Don Francisco is taking it back to where it all started.
The Chilean TV host, whose real name is Mario Kreutzberger, is reviving his iconic variety show, "Sábado Gigante," with the new series "Gigantes Con Don Francisco" (Sundays on Univision at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT and streaming the next day on Vix).
Kreutzberger, who spent his early college days in New York City, began "Sábado Gigante" in 1962 after becoming inspired by the American television programs he saw during his stay. The show, which first ran on Chile's Canal 13 network, offered viewers an assortment of music, dance, comedy and news content.
The TV personality then partnered with Spanish International Network (now Univision) in 1986 to bring the show to American audiences. "Sábado Gigante"
became a fixture in Latino households over the next three decades thanks to its heartfelt blend of zany stage personas and human interest stories. The show's success landed Kreutzberger a second gig with Univision, the late-night talk show "Don Francisco Presenta" (2001-2012).
"Sábado Gigante" concluded in 2015 after a whopping 53-year run, making history as the longest-running variety show of all time.
Kreutzberger, now 85, is hoping to put a new spin on his classic series by merging the worlds of his previous shows, "making a mixture of the two eras and the different ways of communicating."
"What I am doing now is unprecedented because this is a new format," Kreutzberger tells USA TODAY in an interview translated from Spanish. "It is about paying tribute to a gigante [former guest] who accompanied us for a long time on our show. … We followed their career, but we have been missing for the last 10 years."
How Don Francisco is upping the ante with 'Gigantes'
Kreutzberger isn't one to settle for feel-good nostalgia. Aside from catching up with the show's beloved "gigantes," Kreutzberger says his ambitious Don Francisco reboot features several segments, many of which invite fans to get in on the action.
"This show also has $10,000 in prizes per program, and it also has a car that you can win," Kreutzberger says. "There are games. There is joy. There is participation from the public. Viewers can personally ask questions online. … So, this is a mixture of many things in 42 minutes."
Despite the jam-packed lineup, Kreutzberger says the audience remains at the center of the show.
"The public does not come to applaud. The public comes to act," he explains.
Don Francisco opens up about retirement plans, legacy
Despite being in his mid 80s, Kreutzberger isn't slowing down any time soon. The veteran TV host, who turns 86 in December, says he has no immediate plans to retire from the entertainment industry.
"I would like to continue working. There will come a time when I will not be able to," Kreutzberger says. "Someone from my family or I myself will say, 'That's enough.'"
After more than six decades in front of the camera, Don Francisco has cemented himself as a multigenerational icon of Latin culture. In 2024, "Saturday Night Live" paid tribute to the enduring legacy of "Sábado Gigante" with a parody reenactment that starred Cuban and Dominican American comedian Marcello Hernández as Don Francisco.
"It makes me very grateful because it helps me to feel good, to feel that I am alive, that I am capable of doing things," Kreutzberger says of his legacy.
More than just a charismatic emcee, Kreutzberger says he's proud to have used his stage to showcase the Latino community in the U.S.
"I was here for 30 years every Saturday and that was what we did: give the Hispanic community the opportunity to stand out in everything that it could," Kreutzberger says. "I believe the Hispanic community has been a great contribution to culture and entertainment."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Don Francisco returns to TV roots with 'Sábado Gigante' show revival | Exclusive
