31 Minutos

31 minutos (Spanish for 31 minutes) is a Chilean television show which takes the form of a mock news broadcast, and is fronted by puppets who present various items. The program was devised by Álvaro Díaz and Pedro Peirano and is produced by their own company, APLAPLAC. It was first aired in March 2003 on the TVN channel in Chile.

31 minutos has achieved considerable success in Chilean television, captivating adult viewers as well as children. The sarcastic and carefree humor along with the producers' reputation in Chile of being the essential part of the extinct cult show Plan Z (aired about a decade before) earned the series immediate acceptance among the public (specially among Plan Z's wide and loyal fan base) and helped boost its popularity, being considered a spiritual successor of sorts of that earlier show. When the first season had its debut, it occupied the morning time slot on Saturdays. But its orientation toward children was somewhat questioned because of the enthusiastic response from adult audiences; therefore the second season was moved to the time slot after the night time news at 10:00 pm on Fridays. Its almost explosive commercial success is reflected in the range and quantity of products spawned by the show, including an audio CD with the songs from its first season. In 2004, Nickelodeon started airing the first season across Latin America, being particularly popular in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, and a second CD was released with music from the second season. In 2005, a third album was released, with the season music and some extras.

Part of the show's success with more adult audiences is due to its use of double entendres and parody. The puppets are ironic imitations of famous television personalities and there are many references to incidents or television events which characterized Chile in the 1980s and 90s.

A movie version entitled 31 minutos, la película, that was shot in Santiago and Rio de Janeiro, premiered in Chilean theatres on March 27, 2008.

On October 2, 2014 the first episode of the fourth season was aired on TVN (Chile), 8 years after their last episode featuring not only the same characters from the previous seasons, but also a 1080p HD image format. 12 episodes were part of this season which was mainly focused on the kids that grew up with the series, but still has the educative point for the newer generations. The sections like the "Green Note" by Juan Carlos Bodoque and the "TOP ranking" by Policarpo Avendaño are being kept on each episode, and included are new sections such as Patana's reality show "Patana's Fridge".

Until December 27, 2014, 31 minutos has had a total of 70 episodes in four seasons; counting the Christmas special and the Telethon in 2003.

The first season had a total of 21 episodes that were broadcast every Saturday at 1:30 pm by TVN, with repeats the following Sunday and Saturday of next week at 9:00 am. The season aired from March 15, 2003 to August 9 of that same year. As of July 18, due to the success, episodes began to air on Fridays at 11:15 pm, hours after being changed were broadcast at 10:00 pm.

The second season only had 20 episodes, which were broadcast every Saturday at 10:00 am, and the same episode was broadcast again on the following day at 12:00 pm. This started on March 20, 2004 until September 11 of the same year.

The third season was only 15 episodes, but unlike the first two seasons, it was broadcast on Sundays at 10:15 am. All except the last episode, which was broadcast at 7:00 am. The season aired on June 19, 2005 until October 2 of that year.

The recordings for the fourth season began on October 11, 2013 and was released on Saturday, October 4, 2014, 10:05 am. This season went on every Saturday until December 27, 2014 (except on November 29, because that day was the Telethon 2014).

The special Christmas episode was aired on December 24, 2003 at 8:30 and repeated on the same date in 2004, 2005 and 2006; and the 2003 Telethon aired on November 22 the same year.^[1]

Characters

Many of the characters of the show are parodying (or are just inspired after) Chilean TV personalities or famous local journalists, especially those associated with the mainstream Chilean press, hence the 'news program' premise of the show.

• Tulio Triviño (leader, parody of Bernardo de la Maza)
• Juan Carlos Bodoque (journalist, probably a parody of both Rafael Cavada and Santiago Pavlović)
• Juanín Juan Harry (producer)
• Policarpo Avendaño (entertainment commentator, parody of Italo Passalacqua)
• Patricia Ana Patana Tufillo (Tulio's niece; Reporter)
• Mario Hugo (reporter)
• Guaripolo (the ambiguously self-proclaimed "31 minutos's children's favourite character")
• Mico el Micófono (reporter)
• Huachimingo (reporter)
• Balón von Bola (sports commentator, parody of Sergio Livingstone and Julio Martínez)
• Raúl Guantecillo (sports commentator, parody of Pedro Carcuro)
• Tenison Salinas (sports reporter)
• Dante Torobolino (explosive magician, parody of El Mago Oli, Gerardo Parra)
• Jackson Aceituno (war correspondent, parody of Amaro Gómez-Pablos)
• Calcetín con Rombos Man (Argyle Sock Man, superhero, parody of Gekko Kamen)
• Eusebio Manguera (owner of the channel)
• Cossimo Gianni (image consultant, parody of Jordi Castell)
• Tío Pelado (fraudster)
• Bongo Stingo (journalist, parody of Carlos Pinto)
• Tío Horacio (elderly children's entertainer, parody of El Tío Memo, Domingo Sandoval)

Songs

Most of the songs were composed by Pablo Ilabaca and Felipe Ilabaca of Chancho en Piedra and group collaboration in the series.

Season 1

Note: The names of the directors are parodied in the series by members of the program output (in parentheses are the real names and their names parodied).

Season 2

Note: The names of the characters of the program directors are either not refer to anyone in particular (Objeción denegada and Papá te quiero). Exceptions are Ms. Interesting, that parodies a member of the production of the program and Severlá, which is "Director" backwards.

Season 3

Note: The names of the directors are parodies of the members of the program output (La regla primordial, Mr. Guantecillo) real people (Guácala and Parque de diversiones), characters from the show (Ríe and Ratoncitos) or do referring to anyone in particular (Mi castillo de blanca arena con vista al mar).

Season 4

Advertising appearances

• In 2004 there was a series of Chilean advertising to prevent accidents in electricity and gas. The campaign led by name "Cuidado Tulio" (Spanish for Tulio, Care). The story showed Tulio suffering home accidents and Juan Carlos told him as caring. Business had such success that various marketing related products were created.
• In the Radio Cooperativa of Chile were performed special radio programs of 31 minutos, one in the Children's Day 2004, in which it's announced the second season and his songs were shown in the Paseo Ahumada's giant screen, this fact not only was broadcast by Radio Cooperativa, but by other radios such as Rock & Pop, and became another special for Christmas of 2005 in which Mario Hugo had parodies of classic Christmas stories with characters from the show by roles in them.
• Tulio Triviño appeared in a commercial for the campaign 'Ojo con la Música Chilena' (Spanish for Eye with Chilean Music), where Chilean music was supported, in early 2006.
• In 2008, to promote the film, appeared in a commercial for Jugos Watt's in which awards are promoted consistent in collecting stickers merchandise program.
• Tulio and Bodoque appeared in a commercial message of Santiago's transport system "Transantiago" in a campaign to educate people about the behavior that must be taken on buses. It this it sees Tulio incorrectly using these units and Juan Carlos teaches him how to take care of.
• In 2010, an advertisement of Unicef was launched, entitled "Rearmemos la vida de los niños y niñas" (Spanish for We reassemble the lives of boys and girls), which is a campaign to raise the spirits after the 2010 Chile earthquake, where it appear several main characters of this serie. In these advertisements Tulio is talking about the fear he felt by the earthquakes, but his friends of the news reanimate him saying that together everything is better and it is normal to feel fear.
• Appeared in other programs of TVN and De pe a pa, Día a día, 24 horas and Buenos días a todos, these appear in the DVD of the first season and in the movie. Even Tulio Triviño appeared in CQC (from the neighbor TV channel MEGA) participating in the pay it forward "section.
• Other ad with Unicef was about shorts that shows with short musical numbers in which Patana gives advice to Tulio how to prevent influenza.
• For 2012, characters of 31 Minutos made 2 advertisements for mobile phone company Claro Chile, released in August of the same year. By November they released one by the same company, for the Teletón 2012 where Tulio brought as a guest Don Francisco puppet.
• In 2015, the characters carried out a campaign with the aim of reducing the use of cell phone while driving. The campaign is called Suelta el maldito teléfono (Spanish for Drop the damn phone) and shows the characters of the program by making reckless actions while driving, in a humorous way. The campaign is held in conjunction with the car company Subaru.
• Characters of 31 Minutos have also participated in other situations, such as in the video for the song Una nube cuelga sobre mi , from the band Los Bunkers, released in August 2009.

Awards

2003

• Award given by the School of Communication Studies, Film and TV from UNIACC University to 31 Minutos by Creative Contribution to Chilean TV.
• Only nominee and winner category Contribution to the TV in APES awards.
• Winner of Altazor award in the categories Rock popular music, Graphic design and illustration, TV Show Direction and Script.
• The organization Actitud Animal and the Chilean Federation of Animal Protection Institutions given an award to Juan Carlos Bodoque by to teach how care and guard different species.
• 4th place in the category Light Entertainment of Prix Jeunesse Internacional.
• Was nominated to Inte Awards in the category Infantil TV Show of the Year.
• Nominated to International Emmy Awards in the category Children y Young People.

2004

• Spanish American Prix Jeunesse Award, in the category Best Childhood TV Show for 6 - 11 years non-fiction, and TV Show chosen by children.
• TV-GRAMA Award in the category Best Childhood TV Show.
• Chile's Circle of Reviewer Award, in the category Television.

2013

• Antorcha de Plata, Antorcha de Oro, Gaviota de Plata and Gaviota de Oro in the LIV Viña del Mar International Song Festival.

See also

• Spitting Image - A British satirical puppet show.
• 31 Minutos - A CD with the music of the first season.
• 31 Canciones de Amor y una Canción de Guaripolo (Spanish for "31 Love Songs and 1 Guaripolo's Song") - A CD with the music of the second season.
• Los Ratoncitos (Spanish for "The Little Mice") - A CD with the music of the third season.
• Yo Nunca vi Televisión (Spanish for "I never watched Television") - a tribute CD of 31 minutos songs.

References

External links

• Official site (in Spanish)
• Fan site (in Spanish)
• 31 minutos at the Internet Movie Database