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Univision is making a notable shift to its primetime programming in 2025, cutting a telenovela timeslot to premiere the true crime show Código de Investigación.

Borja Voces is set to host Código de Investigación, which will broadcast live on weeknights starting on January 14, 2025, at 10 p.m. Et/Pt.

On Código de Investigación, Voces, the host of Univision’s Edición Digital newcast, will explore the most captivating and shocking crime stories that have captured the public’s attention. Each episode will feature in-depth investigations, expert analysis, testimonials, and cutting-edge technology to bring viewers closer to the truth.

A team of renowned experts in different fields, such as criminologists, mental health professionals, police officers, and forensic specialists, will guide viewers through complex cases, offering unique insights and uncovering hidden truths.

Código de Investigación will not only examine past crimes that have shaken communities but also follow current cases, providing live updates and exclusive interviews with key players.

On Monday November 11 2024, PBS broadcasts Velvet!

The Designer Season 1 Episode 4 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Velvet,” titled “The Designer,” promises to bring a mix of romance and tension to the screen. In this episode, viewers will see Alberto continuing his affair with Ana, which adds a layer of complexity to their relationship. The emotional stakes are high as Alberto navigates his feelings and the consequences of his actions.

Meanwhile, Pedro’s girlfriend finds herself drawn to Alberto’s assistant, which introduces a new dynamic to the story. This unexpected attraction could lead to complications, as feelings become tangled between the characters. The episode will explore how these relationships evolve and the impact they have on each person’s life.

In a different storyline, Luisa faces significant challenges as she pays a high price for the support of Don Francisco. This situation highlights the struggles and sacrifices that characters make in pursuit of their goals.

In the upcoming episode of “Velvet,” titled “The Designer,” viewers can expect a thrilling continuation of the complex relationships that have been unfolding. Alberto’s pursuit of Ana intensifies, adding layers of tension and passion to the storyline. As their affair deepens, the stakes rise, and the consequences of their actions become more significant. The chemistry between them is undeniable, but the path to happiness is fraught with challenges.

Meanwhile, Pedro’s girlfriend finds herself drawn to Alberto’s assistant, creating a new dynamic that could lead to unexpected complications. This budding romance adds another layer of intrigue to the episode, as loyalties are tested and feelings evolve in unexpected ways. The intertwining relationships promise to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

Additionally, Luisa’s situation takes a dramatic turn as she pays a high price for the support of Don Francisco. This subplot highlights the sacrifices characters...

F.Javier Gutierrez’s The Wait is a neo-Western that isn’t content to be just that. The director has several things on his mind. It’s always intriguing to see an artist push at the tropes but there’s equal risk in the venture. Is the director confident to thread together ambitious, restless ideas within the folds of the Western and reframe them on exciting, bold terms? Therein lies the key.

The film hobbles pace by misreading the temperature of a crafty slow-burn. The psychological depth is missing, depriving the film of the complexity that underpins its atmospheric shifts toward horror and unease. Neither is the fascist-ruled setting of Spain in the 90s congruous to establishing a sense of the world the character inhabits. The film is also emotionally one-note.

It drops us into the deeper end of emotional damage without building a due affiliation. There’s deceit, revelations, and...

Greed is often seen as one of the worst sins, and we’ve all read books, watched movies, or heard stories where people’s greed led to terrible consequences, sometimes even death. Despite knowing this, it’s a sin we can’t seem to escape, as it’s part of human nature. The movie The Wait dives into this theme of greed and its consequences and explores it through the fantasy horror genre. Here, the story follows Eladio, who is a hunter and watchman who lives in a quiet, mountain desert village with his family. His life takes a dark turn after a hunt his son went on goes horribly wrong. From that moment on, everything changes for Eladio and his family. In this explainer, we’ll explore how Eladio’s greed destroyed his life, which led to his death at the end.

Spoilers Ahead

What happened to Eladio’s family?...

Saturday Night Live’s Marcello Hernández tapped into nostalgia for Latinos in the U.S. by spoofing Univision’s variety show Sábado Gigante.

English-language speakers in the U.S. have SNL to look forward to every weekend, but Spanish-language speakers had Sábado Gigante. The variety series hosted by Don Francisco entertained Hispanic audiences for almost 30 years, going off the air in 2015 after a 29-year run.

“I thank SNL for bringing back memories of our Sábado Gigante, which was not only a great television program, but was also very important as a meeting point for the family and our Hispanic community,” Don Francisco replied on Instagram. “Thanks to the public, we closed our story almost 10 years ago, but we still feel the affection and respect for what we were able to build together.”

In a second message, Don Francisco added in Spanish, “Special thanks to Marcello Hernández for his acting. Notable.

Javier Gutiérrez crafts a gripping tale of loss and guilt in his recent film The Wait. Actor Victor Clavijo stars as Eladio, a poor groundskeeper caring for the vast Andalusian estate of wealthy landowner Don Francisco, played by Pedro Casablanc. Eladio lives there with his wife Marcia, portrayed touchingly by Ruth Diaz, and their young son Floren.

Against the sparse, sun-baked landscapes of rural Spain, Eladio’s life seems to be finding a steady rhythm. However, when he makes a fateful decision that affects both his family and future, tragedy soon strikes and sends Eladio into a downward spiral of grief.

Blending elements of revenge thrillers with supernatural folk horror, Gutierrez also injects thoughtful commentary on societal classes through his story. The isolated setting of the Spanish countryside enhances the looming sense of despair that hangs over the characters. As Eladio grapples with the aftermath of loss, reality itself begins...

Deep in the Andalusian countryside, Eladio has been hired to watch over the hunting grounds of Don Francisco’s estate, somewhere in rural Spain. The estate is divided into ten hunting stands, spaced far enough apart to avoid incidents. After three years of service, Don Carlos — Don Francisco’s second in command — offers him a bribe to add an additional three stands to the property. Eladio initially hesitates, but his wife eventually convinces him to take the money. Eladio’s greed has unfortunate consequences that drag his entire family to perdition, and plunging him into the depths of guilt, hatred, and revenge. Writer/director F. Javier Gutierrez's latest thriller, The Wait (La espera) is coming to digital and cable VOD, including Apple TV, Prime Video and...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Available October 4th on VOD, Digital and on Film Movement Plus, we have an exclusive preview of The Wait, a new folk horror film from F. Javier Guttierez:

"Deep in the Andalusian countryside, Eladio (Victor Clavijo) has been hired to watch over the hunting grounds of Don Francisco’s estate, somewhere in rural Spain. The estate is divided into ten hunting stands, spaced far enough apart to avoid incidents. After three years of service, Don Carlos — Don Francisco’s second in command — offers him a bribe to add an additional three stands to the property. Eladio initially hesitates, but his wife eventually convinces him to take the money. Eladio’s greed has unfortunate consequences that drag his entire family to perdition, and plunges him into the depths of guilt, hatred, and revenge."

Written & Directed by: F. Javier Gutiérrez Cast: Victor Clavijo, Ruth Díaz, Moisés Ruiz, Pedro Casablanc, Manuel Morón Produced by: Adrián Guerra,...

Questions of power and responsibility, individuals and systems, civilised values and evolutionary pressures haunt F Javier Gutiérrez’s moody thriller. A festival hit since granted a well-deserved cinematic release, it sets up the ostensibly simple story of a man whose surrender to temptation costs him everything he loves, only to expand into something richer and more complex as additional layers of wrongdoing are revealed and nature itself seems to express its offence at the misdeeds of its human offspring.

That man is Eladio (Victor Clavijo), a hard-working groundskeeper who lives with his wife Marcia (Ruth Díaz), ten-year-old son Floren (Moisés Ruiz) and dog Yulen on the estate of the wealthy Don Francisco (Pedro Casablanc), a figure whom we initially see only in shadow. One day Eladio is approached by another prosperous man, Don Carlos (Manuel Morón), who offers him money to expand the number of hunting stands on the land from ten.

Spanish filmmaker F. Javier Gutiérrez (Before the Fall, Rings) is back with new movie The Wait (La Espera), described as a sinister folk horror tragedy that takes place in the dark, magic and forgotten Andalusian countryside, a place marked by ancestral traditions.

Film Movement is bringing The Wait to VOD & Digital platforms on October 4.

Exclusively watch the official trailer below, which is loaded with rave reviews.

Based on an original script written by Gutierrez, The Wait has been described to Bloody Disgusting as being a “love letter to the horror/fantasy genre,” as well as Gutiérrez’s “most intimate and brutal film” to date. The horror movie “portrays the macabre descent into hell of a man who suffered the tragic loss of his family.”

In the film, “Deep in the Andalusian countryside, Eladio (Victor Clavijo) works as the groundskeeper of a hunting estate owned by the powerful Don Francisco. After...

The Wait (La espera), the third feature film by Spanish director F. Javier Gutiérrez has found a North American home with Film Movement. They have not announced a date yet but have said that they're planning a digital and cable release in the Fall. From the announcement over at Variety... The film is set deep in the Andalusian countryside, where Eladio works as the groundskeeper of a hunting estate owned by the powerful Don Francisco. After taking a bribe from a veteran hunter, Eladio’s normal life falls apart, plunging him into the depths of guilt, hatred and revenge. Gutierrez said, “I’m truly excited to share with American audiences this unsettling story of guilt, loss, revenge and class divides. Deeply human and rich...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Film Movement has snapped up North American rights to folk horror film “The Wait” (La Espera) from Spanish filmmaker F. Javier Gutierrez, best known for “Before the Fall” and “Rings,” following its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest. Film Movement is eyeing an autumn digital and cable release.

The film is set deep in the Andalusian countryside, where Eladio works as the groundskeeper of a hunting estate owned by the powerful Don Francisco. After taking a bribe from a veteran hunter, Eladio’s normal life falls apart, plunging him into the depths of guilt, hatred and revenge.

“The Wait,” which played at numerous film festivals including Sitges, Shanghai, Vancouver and Oldenburg, is “powerful and devastating,” according to Fotogramas, and “takes viewers along on a macabre descent into hell,” said Screen Zealots. It is “superbly directed,” Horror Fuel said, with an “impressive performance” from Victor Clavijo, according to Starburst.

“The Wait...

Stars: Pedro Casablanc, Víctor Clavijo, Ruth Díaz, Moisés Ruiz, Manuel Morón | Written and Directed by F. Javier Gutiérrez

Writer/director F. Javier Gutiérrez returned to his native Spain to make his third film La Espera, or, in English, The Wait. It’s a title that refers not just to the passage of time but to the ten hunting stands on the estate of Don Francisco. They are watched over by Eladio, who lives on the remote property with his wife Marcia, and their son, Floren (Moisés Ruiz).

At the start of the 1973 hunting season, he’s told by Don Carlos, Don Francisco’s right-hand man, to surreptitiously add three more. At first, he refuses, saying that would crowd the hunting parties and be unsafe due to the risk of crossfires. Eventually, he relents, a decision he soon regrets when Floren is killed in a freak accident leading to Marcia’s suicide.

In his director’s statement for The Wait (La espera), F. Javier Gutiérrez describes his latest feature as a “slow-burn supernatural neo-western set in Spain in the 1970s.” That’s certainly an apt summary, but one that also underscores the movie’s main problem: It’s trying to be too many things at once, and by doing so amounts to less than the sum of its parts.

The Spanish filmmaker’s debut from 2008, Before the Fall, tried to combine a disaster flick with a home-invasion flick, yielding similarly sketchy results. In both cases, Gutiérrez showcases a keen sense of style but an inability, despite all the genre-jumping, to make something that feels truly original. World premiering at Oldenburg, with additional dates set for Sitges and Fantastic Fest, the film could provide decent streaming fodder for fans of international thrillers while finding a small theatrical audience at home in Spain.

During the rather languid opening half-hour,...

Candle Media’s Exile Content Studio has joined forces with Trojan Horse Media, the team behind the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary, “Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado,” to produce premium content with international appeal. This will include scripted, unscripted and audio content.

The new partners first collaborated on the podcast series “More Than a Movie: American Me,” which dropped on Sept. 15. The podcast series delves into the true story of Edward James Olmos’s 1992 cult film classic, “American Me,” and the legacy the polemical film left behind. The 12-episode audio-documentary is hosted by Trojan Media’s Alex Fumero.

Trojan Horse was founded earlier this year by Fumero and Kareem Tabsch after the success of “Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado.” It has recently produced the critically acclaimed docuseries “Menudo: Forever Young” for HBO Max and is in production on the limited docuseries “Gigante” for Disney’s Onyx Collective.

Exclusive: Emmy-nominated filmmakers Alex Fumero and Kareem Tabsch are partnering to form the production company Trojan Horse. The company will be based in Los Angeles and Miami.

Deadline recently announced their latest project under the banner for Onyx, the limited docuseries Gigante, in collaboration with Don Francisco.

Producing unscripted and scripted feature films, series, and podcasts, Trojan Horse recently co-produced the four-part docuseries Menudo: Forever Young, directed by Angel Manuel Soto and Kristofer Rios. The series is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival ahead of its June 23 release on HBO Max. Fumero executive produced the project.

Trojan Horse also produced the podcast Crumbs with Sonoro for iHeartMedia.

“We’re both bilingual, bicultural, first-generation Americans. Like us, there are millions more who coexist across various cultures and communities and whose stories are important, compelling, entertaining, and ready to be embraced by mainstream audiences. We’re excited to bring those stories to audiences everywhere,...

Exclusive: Disney’s Onyx Collective has ordered the four-part limited docuseries Gigante from Don Francisco and Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado filmmakers Alex Fumero and Kareem Tabsch. Gigante will be streamed exclusively on Hulu in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America, and Disney+ in all other territories at a future date.

Spanning through four distinct eras in U.S. Latino history, Gigante tells the story of how immigrants from different Latin American countries created a tenuous alliance that would come to harness the social capital, economic prowess, and political influence that forever changed the United States. With the unfettered participation of Don Francisco, access to 53 years of Sabado Gigante archives, and interviews with A-list celebrities, Gigante explores how the longest-running variety show in the history of television helped shape a new demographic and became a political force.

“To say we are enthusiastic...

Chilean writer-actor-director Bernardo Quesney does not have all the answers. If he did, he says, he would not be making films. “If someone is very clear about what they mean or intend to mean,” he told Variety, “they should write an essay, not a script.”

Quesney’s third feature, “History and Geography,” is screening in the Works in Progress sidebar at this year’s Guadalajara Film Festival. It tells the story of Gioconda Martinez, an aging actor from an iconic theatrical family, who is trying to shake the comedic image that became glued to her when she starred in a highly successful TV series. Now, she wants to be taken seriously. She returns to her hometown to stage a play about the Mapuche, an indigenous people who were abused not only by the Spanish conquerors but by more modern-day Chileans, as well. To her chagrin, she quickly discovers that her...

Chilean bio-musical series “Los Prisioneros” had its European debut at Madrid’s inaugural Iberseries Platino Industria on Sept. 28 where it screened in the event’s Chapter One sidebar.

Taking place in the mid ‘80s, the eight-episode show kicks off with the titular iconic band Los Prisioneros playing their sardonic protest songs to a rowdy, unappreciative crowd. It’s only when they perform at Chile’s then biggest entertainment show, “Sabado Gigante,” hosted by the equally iconic Don Francisco, that their career takes flight.

Episode one shows the key moments of their debut on the show and the start of their career, which later led to their persecution by the military regime and censorship on Chilean radio and television. To this day, their songs are anthems at protest rallies in the region, most recently in Chile and Colombia.

“Their songs have become ever more relevant, they still resonate to this day,...

Amara La Negra has a magnetic quality that’s followed her from her days as a child performer on the famed Spanish-language variety show Sábado Gigante to VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: Miami, where she quickly became a breakout star. When she talks, people tend to listen — and she’s continually made it a point to use her voice to bring complex issues to the forefront, including anti-Blackness in the Latinx community, the pernicious colorism embedded in the entertainment industry, and body image pressures exacerbated because of social media. While...

People en Español is joining forces with Telemundo for their four-hour television special Todos Unidos, a solidarity program that will be broadcast this Sunday, September 24 at 7 Pm Est. Armando Correa, the magazine’s editor-in-chief will be live all four hours from thePeople VIP studios in New York hosting celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Daddy Yankee and Carlos Ponce, among others.

The program aims to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the earthquake in Mexico this week. Mario Kreutzberger, otherwise known as Don Francisco, an icon of television always committed to causes and people most in...

Don Francisco, former host of Univision's Sabado Gigante, has cut a deal with Telemundo to be a senior news correspondent and lead a production venture. The TV legend, whose real name is Mario Kreutzberger, created and hosted the longest-running TV variety show in the world, according to Guinness World Records. "I am at Telemundo's disposition, am open to doing whatever they need from me," he told Variety in an exclusive interview. Kreutzberger's deal will utilize all of his experience with the Hispanic market to launch a joint production company to develop and produce original content for U.S. Hispanics. "At the end of the day Telemundo has been the fastest-growing...

Just under six months since the star and creator of the seminal Spanish Language variety show Sabado Gigante left the show that made him an international star, Don Francisco is returning to television, having signed a deal with Telemundo in which he’ll serve as a senior news correpondent. In addition, Franciso – real name Mario Kreutzberger – will launch a production venture with the network to develop original content for for U.S. Hispanics and international…...

The Chilean TV personality will collect the inaugural honour on closing night on October 25 of the Gems Festival hosted by Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival.

The award will be presented in recognition of Francisco’s “significant contributions to the story and progress in 2010 of the fate of the trapped Copiapó miners, influences that are cinematically immortalized in Patricia Riggen’s film The 33.”

Francisco, real name Mario Kreutzberger, has hosted a long-running variety show in Chile and is regarded as a champion of Hispanic identity and culture in the Americas.

People associated with the actual events in Copiapó will attend the screening and presentation alongside local dignitaries and Miami Film Society patrons.

“The festival look forwards to being able to honour Don Francisco with our heartfelt appreciation for all he has done for the Copiapó story,” said executive director and director of programming Jaie Laplante.

Mexican actress Kate del Castillo, one of the...

Say it ain't so! Univision shocked fans on Friday, April 17, when the Spanish-language network canceled its longest-running show. Celebrated variety series Sabado Gigante will air its final episode on Sept. 19 after 53 years on the air. The three-hour show made its debut on August 8, 1962 and has been a banner program for the Univision in the decades since. Hosted by Mario Kreutzberger Aka Don Francisco, Sabado Gigante translates to "Giant Saturday" and found its home on Saturday evenings. The high-rated show, which is available in [...]...

A Saturday night television tradition in many Spanish-speaking households will come to an end on Sept. 19 of this year when Sabado Gigante, hosted and created by the irrepressible Don Francisco (real name Mario Kreutzberger) and airing in the United States on Univision, will end its run of more than 53 years (the longest-running variety series in TV history). Univision says that Don Francisco will continue contributing to the network with new projects and by hosting entertainment specials and campaigns. He will also help the network look for and develop new on-air talent and professionals. “During my 40 years in … Continue reading →

The post “Sabado Gigante” ending after more than 53 years appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.

Univision's longest-running program, the magically campy variety show Sábado Gigante, will end on September 19 — after airing every Saturday night for the last 53 years. Mario Kreutzberger will officially retire from his "role" as host Don Francisco, after interviewing everyone from Selena to Michelle Obama (not to mention segments like "El Detector De Mentiras," in which Don gives lie-detector tests to cheaters). Good-bye Sábado Gigante! We'll always have this performance of "Gangnam Style":...

Univisions’s Sábado Gigante, the longest-running variety series in television history, will end its spectacular 53-year run September 19, the network has announced. Host and creator Don Francisco – real name Mario Kreutzberger – will continue to have a relationship with Univision. In addition to hosting the annual TeletónUSA charity event for disabled children, Kreutzberger will also appear in an unspecified number of special television events, and will contribute to the…...

Millions of gente are going to have to find some other way to fill their Saturday nights: Sábado Gigante is coming to a close.

The long-running, Spanish-language variety series hosted by a man calling himself Don Francicso will broadcast its final episode on Sept. 19, the Miami Herald reported Friday.

Don Francisco (whose real name is Mario Kreutzberger) will discuss the series’ cancellation during this Saturday’s broadcast. The network declined to comment to the Herald about the reasons behind the show’s ending.

Related 2015 Renewal Scorecard: What’s Coming Back? What’s Getting Cancelled? What’s on the Bubble?

For the uninitiated,...

Adios, “Sabado Gigante”: Univision is ending its top-rated variety show after a staggering 53-year run. Host and creator Don Francisco (his stage name, real name Mario Kreutzberger) will stay with the network beyond “Gigante’s” final episode, which is set to air on Sept. 19 — the end of the broadcast network’s 2014-2015 television season. The face of the Saturday night show plans to host entertainment specials and campaigns, such as “TeletonUSA,” which is held every year to benefit disabled children. He will also take part in Univision’s ongoing efforts to discover and develop new on-air talent and professionals,...

Mario Kreutzberger has been an eminent figure in the world of Hispanic entertainment. The TV personality, better known as "Don Francisco" host of Univision’s legendary "Sabado Gigante,” prepares to say goodbye and give an opportunity to new talent.

Filling the shoes of such an important figure for the Latino community might seem difficult. The first brave people to attempt to break into this adventure will be actors and TV hosts Chiquinquirá Delgado and Julián Gil, reports People en Español magazine.

Starting next week, the Venezuelan and Puerto Rican artists will seek to rejuvenate the program and earn the affection of the public, who will ultimately determine if the presenters are a good fit for the project.

"After this celebration I have to reinvent and the program has to reinvent ... We're on it," said Don Francisco last October during the show’s 50th anniversary celebration. "We are looking for a younger audience,...

It’ll be a special “Sábado Gigante” tonight.

Univision’s variety show celebrates its 50th anniversary Saturday. The three-hour show has aired continuously since 1962, when its iconic host “Dan Francisco” launched it as “Sábados Gigantes” in Chile -- earning it’s place as the longest-running television show in the Guiness Book of World Records. Univision acquired the program in 1986 and brought it to Miami.

For the uninitiated, NPR’s Mandalit del Barco proffered a good description of the cooky program:

For half a century, Sábado Gigante has been a raucous romp, with hours and hours of musical guests and dancers. It's a variety show; it's a talk show; it's a game show. Think Price Is Right meets American Idol meets The Gong Show. Francisco has his regular sidekicks, like "La Cuatro," who gets slapped for being naughty and sings very badly, and a masked character known as "El Chacal," the jackal.

Certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running variety show in television history, Univision’s Sábado Gigante began in 1962 on a Chilean TV network, created and hosted by Mario Kreutzberger (better known as “Don Francisco”), and eventually became an international hit. Sabado Gigante will be celebrating its milestone 50th anniversary with a special programming event this Saturday, Oct. 27, on Univision. The four hours of festivities are set to begin at 7pm Et with a red-carpet broadcast covering the arrivals of international stars and Univision personalities attending the anniversary gala. This portion of the show will be hosted [...]...

Don Francisco, who hosts the popular Spanish variety show "Sabado Gigante," has been slapped with a paternity lawsuit from a Chilean man who claims the veteran TV personality is his father.

Francisco, 70, who's real name is Mario Kreutzberger, hasn't denied the claim, but says he is seeking legal help in Chile.

Forty-three-year-old Patricio Abraham Flores Mundaca claims that all he wants is for Francisco to take a DNA test, according to reports from Chilean newspaper La Cuarta.

The claim was filed in October in Francisco's native country of Chile.