Underplayed Gems

31 Minutos (2003)

31 Minutos poster
Genre
comedy television series
Country
Chile
Length
4 seasons, 68 episodes
Rated
NR
Rating
8.6 of 10 from 378 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A puppet news anchor named Tulio Triviño hosts a satirical newscast full of comedic reports and sketches. The show mixes educational themes with playful and absurd humor for children.

satiricalupbeatquirkyplayfulabsurdeducationalwhimsicallighthearted

What happens

31 minutos (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈtɾeinta i ˌun miˈnutos, -j ˌun-], English: 31 Minutes) is a Chilean children's comedy television series and virtual band created by the production company Aplaplac, founded by Álvaro Díaz, Pedro Peirano, and Juan Manuel Egaña. It premiered on March 15, 2003, on Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN). The show is presented as a satirical news program hosted by the puppet character Tulio Triviño, featuring comedic reports and sketches. It incorporates educational themes with a humorous format. During its initial run, the series aired three seasons between 2003 and 2005, along with a special appearance in the 2003 Chilean telethon and a Christmas special that same year. On March 27, 2008, a feature film adaptation titled 31 minutos, la película ("31 Minutos: the movie") was released. After the third season, the series went on a nine-year hiatus with no new episodes produced. In 2012, Aplaplac announced that the show would return with a fourth season, which premiered on October 4, 2014, on TVN. The final original episode aired on December 27, 2014. The series received widespread critical and audience acclaim for its clever, absurdist humor, original soundtrack, ability to address complex topics in a child-friendly manner, and its contribution to reviving Chile’s puppetry tradition. From 2004 to 2007, the series was broadcast throughout Latin America on Nickelodeon, and beginning in 2015, it aired on Cartoon Network. In Mexico, it has also been broadcast on Canal Once and Once Niñas y Niños. The most recent season is available on Netflix in Latin America. 31 minutos has performed throughout Chile and Mexico, making the program a musical band. In 2025, it became the third puppet show to perform on NPR's Tiny Desk, being described as an "institution of Latin American children's programming." (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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