[REVISION HISTORY]

Don Francisco returns to Univision

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2026-10-10 02:55 UTC → 2026-10-12 18:56 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Don Francisco ~~return~~ returns to Univision

Don Francisco, the longtime host of ‘Sábado Gigante’, is set to return to Univision with a new special programming series titled ‘Gigantes con Don Francisco’. Scheduled to premiere on October 11 at 19:00 ET, the project will consist of special programs rather than a weekly series. New details reveal the production is an eight-episode special that will air on Sundays. To evoke nostalgia, the show is being filmed in the same Miami studio previously used for ‘Sábado Gigante’. Each one-hour episode will feature interviews with influential Latin personalities from entertainment and sports, accompanied by a live band, archival footage, and emotional reunions. The program will be co-hosted by Nitzia Chama from ‘Despierta América’, who will manage audience interaction to provide a “generational balance” to the hosting duties. Confirmed guests include Mexican singer and actress Lucero, Puerto Rican artist Luis Fonsi, and Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo ‘Memo’ Ochoa. Episodes are expected to be available on the streaming platform ViX the day after their broadcast debut on Univision. Don Francisco, whose real name is Mario Kreutzberger, is 85 years old and has not held a fixed program on the network since ‘Sábado Gigante’ concluded in September 2015. The original variety show held a Guinness World Record for being the longest-running variety program hosted by the same presenter, airing for 53 years from 1962 in Chile until its conclusion in the United States. Recent updates indicate the program will also include contests where viewers can win cash prizes or a car. The production was reportedly developed by Univision in a record timeframe. Kreutzberger noted that this return serves as an opportunity to “connect past memories with current experiences.” Following the program’s premiere on October 11, Mexican singer Lucero appeared as the first guest.

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