After 15 years away from broadcast television, Mario Pergolini returns to the small screen with a new show titled Otro Día Perdido, where he would share hosting duties with Agustín "Soy Rada" Aristarán.
The news shakes the industry, not only because of the return itself, but because of the context in which he would do it: a television that he himself defines as "dead."
The project is not completely closed yet, but it is "very advanced." According to what he revealed, he accepted the proposal after a somewhat unusual negotiation. "They always ask me to come back and I say no. This time, half-jokingly, I set three conditions. Five days later they came back and said yes to everything. And it was too late to ask for an elephant," he said with a laugh. What conditions did he set? "I'm not going to deny it, I asked for dollars," he confessed, bluntly.
A television that no longer exists
Despite the initial enthusiasm, Pergolini remains skeptical about the medium. "Television is really not going through a great moment," he reflected. "I still think the same: it hasn't translated to the digital world. What you see on social media isn't engagement, it's crumbs of what's happening."
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Far from nostalgia, the producer admits that he doesn't seek to replicate the television format of 15 years ago, but he also doesn't agree with the current logic of entertainment. "Today everything has become spicy, but from gossip. I don't devalue it, but it's not my thing. I'd like something with current affairs, guests, a band, but not necessarily a late night," he hinted.
The ideal partner and the scheduling dilemma
The show, which will air on El Trece, would have Soy Rada as a partner, with whom Pergolini has a relationship of mutual admiration from the digital world. "We get along very well and always wanted to do something together," he commented.
Regarding the schedule, he denied that it would be at 11:15 PM from Monday to Friday: "At that time I'm already sleeping. It would be earlier." And he joked about the current dynamics of the medium: "Before, the cameraman would get wet for you. Now they take care of themselves... I'm no longer a star," he quipped as the rain fell on the Intrusos team.
Pergolini, in his style: between irony and brutal honesty
True to his style, Mario didn't miss the opportunity to send a message loaded with sarcasm to Adrián Suar: "Adrián, this isn't what we talked about," he blurted out when asked about the negotiations. He also referred to his comparison with Santiago del Moro: "I asked how much Del Moro earns. They said '20% more.' Still, if I come back, I'm going to suffer a lot. Keep that in mind."
Finally, he acknowledged that this decision could have personal costs: "I'll take it. Now comes the feedback. And that's fine. Whatever they say, they're right. But they made me an offer I couldn't refuse."
A sign of change?
With one foot in, Pergolini's return could represent an attempt to recover some critical intelligence in broadcast television. "The TV I was on no longer exists. Today you have to speak to different people. I'd like to take a few steps back in production, but if it can be expanded a bit, that would be good."
Mario Pergolini's return not only marks a media event, it is also an uncomfortable snapshot of the current state of Argentine television: in search of figures with real weight, in an ecosystem that, as he says, "still needs dead people."
