Don Francisco returns to the ‘Sábado Gigante’ studio to unite yesterday and today
Miami (USA), Oct 5 (EFE)
Chilean presenter Don Francisco returns “at an advanced age” to the studio of ‘Sábado Gigante en Miami’, a program with which he broke records from the United States, where next Sunday he premieres a new program that mixes the past and the present, according to an interview with EFE.
“This is a facet at an advanced age in which I would like to combine today with the memory and evocation of yesterday,” says the 85-year-old host from the TelevisaUnivision studios in Miami, which premieres ‘Gigantes con Don Francisco’ on October 11 with Mexican singer Lucero as the first guest.
“You yourself, who are interviewing me right now, are thinking in your mind: ‘look, yesterday, when I was younger, when I watched this with my dad, with my mom, with some relative who is no longer here,’ and at the same time (I’m going to) bring you to today with the experiences of our guests,” he adds.
The broadcaster, born in December 1940 in Chile with the name Mario Kreutzberger, concluded in 2015 ‘Sábado Gigante’, the longest-running variety show in television history, according to the Guinness World Records, as it began broadcasting in 1962 in Chile and in the U.S. in 1986 from Miami.
Therefore, he expresses excitement about returning to the same studio where he popularized phrases like ‘What does the public say?’ and ‘Out!’, now with a series of special programs where he will interview Latin celebrities such as Lucero, the Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi and the goalkeeper of the Mexican national team Guillermo ‘Memo’ Ochoa.
“We were here every Saturday for 30 years, so for me, reconnecting with people is very gratifying. I’m very happy to be able to do it and I hope that what I do is really what the public expects from me,” he says.
It adapts to the new, it defends the traditional
The host, with nearly 6 million followers on Facebook and 2.7 million on Instagram, says he adapts to new trends, as reflected in his podcast ‘My Decalogue of Success’.
Regarding his secret to staying relevant, he replies that life led him down this path at the age of 22.
“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me because my profession is different. I’m a pattern maker, that is, one of those who make the patterns for suits, for men’s clothing, but I found myself enjoying communicating with people more, and that’s what I try to do. I’ve also adapted to social media. I have my own podcast, a little bit of everything,” he explains.
Despite incorporating new formats, he believes that “regulation is still lacking so that these traditional television channels can be well maintained in the future,” considering that “television in the world, in general, is affected by the multiplicity of channels.”
Icon for Latinos
Don Francisco is “a legend” and an “icon” for the Latino community in the United States, Lucero tells EFE, because “for millions and millions of Spanish-speaking people, there is an impressive admiration” for him and “a long-standing affection.”
“He shouldn’t run for president because I’m voting for him,” jokes the Mexican artist.
But Don Francisco, who received a special Emmy in 2005 for his leadership as a pioneer of Hispanic television in the United States and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, does not consider himself a leader among Latinos.
“I never felt like a leader, I felt like a show business worker,” he confesses.
