Firme Friday: How Chico and the Man Broke Barriers

The show’s success paved the way for other sitcoms featuring diverse casts.

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When “Chico and the Man” premiered in 1974, it did more than just make people laugh. It quietly started a revolution in American television.

At a time when network sitcoms were overwhelmingly white, the show placed a young, charismatic Latino man front and center, foreve…