Written by: Kathiuska Vergara🇻🇪
Image via: NBC NEWS
Mario Luis Kreutzberger Blumenfeld, better known in Hispanic households as Don Francisco, once said that we are: "separados por la distancia, unidos por un mismo idioma", “Separated by distance, united by language”.
The phrase takes many Latinos back in time, having flashbacks of being with family in the living room every Saturday night and listening to the show’s theme song that makes you feel at home.
“Sábado Gigante” was a multifaceted show created by Chilean television host Don Francisco that brought dancing, singing and comedy together to build a program that all Latinx families enjoyed since August of 1962. Despite the show ending on September 19 2015, the witty personality of Don Francisco and family atmosphere that characterized the program remained untouched in the minds of Latinos who have immigrated to the U.S. and others around the globe.
The influence of “Sábado Gigante” has been so great in the media that the comedy short series Saturday Night Live (SNL) decided to honor the legacy of Don Francisco and his iconic show with a parody sketch fully in Spanish.
The sketch protagonists are Cuban-Dominican stand-up comedian Marcello Hernandez, who played Don Francisco. The sketch also featured Nate Bargatze, an American Grammy-nominated stand-up comedian, playing an American who accidentally ends up competing on the game show despite not knowing how to speak Spanish.
The Sketch received positive reactions from the public and social media, with comments highlighting the nostalgia that arises when remembering this classic.
Former TV star Don Francisco expressed his gratitude for the parody sketch through an emotional Instagram post, "I want to thank @nbcsnl and @marcellohdz for bringing back those special moments of our dear Sabado Gigante…It was not only a great television show, it was much more: a meeting point for families and our Hispanic community.”
“Sábado Gigante” left a mark as Univision’s longest-running program and made history by being one of the longest-running variety shows on worldwide television. The show has paved the way for programs like “Despierta América”, which combines news, entertainment and culture while still maintaining and building a strong bond with the Latinx community.
As Don Francisco mentions in his Instagram post, the program was not only a fun moment that Latinos scheduled to enjoy with family once a week; it was a program that allowed us to connect as a community, breaking the barriers that distance was creating within our community and making Latinos in the U.S. feel like they were back home with their families.
The memory of “Sábado Gigante” will remain intact in the minds of past generations. Now, young Latinos like Marcello Hernandez will continue spreading awareness and unifying our communities to carry good memories with us to tell future generations about a program that, despite being once a week, could make us forget about our differences and remember how our cultural roots are a fundamental part of who we are.
As we move forward, preserving cultural treasures such as “Sábado Gigante” is essential to ensure that future generations understand the vital role media plays in shaping our identities and building our community bonds.
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