Freddie Prinze, Jr. Loooking Goood! with his new sitcom on ABC

Freddie Prinze, Jr.
Loooking Goood!

with his new sitcom on ABC

ABC’s The George Lopez Show and Freddie back-to-back is a full hour of Latino comedy. Son of comedian Freddie Prinze, Sr, from the super popular 1970’s TV sitcom, Chico and the Man, Freddie pays tribute to his father at the end of the show with a snapshot of his father in loving memory. Freddie Prinze, Sr. must be very proud of his son with the Freddie Show which recognizes his Puerto Rican roots. Freddie Prinze, Sr. must be looking from above at his son smiling and saying, “Loooooking Gooood!”

Just like the character, Freddie Moreno, Freddie Prinze, Jr. grew up in a household full of women, including his Puerto Rican grandmother. In the loosely-biographical show, Freddie and Chris, his best friend, are two very different bachelors. Freddie is more serious, with a good head on his shoulders. What a nice twist! Finally, a positive Puerto Rican role. In the 1st episode Chris finds a gold-digger bimbo girlfriend. Freddie finds the “perfect” girl: down to earth, smart, hard-working, and … Puerto Rican from the block. Another nice twist! Finally the roles have flipped!

His familia loves her too. “Familia” because in Freddie, “family” is defined Latino style: his sister, niece, sister-in law, his grandmother … AND they all live under one roof. Freddie is an established chef who takes in his sister-in-law after his brother dies and his sister and her daughter after a divorce and his grandmother, because she was living with his sister. In Latino families, it is common and acceptable to live with Mom or Grandma. Some call it crowded. We call it cariño. The Freddie Show calls it comical. The interaction between an estrogen-driven home and two bachelor best friends promises many laughs.

To add to the Latino flavor, the grandmother speaks only Spanish with subtitles. Critics have already bad-mouthed her because she doesn’t speak English. Unbeknownst to the culturally myopic that is how many Latinos (and others) live. Spanish is spoken in the home. English outside the home. It’s very natural, not just to Latinos but to everybody, really. The way you speak to your mother, your best friend and your boss are completely different. Latinos simply add a completely different language. Freddie told Hispanic Magazine, the grandmother “resonate[s] with the reality of his family.” He said, “My grandmother [once said], when you’re in France, you speak French, when you’re in America, you speak English, but when you speak to God, you speak Spanish … If we got seven years and it’s the final episode, you’re not gonna hear her [speak English].”

At the end, Freddie breaks up with the “perfect” girl. They were in different points in their lives. She doesn’t welcome change. Freddie wants to explore, learn new things. Freddie explains this to his sister who says, “It’s OK. You’re just looking for someone just like you.” That was a defining Latino moment. Latinos across America must have been thinking-YES! We want to see more like US. We want to see Latinos in positive, productive, major roles. We want to see Latinos, doing, working, living but maintaining their Latino flair. We want less stereotypical roles, more truthful roles closer to how we really live our Latino life here in America! We want to see more shows like FREDDIE!

Watch Freddie Wednesdays 8:30/7:30c on ABC.