I’ve been watching Saturday Night Live pretty consistently for the last decade. I’ve laughed so hard I cried to some sketches — like last season's viral Beavis and Butthead sketch — and sometimes I’ve sat through some terrible yet amazing sketches that left me wondering what on Earth the writers were thinking. I’ve been looking forward to the show’s historic 50th Season for some time, and not just because of the big-name cameos that have been teased for this season, but also rather to see what kind of sketches the cast would create in the hopes of making all the “best of” lists.
As funny as the cast is, it sometimes takes them a while to find their footing, but that doesn’t seem to be the case this season because they're turning out some pretty great bits. In fact, I’m confident in saying that I’ve already found my favorite sketch, even though we’re only two episodes in.
Before I was a teenager falling in love with SNL, I was a young girl watching the Spanish-language variety show Sábado Gigante with my grandparents, only picking up half of what was going on since I was still learning Spanish. The Univision series went off the air in 2015, and I hadn’t thought about it much until this past Saturday when Marcello Hernandez resurrected some long-forgotten memories from my childhood.
For those who may be unfamiliar with the source material, Sábado Gigante was a Spanish-language variety show that ran for almost 30 years and was a pivotal part of Saturday night viewing for most Hispanic families the way SNL is for many English-language speakers in the U.S. As someone with first-hand experience with the series, trust me when I say that Hernandez and the rest of the team behind the sketch absolutely crushed it. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out now:
With a run time of nearly six minutes, the sketch was a tad on the longer side, but it was absolutely warranted since it was packed with hilarious moments and immaculate details. Even host Nate Bargatze’s confusion as he took the stage as a contestant felt authentic. And yes, everything in the sketch, including the trumpet playing “El Chacal” and “El Leon” were staples of the variety show — and my favorite part as a kid.
They got every detail right with this one, down to Hernandez’s perfect impression of longtime host Don Francisco and the wacky hats he used to wear on the show. In fact, Francisco even praised SNL on social media, thanking SNL for “bringing back memories” for himself and the Hispanic community.
A big reason why the sketch is my new favorite is because of the memories it brought back of me staying up well past my bedtime with my grandparents to dance around and shout out numbers in the hopes of helping a contestant win a car. And it seems like I wasn’t alone in reminiscing since many Spanish-speaking SNL fans came together on social media to share their own memories and praise Hernandez and the rest of the team behind the sketch for making it happen.
- I’ve never wept and laughed so hard at the same time. Looking back at Sábado Gigante feels like a fever dream, but the memories of watching it religiously are like a hundred hugs to my inner child. - @TheRealAGon
- SNL made none of this up, this is ACTUALLY what Sabado Gigante was like and I love this show so much. if you make fun of it you have no culture I'm afraid - @caro__taro
- If you've never seen Sabado Gigante you may not be laughing. If you have, you are laughing so hard you are crying, like I am. #SNL50 - @VABVOX
It goes without saying that the arrival of Hernandez and Hispanic writers behind the scenes has dramatically increased the number of sketches that appeal to Spanish-speaking SNL fans. Just two seasons ago, host Ana de Armas made history alongside cast members Hernandez and several others for creating the first ever all-Spanish sketch. It was a major success and led to Bad Bunny delivering his entire monologue in Spanish the following season, and of course the hilarious "Protective Mom" sketch featuring the 27-year-old cast member and Pedro Pascal.
It’s a shame Saturday Night Live waited fifty years to tap into the rich and vibrant culture of the millions of Hispanic fans of the show, but at least they’re making up for lost time. Now that Hernandez is a full-time cast member, I’m sure that the trend will continue. Still, I doubt whatever they come up with can top the immense joy and stomachache-inducing laughter I experienced watching the Sábado Gigante sketch live.
In case you missed this week’s episode with host Nate Bargazte, you can now stream the episode with an active Peacock subscription. Make sure you tune in this week to catch host Ariana Grande and musical guest Steve Nicks take the iconic 30 Rock stage. And don’t forget to check out the upcoming SNL hosts and musical guests for the rest of the season.
