By the time Don Francisco holds his final on-air singing contest this last Sábado Gigante, on Sept. 19, many a Spanish-speaking household in the U.S. -- and most of Latin America -- will have at some point noted the longevity of his show.
Generations of Latinos have laughed and cried with Mario Kreutzberger in character as host of the 53-year-old variety show.
Don Francisco's on-screen jingles, wig changes and sentimental family reunification segments (yes) have survived the days of Bob Barker and Sonny & Cher. Sábado Gigante is the longest-running variety show on TV to date. Its old-school sensibilities have not faltered (neither have its machista presentations of women on screen).
Nonetheless, the show is a mainstay of modern Latin culture -- such that English-language media across the country are saying farewell, too.
But no need to look that far for going-away thoughts. The show is taped in Miami, and viewers in South Florida shared their feelings with us this week.
We've gathered some below:
