Don Francisco Returns to Univision: Inside the Show Reviving the Sábado Gigante Era
Posted on 09/06/26 at 11:12
- Don Francisco returns to Univision
- There will be interviews and reunions
- They will give away money and cars
Don Francisco returns to Univision, and the network is betting on one of its most recognizable faces to regain its connection with several generations of Hispanic viewers.
The Chilean host will lead Gigantes con Don Francisco, a new production that combines interviews, music, surprises, and memories of figures who marked Latin television.
Univision confirmed that the program will premiere in October, although it has not yet publicly announced the exact date or broadcast schedule.
The project represents a particularly symbolic return because it comes more than a decade after Sábado Gigante, the historic show, ended its broadcasts in 2015.
Don Francisco returns to Univision with a different format
Gigantes con Don Francisco does not intend to reproduce Sábado Gigante simply, but to recover part of its spirit through a series of specials focused on great Latin personalities.
Each episode will include conversations about the guests’ lives and careers, accompanied by a musical band and moments related to their careers.
YOU MAY BE INTERESTED: Netflix revives the fall of «El Chapo» Guzmán, but changes a key piece of his capture
There will also be reunions with family, friends, and colleagues. Surprises will bring back stories the public followed during his decades on television.
Univision described the project as a format that combines «nostalgia with content designed for today’s audiences.» It will also maintain the host’s signature closeness with viewers.
Why is Don Francisco’s return historic?
Mario Kreutzberger, known worldwide as Don Francisco, built much of his television legacy around Sábado Gigante, which aired for decades.
The network noted that the show became a cultural phenomenon in both the United States and Latin America, helping connect generations of Hispanic families.
«Now, Don Francisco returns to the network where he built that legacy,» Univision noted when announcing the project and presenting the first preview of the production.
This bond explains why the premiere will have a strong emotional component: the network is not only recovering the host, but also memories associated with an era of Hispanic television.
View this post on Instagram
The host talks about his expected return.
The host acknowledged that returning to Univision brings back emotions tied to his long career and the audience that followed his programs for years.
For Don Francisco, returning «means emotion and evocation.» Above all, it is a chance to reunite with the audience and artists who were part of his career.
«It will be a meeting between what we lived together and what we are today. I am very happy to meet you again,» the host expressed.
The phrase anticipates precisely the bet of the new format: looking to the past without turning the program into a mere exercise in television nostalgia.
View this post on Instagram
Gigantes con Don Francisco will also give away prizes
The specials will also retain some of the entertainment elements that, for years, were associated with the programs hosted by Don Francisco.
Univision announced that participants will have the opportunity to win cash prizes and even a car, although it has not yet revealed how these dynamics will work.
The production also promises humor, music, and great surprises for the guests, while highlighting their personal and professional lives.
With the premiere scheduled for October, the big test will be to see whether Don Francisco can once again bring together, in front of the screen, those who grew up with him and a new generation.
View this post on Instagram