Ortiz) Tracy Vilar, a sassy, soft-hearted Hispanic student attending
Booker T. Washington High School in inner city Chicago. Merlin Santana appeared
as her boyfriend Romeo Santana, a smooth-talking ladies man.
THE TED KNIGHT SHOW/SYN/1985-86
**(Lisa Antille) Lisa Flores, an attractive, young Mexican housekeeper, new to
the United States who worked for the Rush family while she studied to become a
citizen.
TEQUILA & BONETTI/CBS/1992
**(Mariska Hargitay) Angela Garcia, an Hispanic Los Angeles police rookie
partnered with a NYPD police officer on loan to a California beach town.
TOTAL SECURITY/ABC/1997
**(Tony Plana) Luis Escobar, an Hispanic operative working for Total Security, a
private security firm based in Los Angeles.
TRIAL & ERROR/CBS/1988
*(Paul Rodriguez & Eddie Velez) Tony Rivera and John Hernandez, two Hispanic
roommates living in Los Angeles. John was fresh out of law school and Tony was a
streetwise tee-shirt salesman selling his wares on Olvera Street.
VIVA VALDEZ/ABC/1976
*(Rodolfo Hoyos) Luis Valdez, a Chicano plumber and father to a East Los Angeles
family which included Carmen Zapata as his wife, Sophia; James Victor, Nelson D.
Cueves and Claudio Martinez as his sons Victor, Ernesto, and Pepe; Lisa Mordente
as his teenage daughter, Connie; and Jorge Cervera, Jr. as Jerry Ramirez, a
Mexican cousin.
WHAT A COUNTRY!/SYN/1986-87
**(Ada Maris) Maria Conchita Lopez, an out-going Mexican immigrant turned
Beverly Hills housekeeper who attended night school in Los Angeles to study to
become a citizen. Her love of clothing influenced her term paper on George
Washington. She concluded that not only was he the father of our country but he
was also a fashion trend setter. Julian Reyes appeared as Victor Ortega, a
fellow student who was attracted to Maria.
WICHITA TOWN/NBC/1959-60
**(Carlos Romero) Rico Rodriguez, reformed Mexican gunfighter who became one of
two deputies working in the frontier town of Wichita, Kansas in the post Civil
War days of 1800s.
WILDSIDE/ABC/1985
*(John Di Aguino/costar) Vargas De La Cosa, a gunsmith equally handy with a
knife who belonged to the "Wildside Chamber of Commerce" a secret vigilante
law-enforcement group founded (and answerable to the Governor) to clean up the
Northern California frontier territory filled with local gangs and wandering
renegades.
THE YELLOW ROSE/NBC/1983-84
*(Edward Albert/costar) Quisto Champion, the half-Mexican lawyer and son of the
late Wade Champion, an Anglo who built the The Yellow Rose ranch, a 200,000 acre
spread in west Texas. Wade's sons Roy and Quisto ran the place with the help of
Wade's 29-year-old widow, Colleen Champion.
ZORRO See
ETHNIC GROUPS - SPANISH
Other Programs of Interest
FRITO BANDITO (TV Commercial)
*(Voice of Mel Blanc) Frito Bandito, a stereotypical Mexican bandit with a large
brim hat, pot belly and slurred English accent seen in a number of Frito Lay
Corn Chip commercials in the late 1960s. In 1969, under pressure from the
Mexican Anti-Defamation Committee, a group of concerned Hispanics who claimed
the character's "sneaky thief" image was damaging to the Mexican-American
culture, the commercial was pulled off the air. A Frito Lay survey however,
indicated that nearly ninety percent of the Hispanic viewing public liked the
character (8% did not). The Frito Bandito campaign was created by the Foote,
Cone & Belding Agency.
A-F
/ G-M /
N-Z
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