Marcello Hernández Gave Us Sábado Gigante Realness on SNL—El Chacal and All!
We all remember spending time watching Don Francisco on Sábado Gigante. It was one of the most bizarre and entertaining shows. To the point it was definitely something that your non-Latine friends wouldn’t understand.
Honestly, it was a piece of magic that made our childhoods so special. We wept when it ended in 2015, but Saturday Night Live! gave us a little taste again this past weekend.
Saturday Night Live! Brought Don Francisco and Sábado Gigante back to our living rooms this weekend
Cast member Marcello Hernández spent almost six minutes portraying Don Francisco, an icon and legend in the Latino community. The entire skit perfectly represented the show’s deep, entrenched presence in Latino culture.
From the beginning, we knew that the skit was going to give us the over-the-top camp we have come to love from Sábado Gigante. A contestant who has no idea where he is called up on stage and spends the time in pure confusion. All of the whacky and unhinged things start to happen around him. Before he knows it, El Chacal storms in and blasts his horn.
If guessing numbers or how much an orange costs wasn’t enough, the addition of the mini-me was the cherry on top. Hernández’s portrayal of Don Francisco was spectacular. The gags, like wearing a top hat made of astroturf with soccer balls on it, hit both the nostalgia and the comedy of the show.
Don Francisco was a fan of the skit
After the show aired, Don Francisco took to Instagram to celebrate Hernández and the Sábado Gigante skit.
“I want to thank @nbcsnl and @marcellohdz for bringing back those special moments of our dear Sabado Gigante,” Don Francisco wrote in Spanish. “It was not only a great television show, it was much more: a meeting point for families and for our Hispanic community.”
People flooded the comments with memories of watching the show with their families. Fans also expressed how much they still miss the show after nine years of it not being on the air.
The ritual of gathering with our families to sit down and let Don Francisco whisk away into his world is a core memory. We will never forget the wild ride that was Sábado Gigante—the laughs, the shock, El Chacal—it is all so special.
Hernández is bringing Latine culture to Saturday Night Live! in a major way
Hernández made history when he was the only Latino cast member. He has done the “Protective Mom” skit with Pedro Pascal and Bad Bunny. His ability to bring the mom and tía to life for the show brings a small bit of representation that we can all enjoy.
Representation in all places matters. Being able to bring the joy and humor that exists within our families and community is wonderful. Seeing our own moms, tías, and icons brought to the Saturday Night Live! audience is magic. Seeing our culture and language shown in such a loving way and from our people makes it an important and exciting representation.
