Any Non-Spanish Speaking Fans of This Show?

I'm a typical heinz 57 variety American with a small fraction of Spanish ancestry. Alas, the only Spanish I know is to be found on the menu at Taco Bell.

However, I discovered El Chavo del Ocho a couple of years ago whilst channel surfing and was immediately drawn in by it's charming blend of wacky slapsticky humor and very 1970's production values. It seemed somehow both strange (in a good way) and familiar to me.

Since then I've sat through countless episodes without understanding a single word (apart from a few obvious exceptions), and yet, I find the show very funny and charming. I even purchased a couple of DVDs of El Chavo so that I can enjoy the antics of Chavo, Quico, Don Ramón, Doña Florinda and La Chilindrina again and again.

With its very broad and exaggerated physical humor, El Chavo reminds me somewhat of the silent comedies of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Perhaps because of this, and my fondness for silent films, I find El Chavo very easy to follow.

I've always believed that good comedy can transcend language barriers, and El Chavo and El Chapulín Colorado prove this to be true. I can certainly see why Roberto Gómez Bolaños is a Mexican national treasure and is still popular throughout Latin America and the rest of the world.