Sad news out of the world of Spanish language television today, as Univision has announced that it is bringing the weekend variety show Sabado Gigante to an end after over 53 years on the air.
From The Hollywood Reporter:
Univision has announced that its top-rated variety show Sabado Gigante is ending after a more-than-53-year run. The show, hosted and created by Don Francisco, will air its final episode on Sept. 19.
Francisco, whose real name is Mario Kreutzberger, will continue contributing to the Univision Network with new projects and by hosting entertainment specials and campaigns like TeletonUSA, the network’s annual benefit for disabled children. He will also help Univision look for and develop new on-air talent and professionals.
For those of you poor souls who are unfamiliar with Sabado Gigante, it was basically a perfect television show. I say that as someone who doesn’t speak a lick of Spanish. Didn’t matter. It was all loud horns, bright colors, dancing ladies, just unexplainable chaos, and I loved it dearly. One time I flipped over out of curiosity and Don Francisco was passing a silicon breast implant around to a circle of children while two busty women stood behind him in bathing suits. Another time I saw a five-minute audience butt shaking contest break out seemingly out of nowhere. And once I saw a singing contest get repeatedly interrupted by a man in some sort of Luchador mask and a little person in a Dracula costume. Don’t believe me? Here.
Why did they do all that? Not important. I mean, why is the sky blue? You can find out the answer if you look hard enough, but it’s better to just sit back and take it all in. Or rather, it was better to take it all in. It’s gone now, in the same year we lose Parks and Recreation, Justified, and Mad Men. You are cruel, 2015. Too, too cruel.
