Created by Agustín Rosario First episode date 2006 Number of seasons 4 Language Spanish | Opening theme TV Ilegal Theme Original language(s) Spanish Final episode date 13 May 2009 Genre Live action | |
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Starring Herbert CruzIvonne ArriagaNoris JoffreLizmarie QuintanaAbraham Martí (2006-2007)Ángel FigueroaEdgardo "El Bebo" AdamesCarlos Ramírez Ending theme TV Ilegal Theme (Instrumental) Similar No te Duermas, Minga y Petraca, SuperXclusivo, Entre Nosotras, El Show de las 12 Profiles | ||
TV Ilegal, stylized as TV [i]lεgal, was a Puerto Rican comedy and parody/satire television show broadcast on WAPA-TV from 2006 to 2009. The show parodied both local and international shows and people such as local shows, telenovelas, variety shows and others. Most of the cast had previously worked on Sálvese Quien Pueda on Telemundo.
Contents
- Parodies of famous people
- Special guests
- Writers
- Cancellation
- Radio spin off
- Television specials
- Return to TV
- References
The show's cast featured comedians Herbert Cruz, Ivonne Arriaga, Noris Joffre, Lizmarie Quintana, Abraham Martí, Ángel Figueroa, Edgardo "El Bebo" Adames and Carlos Ramírez. The show was considered as an equivalent of Saturday Night Live, which both featured parodies and other comedy skits. In 2007, Abraham Martí left the show to pursue music and acting opportunities in Spain and abroad. On May 13, 2009, the show broadcast its last episode due to no advertisement revenue to pay the actors. After a week of cancellation, a few of the cast members moved the show's format to Cadena Salsoul in Radio Ilegal.
TV Ilegal aired two specials broadcast in Telemundo on November 2011 and early 2012.
TV Ilegal returned to television to Univision Puerto Rico on October 1, 2012 on Noche Ilegal. Herbert Cruz, Lizmarie Quintana, Ivonne Arriaga, Abraham Martí and Ángel Figueroa return as part of the cast, but not Noris Joffre, Carlos Ramirez nor Edgardo "El Bebo" Adames. The show ended in 2015.
Parodies of famous people
A list of famous people (Puerto Rican, or International). These are the people that get their own skit, rather than appear "inside" main show parodies.
Special guests
Special guests included local personalities, politicians, musical guests, among others.
Writers
Cancellation
Due to no advertisement revenue to pay the actors, the show was cancelled. The last show was on May 13, 2009 at the regular time but not live like it usually is.
Radio spin-off
As of May 21, 2009, producer Agustín Rosario rose up TV Ilegal from television to radio. And this is because after only a week from its cancellation, the TV Ilegal posse are now continuing their parodies on a radio show on Cadena Salsoul (98.5 FM), from 12pm-2pm, called Radio Ilegal. Rosario now hosts the radio show and leads it with actors Herbert Cruz, Noris Joffre, Lizmarie Quintana, and other talents that parody television and political people. The new TV Ilegal now consists of a weekday radioshow, that still parodies in its own comedy way as it did when broadcast on air.
Uno Radio Group Chain President, Luis "Tuto" Soto, said: "While workshops are being closed down, we have the venture and the insanity to produce because we believe in the local (Puerto Rican) talent and we have faith in those here. And we are sure that the public will receive that talent".
Agustín Rosario said that the radio show will keep the parody concept of different figures of the political and entertaintment areas, but with the "benefit that people can imagine them (the characters), because they have already seen it on television".
Rosario commented: "Cancellations are lamentable because we are in a moment where the people are going through an economical and emotional state. And taking away the comedy is not a good decision. I don't want to add anything more to this topsy-turvy, but the only thing I have to say is all my worries have been let known.
The favorite parodies are still being heard like Pedro Fosas Nasales, Maripilly, La Jueza, Charrytín, La Comadre, etc.
Television specials
On November 2011, TV Ilegal returned to television with a special broadcast in Telemundo. The special did not include Noris Joffre, who worked in WAPA at the time. A second television special was aired in 2012 again on Telemundo introducing new parodies such as Dando Manigueta (Dando Candela), the Gricel Mamery/Javier Ceriani incindent at the Fiestas de la calle San Sebastián, José Ortiz "El Buen Samaritano", a clairvoyant claiming he spoke to the spirit of murdered child Lorenzo González Cacho; the Manny Manuel car accident/incident and Dinga & Matraca (Minga & Petraca). Old favorite parodies also appeared such as Pedro Fosas Nasales and Maripilly.
Return to TV
After more than three years, TV Ilegal returned to television to Univision Puerto Rico on October 1, 2012 as Noche Ilegal (stylized as NOCHE [i]LEGAL). Herbert Cruz, Lizmarie Quintana, Ivonne Arriaga and Ángel Figueroa reprise each of their parodies and introduce new ones as well; Abraham Martí was briefly part of the cast but left afterwards. Noris Joffre and Edgardo "El Bebo" Adames are the only two cast member from the original TV Ilegal to not return. Episodes ran for 30 minutes, including commercials, airing weekly nights. They were initially hosted by various local celebrities, politicians or artists, later hosted by Gricel Mamery. Noche Illegal was the final show left in its programming block after Univision Puerto Rico discontinued most of its local workshops including the morning, noon and afternoon news. The show was ultimately cancelled in 2015.