New DocuSeries About ‘Sabado Gigante’ Coming to Hulu and Disney+

So many Latinos have fond memories of gathering around the television to watch “Sabado Gigante” with their family. For some, it was ritualistic, and tuning in to see Don Francisco was just part of the routine.

Now, a new four-part series from Onyx Collective, a Disney offshoot that’s committed to working with creators of color and many other underrepresented groups of people, will offer viewers an inside look at “Sabado Gigante,” the longest-running variety show in history and one of the most popular TV shows of all time.

The new show, called “Gigante,” profiles how Don Francisco, a Chile native whose real name is Mario Kreutzberger, harnessed his influence to unite cultures the world over, most notably with his Cámara Viajera segment, which took Don Francisco to more than 185 countries around the globe. During his tenure, “Sabado Gigante” became so politically relevant, that no fewer than three U.S. presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama — were at one time guests on the show.

Now, in his twilight years, Kreutzberger is ready to take a look back at his illustrious career, and his life as the child of a Chilean woman and a German-Jewish man who fled to Chile during World War II.

In a press release, he’s quoted as saying: “I’m at a time in my life where it is more interesting looking backward. Where I have the full perspective of not only my 60 years as a professional but also where I’m able to fully analyze Don Francisco and ‘Sabado Gigante”s record-breaking run and what it meant to so many people. I’m beyond happy to have the opportunity to tell the story with this amazing team and thankful to Onyx for helping us bring our show to a brand new audience.”

“Gigante” is executive produced by Kareem Tabsch, a celebrated documentarian whose 2020 film “Mucho Mucho Amor” was named one of the 20 Essential Latino Films by The New York Times. “Hispanics. Latinos. Latinx. Whatever you may call us or whatever we may call ourselves, so few people understand who we are and where we came from — including us.”

“‘Gigante’ is the definitive Latino origin story told through the lens of ‘Sabado Gigante,’ one of the most beloved programs in the Spanish-speaking world and a staple in all our homes,” he said. “The series will tell how a Chilean Jewish immigrant in Miami managed to shape the way millions of other immigrants from dozens of nationalities across the Western Hemisphere identified themselves, bringing us all closer together and forever changing the face of the United States and Latin America in the process.”

“Gigante” will be available on Hulu in the United States, Star+ in Latin America, and Disney+ everywhere else.