Sábado Gigante is about to change Saturday night plans everywhere.
Univision has announced it will end its staple Saturday-night show after more than 53 years. The final episode will air Sept. 19.
Host Don Francisco (whose real name is Mario Kreutzberger) plans to continue contributing to Univision by hosting specials and larger campaigns including its annual benefit TeletónUSA. He will also take part in behind-the-scenes work by scouting for new talent.
“During my 40 years in the industry I have met few people with the same energy, creativity and passion for television and the audience as Mario, and I join in celebrating him and his team at Sábado Gigante for the great success and the milestones achieved in broadcast television,” said Randy Falco, Univision Communications CEO, in a statement. “Mario is an important part of the Univision family, and his knowledge of the industry and commitment to innovation will help us to continue defining the future of the media industry.”
Sábado Gigante first premiered in 1962, then on Chile’s Channel 13, before moving to the U.S. in 1986. The weekly show is not only Univision’s longest-running series, but the longest-running TV variety series in history, and has consistently been rated No. 1 in Hispanics on Saturday nights.
Everyone from First Lady Michelle Obama to Psy to Selena has appeared on Sábado Gigante.
Fellow TV brands and fans on social media responded to the news of the show’s ending in large numbers on Friday, making #SabadoGigante a trending topic on Twitter:
Sad to hear #SabadoGigante is going off the air in September. Now who’s going to teach us Spanish?
— [adult swim] (@adultswim) April 17, 2015
#SabadoGigante is ending and we’re worried for our moms. Just like @MsNYAmerica2012 - http://t.co/2GESlKcfdq pic.twitter.com/AISCDsiPIr
— mitumix (@themituMIX) April 17, 2015
¡No podemos creerlo! @SabadoGigante transmitirá su episodio final este 09/19. #SabadoGigante http://t.co/veKYNIG5kX pic.twitter.com/PXpUhVcMgf— XFINITY Latino (@xfinitylatino) April 17, 2015
Read more at Variety.
Brief Take: Univision has yet to announce why it’s ending the show’s run or what its plans for Saturdays will be, but the network has been trying to modernize its lineup for the past few years, so this is likely an attempt to lower the age of viewers in that proven time slot.
[Image courtesy of Univision]
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