"A Huge Moment For Latin American Representation": People Are Praising "SNL" And Marcello Hernández For This "Sábado Gigante" Sketch

3 hours ago 1

"this is not even satire like sabado gigante was actually like this."

I vividly remember the first time I caught a glimpse of an episode of Sábado Gigante on my abuelito's TV as a kid. I just kind of sat there for a while, watching the chaos unfold on the screen and thinking, "What the hell am I watching????" 10/10 would recommend. Well, in a twist that I absolutely did not see coming, SNL did a sketch this weekend that perfectly captured that nostalgic experience.

A man in a suit holds a microphone on the set of a show called "Sábado Gigante."

In case you're not familiar, Sábado Gigante was a variety show that aired on Univision from 1962 to 2015. For a time, it was the longest-running TV show in history, having graced TV screens in Latino homes every week for 53 years.

A man in a suit holds a microphone on a stage with a "20 años" sign in the background at a "Sábado Gigante" event

SNL cast member Marcello Hernández played host Don Francisco (Mario Kreutzberger), who called upon a very confused audience member — played by the episode's host, comedian Nate Bargatze — to participate in everything from a sing-along to a guessing game.

People on a game show, host dressed as Dracula. Audience member joins on stage, comments on host's Dracula costume

Listen, they nailed the details. Of course, we got El Chacal:

Masked trumpeter in a sparkly cape performs on a show stage. Nearby, a host wearing a hat with a cactus reacts excitedly

The bonkers hats, just because:

Two men in comedic outfits, one with a soccer-themed hat, the other with a colorful geometric hat. They are on a game show set

And a singing contest feat. El Leon, which — yes — is straight out of a literal episode of the show and not at all an exaggeration:

"Y La Vaca, La Vaca, La Vaca."

The sketch — which garnered 6M views on TikTok alone — was met with nothing but love from the audience, praising the cast for bringing such a nostalgic, iconic part of Latino culture to life:

Comment about "Sábado Gigante" being not satire, with crying emoji and 81.2K likes

Comment about "Sábados Gigante" on SNL, celebrating Latin American representation. Mentions Marcelo, includes heart and smiley face emojis. 10.2K likes

Kelly Samra comments, "Marcelli Hernandez has taken SNL to the next level!" with laughing emojis. The comment has 19.6K likes

"Everyone saying this is just like Sabado Gigante... but Sabado Gigante was EVEN WILDER." Liked by 21K people

One commenter praised the show for doing the whole sketch — minus Nate's lines, of course — in Spanish:

Comment by @Eutroficiation praising a sketch for its clarity and humor despite using minimal English

SNL writer Steven Castillo shared the sketch to his Twitter, dedicating it to "all Hispanics who grew up watching this show with their families."

Hope you guys enjoy this one. Dedicated to all Hispanics who grew up watching this show with their families.

— Steven Castillo (@STEEEZUSCHRIST) October 6, 2024

Twitter: @STEEEZUSCHRIST

But wait, that's not all! Don Francisco — the host of Sábado Gigante — commented on the sketch, thanking them for "bringing back memories" of the iconic show, which he called "not only a great television program but...also very important as a meeting point for the family and our Hispanic community."

Comment from @DonFranciscoTV expressing gratitude to SNL for evoking memories of Sabado Gigante, a significant show for Hispanic families and communities

Latine Heritage Month is here! Join us in celebrating from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and support our content celebrating la cultura.

Illustration celebrating Latine Heritage Month with musicians, food, and cultural activities. Text reads "BuzzFeed Celebrates LHM Latine Heritage Month."

Read Entire Article