# Viva Valdez

Viva Valdez is an American sitcom starring Carmen Zapata and Rodolfo Hoyos that aired on ABC from May 31 to September 6, 1976.

## Cast

* Carmen Zapata as Sophia Valdez
* Rodolfo Hoyos Jr. as Luis Valdez
* James Victor as Victor Valdez
* Nelson D. Cuevas as Ernesto Valdez
* Lisa Mordente as Connie Valdez
* Claudio Martinez as Pepe Valdez
* Jorge Cervera, Jr. as Jerry Ramirez

## Synopsis

The Valdezes are a closeknit Mexican-American family living in East Los Angeles, California. The parents, Luis and Sophia, try to maintain traditional values, while their four children – Victor, Ernesto, Connie, and Pepe – are more attuned to the latest trends in mid-1970s American life. Luis runs a plumbing business with Victor, Ernesto is an artistic young man who is in training to work for the telephone company, Connie is an irrepressible teenager, and Pepe is a 12-year-old baseball fanatic. Jerry Ramirez is a cousin who has recently arrived in the United States and has trouble with the English language. Inez is Connie's friend.

## Production

Bernard Rothman, Stan Jacobson, and Jack Wohl created Viva Valdez and were its executive producers. Alan Rafkin directed all twelve episodes. Earl Barret wrote for the show.

## Broadcast history

Viva Valdez premiered on May 31, 1976, as a summer replacement series and aired on Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. through July 5, 1976. After a four-week hiatus, it returned to the same time slot on August 2, 1976. Its twelfth and final episode aired on September 6, 1976.

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | "Father and Son Day" | Unknown | Unknown | May 31, 1976 (1976-05-31) |
| Pepe concludes that his birth was neither expected nor wanted. |||||
| 2 | "My Fair Jerry" | Alan Rafkin | Earl Barrett | June 7, 1976 (1976-06-07) |
| Sophia decides to become a matchmaker for cousin Jerry, and the Valdez family becomes obsessed with finding him a girlfriend. |||||
| 3 | "The Nurse's Pipes" | Unknown | Unknown | June 14, 1976 (1976-06-14) |
| While Luis and Victor perform a plumbing repair job at the home of a divorced nurse named Gladys Gettys, Gladys makes romantic overtures to Luis. After they leave Gladys's home, Luis guiltily confides to Victor that he was attracted to Gladys. He does not tell Sophia, but he does decide to take Sophia out to dinner to ease his conscience. As they are leaving for dinner, Gladys calls about a plumbing emergency and the unsuspecting Sophia tells her that Luis will be right over – causing Luis to panic and insist that he cannot go unless Victor comes with him. Doris Roberts guest-stars as Gladys. |||||
| 4 | "Nervous Break-Up" | Alan Rafkin | Howard Albrecht & Sol Weinstein | June 21, 1976 (1976-06-21) |
| Jerry begins sleepwalking – keeping the Valdez family up all night – and acting strangely, and the Valdezes try to figure out why. |||||
| 5 | "Pilot" | Alan Rafkin | Michael Elias & Frank Shaw | July 5, 1976 (1976-07-05) |
| Victor demands that his father take him on as a partner in the plumbing business. |||||
| 6 | "Mama Doesn't" | Unknown | Unknown | August 2, 1976 (1976-08-02) |
| Sophia refuses to do housework until Luis permits her to use the house for a women's liberation meeting. Teresa Hoyos guest-stars. |||||
| 7 | "Pick Up" | Unknown | Unknown | August 9, 1976 (1976-08-09) |
| Victor accuses Jerry's girlfriend of cheating. |||||
| 8 | "Papa's Legacy" | Unknown | Unknown | August 18, 1976 (1976-08-18) |
| A close friend dies, panicking Luis into composing his own will. |||||
| 9 | "Mama Sees a Thief" | Unknown | Unknown | August 18, 1976 (1976-08-18) |
| Victor discovers that he has been unknowingly fencing stolen goods. |||||
| 10 | "Brothers' Rivalry" | Alan Rafkin | Phil Mishkin & Julie Russo | August 23, 1976 (1976-08-23) |
| Ernesto and Victor become hotheaded rivals for the favor of an attractive young woman. Maria Grimm guest-stars. |||||
| 11 | "Weekend" | Unknown | Unknown | August 30, 1976 (1976-08-30) |
| The Valdez children give their parents a chance at a second honeymoon. David L. Lander guest-stars. |||||
| 12 | "The Apprentice" | Alan Rafkin | Bernard M. Kahn | September 6, 1976 (1976-09-06) |
| Luis hires the bumbling Jerry as an apprentice. Dick Bakalyan guest-stars. |||||
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