Roberto Gmez Bolaos was a Mexican writer and actor, known around the world for
his characters El Chavo del 8 and El Chapuln Colorado, among others. He was
involved in Mexican television for over forty years, and generations of children all
over the Spanish-speaking world have grown up watching his shows.
The Chavo and the Chapuln:
These two characters were so popular with the viewing public that the network gave
them each their own weekly half-hour series. El Chavo del 8 is an eight-year old boy
(played by Chespirito well into his sixties) who gets into adventures with his group
of friends: he lives in apartment #8, hence the name.
Like Chavo, the other characters in the series, Don Ramn, Quico, and other people
from the neighborhood, are iconic, beloved, classic characters of Mexican television.
El Chapuln Colorado, or the Red Grasshopper, is a superhero, but an exceedingly
dimwitted one, who foils the bad guys through luck and honesty.