Sábado Sensacional
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sábado Sensacional (renamed Super Sábado Sensacional in 1990) is a Spanish variety show created in Venezuela's Venevisión network in 1972. Shown on a weekly basis, every Saturday from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm – sometimes longer during special occasions– is viewed internationally throughout Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States and its considered as one of the most highest rated television shows in the country. Throughout its run, there have been three major hosts: Amador Bendayán (1972 - 1989), Gilberto Correa (1989 - 1996) and Daniel Sarcos (1996 - present).
Contents |
[edit] The Early Years
Sabado Sensacional has its origins in 1969, when Venevision's rival channel, Radio Caracas Television, premiered the variety show Sabado Espectactular, with old time favorite comedian Amador Bendayan as its host. After three years and with the promise of bigger economical incomes, Bendayan moved to Venevision in 1972, leaving RCTV with his own show, and renaming it, still keeping intact its format of a long show featuring national and international music acts, while, at the same time, eventually inviting national comedians and hosting several contests.
Sabado Sensacional quickly became one of the most popular television shows in Venezuela, with huge ratings challenging the likes of the Monday comedy show Radio Rochela (from RCTV). Both the format of musical performances and Bendayan's charismatic personality (often referred as Saturday's little giant) were the main reasons for its nationwide success.
Keeping in line with the economical thrive of the second half of the 1970's in Venezuela, Bendayan, alongside Sabado's producer Ricardo Peña, invited some of the world's biggest celebrities into the show: John Travolta, Farrah Fawcett, David Soul, Lee Majors, Hervé Villechaize (of Fantasy Island fame), and many others, as well as international singers such as The Jacksons, Olivia Newton-John and Village People. The show also promoted the most popular Spanish-speaking artists, from in and out of Venezuela's shores, like Mirla Castellanos, Maria Teresa Chacin, Billo's Caracas Boys, Los Melodicos, Guillermo Davila, Mellisa, Antonieta, Karina, Oscar D'León, Raphael, Camilo Sesto, Rocio Durcal, Celia Cruz and Juan Gabriel.
[edit] The Transition
The heavy schedule of a long running variety television show took its toll on Amador Bendayan's health at the end of the 1970's and throughout the 1980's. His abuse of ciggarettes and his struggle with Diabetes mellitus made it sometimes impossible to please his audience, forcing him to rest down, with his absence being covered by other hosts, including model and actress Miriam Ochoa, Cesar Gonzalez ("el amigo de todos" - "Everybody's friend"), journalist and broadcaster Napoleon Bravo and Gilberto Correa, who at the time was the host of another successful Venevision show "De Fiesta Con Venevision". Meanwhile, people were patient enough to wait for Bendayan's constant returns, welcoming him with the now memorable slogan of "Animo Amador" (Cheer up, Amador) which later became a stample of the show during the entire decade.
Bendayan's wish for a better respect to artists around the country was fulfilled in 1985, when he hosted an event celebrating his idea of La Casa del Artista (Artist's House, which was inaugurated officially in late 1988). But despite his efforts, Amador's health was rapidly deteriorating by this time and was forced to retire completely from the show, while the audience still watched his show and the many musical performers would sign a rotfolio pleading for his return.
In late July 1989, agonizing in his deathbed, Bendayan made producer Ricardo Peña write a letter as a farewell message to Venezuela and his wish to continue producing the show with Gilberto Correa, who was in charge of reading Bendayan's last will on a special aired the day after he passed away, on August 4, 1989.
[edit] Sabado Sensacional after Amador Bendayan's death
Amador Bendayan's death was a hard blow on everyone who worked or participated on the show, particularly on Ricardo Peña. Despite the grief, the show kept on, generating bigger ratings and focusing even more on multitudinary events, like state fairs, the Super Bingo de la Bondad, and the Orchid Festival (an event founded by Amador Bendayan in 1982, to celebrate the Maracaibo Chiquinquira Fair).
In 1996, the show changed its original format drastically by including the big school-to-school contest show "Mega Match Sensacional", in which the contestants would endure challenges to win money. The minishow later became an entire show of its own in Venevision's programming and was hosted by a young Maracaibo radio and TV host called Daniel Sarcos.
Sarcos' youthful energy caught the eye of Gilberto Correa, who at the time saw his own inevitable retire that same year. After taking over of Sabado's reign, Sarcos became more involved with the show's format, including other contests like "La Guerra de Los Sexos" (War of the Sexes), "Bailando con las Reinas" (Dancing with the Queens), "Bailando con los Gorditos" (Dancing with the Fatties, a spinoff of another Venevision Show "Sudando La Gota Gorda) and "El Precipicio". Although those segments covered many slots of the show's duration, generating criticism amongst its viewers, Super Sabado Sensacional still goes strong after more than 30 years on air, maintaining its place as one of the longest running variety shows in Latinamerica.
[edit] Other segments
- Besides musical performances and interviews, the show producers also created special game show based events. The first was called Mega Match and it consisted of national high school teams competing for minutes, not points, like other game shows, to later use them up for a special House of Prizes event. During this event, a student is picked from the school to participate. He or she is given a large keyring with around 20 keys, and with it, the student has to open the eight locked doors in the two story house and complete certain tasks in each room; for example, hanging a picture frame on a wall or searching for a lost pair of shoes in a room filled with shoe boxes to obtain additional prizes. The student is given the time that his team has won during the game. If the student completes all tasks before time runs out, he or she will win 30 million Venezuelan bolívars (30,000 bolívares fuertes, around $15,000) in prizes, including a new car. The money eventually goes to the school and not just the contestant who participated in the event. This segment has gotten so popular that it has gotten its own time slot on Venevisión, separating itself from the original show in which was created. Other popular segments are Bailando con las Estrellas (Dancing with the Stars) and La Guerra de los Sexos (Battle of the Sexes), which involve three males and three females, both teams of celebrities, and they prove through the show who is the best after completing certain games.
