Sábado Gigante Longest Running Program In TV.

To commemorate 40 years of unparalleled success, Sábado Gigante will air its anniversary special on Saturday, November 9, 7-11 p.m. / 6-10 p.m. Central. Sábado Gigante holds the Guinness Book of World Records’ title for the longest running program in the history of television.

Creator/host, Mario Kreutzberger, popularly known as “Don Francisco,” will host Aniversario Gigante, a special edition of the popular variety show that has become an undisputed ratings phenomenon with over 100 million loyal viewers in 42 countries.

The special opens with the red carpet arrival of international superstars including Oscar de la Hoya, Pedro Fernández, Lucero, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Rocío Durcal, Ezequiel Peña, Edith González, Vicente Fernández Jr., and Sofía Vergara. Don Francisco together with the show’s co-presenters, Javier Romero, Rashel and Sissi, look back at some of the most memorable moments in the show’s 40-year history and up the ante with a $5,000 prize for every contest and game. For the grand finale, “Fiesta Gigante de Gala,” Don Francisco thanks the many entertainers who, through the years, have contributed to the show’s unprecedented success.

Sábado Gigante was started by Don Francisco in his native Chile in 1962, and has aired on Univision Network since 1986. The unique variety show features games, contests, comedy, celebrity guests and musical performances. As the most popular program of its kind, it is considered a necessary platform for political figures including Vicente Fox, Al Gore and George W. Bush. In addition, Sábado Gigante has been the stepping-stone for international stars such as Enrique Iglesias, Ricardo Montaner, Carlos Ponce, Pilar Montenegro and Jordi.

Don Francisco has been on-air for the equivalent of 600 continuous days, traveled more than 2.8 million miles (10 times the distance between the earth and the moon!), hosted over 1.5 million contestants and given away over 3,000 cars and $50+ million in prizes.