A Oscuras Pero Encendidos
Encyclopedia
A Oscuras Pero Encendidos (a osˈkuɾas ˈpeɾo ensenˈdiðos, In the Dark but Turned On) was the first late night
variety show
produced for the Hispanic market in the United States by Astracanada Productions Inc. The "live" show, launched in 1995 in Miami, Florida
on WJAN-CA
, and was a combination of celebrity guests, games, practical jokes, and audience participation. It differed from traditional American late night shows, incorporating sexy co-hostesses, interactive phone games, and a variety of vaudeville
acts. For its six year run, the nightly show was hosted by its creator and producer Paul Bouche
. In 1997, the show won a Emmy Award
from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
in the Entertainment Series category. A Oscuras Pero Encendidos generated ratings results attracting a substantial share of the young 18-35 demographic.
The show developed a cult following in Miami and in 1997, Univision
owned Galavisión started transmitting the series via cable television
, allowing it to reach all Spanish-speaking markets in the United States. In 2000, Telemundo
picked up the program for national broadcast in open-air stations reaching all the United States and Puerto Rico
.
The show was the first to experiment with both "late night", a time period seldom exploited by the Spanish language
television networks, and the production of local Spanish language entertainment television for audiences of non-Mexican descent. Until 1995, all entertainment offerings were geared to an audience of Mexican
descent, which resided predominantly on the West Coast
. From 1995 until the year 2001, A Oscuras Pero Encendidos was the only dayly local Spanish Language entertainment production in South Florida. Currently there are five local spanish language stations in the city of Miami producing over 30 shows.
In 2007, La Boca Loca De Paul was launched as a syndicated late night variety show for the US Hispanic market and Latin America. Also hosted by Paul Bouche
, this show retained many elements of A Oscuras Pero Encendidos.
Since its inception the show generated substantial rating increases in its time period. In 2011, "La Boca Loca De Paul" was launched in the US and in Puerto Rico.
Late night television
Late night television in the United States is the block of television programming airing after 11:00 pm and usually through 2:00 am. Traditionally, this type of programming airs after the late local news and is most notable for being the daypart used for a particular genre of programming that falls...
variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
produced for the Hispanic market in the United States by Astracanada Productions Inc. The "live" show, launched in 1995 in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
on WJAN-CA
WJAN-CA
WJAN-CA is a Spanish-language Independent station in Miami, Florida. The station runs news, along with other Spanish-language programming. The station mostly talks about Cuba and its regime. The station also broadcasts news programming from CNN en Español....
, and was a combination of celebrity guests, games, practical jokes, and audience participation. It differed from traditional American late night shows, incorporating sexy co-hostesses, interactive phone games, and a variety of vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
acts. For its six year run, the nightly show was hosted by its creator and producer Paul Bouche
Paul Bouche
Paul Bouche is a television producer & entertainer. Paul is the host, creator and producer of a variety of television and radio programs. Paul has worked as a TV and Radio Host and Comedian in the United States and Latin America, performing as a Stand Up Comedian and on air television and radio...
. In 1997, the show won a Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences or NATAS was created in 1955 to advance the arts and sciences of television. Headquartered in New York, NATAS's membership is national and the organization has local chapters around the country....
in the Entertainment Series category. A Oscuras Pero Encendidos generated ratings results attracting a substantial share of the young 18-35 demographic.
The show developed a cult following in Miami and in 1997, Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
owned Galavisión started transmitting the series via cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
, allowing it to reach all Spanish-speaking markets in the United States. In 2000, Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
picked up the program for national broadcast in open-air stations reaching all the United States and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
The show was the first to experiment with both "late night", a time period seldom exploited by the Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
television networks, and the production of local Spanish language entertainment television for audiences of non-Mexican descent. Until 1995, all entertainment offerings were geared to an audience of Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
descent, which resided predominantly on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. From 1995 until the year 2001, A Oscuras Pero Encendidos was the only dayly local Spanish Language entertainment production in South Florida. Currently there are five local spanish language stations in the city of Miami producing over 30 shows.
In 2007, La Boca Loca De Paul was launched as a syndicated late night variety show for the US Hispanic market and Latin America. Also hosted by Paul Bouche
Paul Bouche
Paul Bouche is a television producer & entertainer. Paul is the host, creator and producer of a variety of television and radio programs. Paul has worked as a TV and Radio Host and Comedian in the United States and Latin America, performing as a Stand Up Comedian and on air television and radio...
, this show retained many elements of A Oscuras Pero Encendidos.
Since its inception the show generated substantial rating increases in its time period. In 2011, "La Boca Loca De Paul" was launched in the US and in Puerto Rico.