Nubeluz

Nubeluz was a Peruvian children's show produced by Panamericana Televisión that aired from September 8, 1990 to November 7. 1996. It aired in a total of 19 Latin American countries, as well as the United States, Turkey, the Philippines, Egypt, Japan, Indonesia and China. It was produced by Rochi Hernández and written by Alonso Alegría, Maritza Kirchhausen, Catalina Lohmann, Clara María Cavagnaro and Fernando Gagliuffi, and was hosted by a group of female presenters called Dalinas, the best known being Mónica Santa María and Almendra Gomelsky.

The show succeeded El show de July [es], another children's show hosted by Yuly Maiocchi [es] based on the Brazilian Xou da Xuxa that aired from 1989 to 1990. After its cancellation, a replacement was sought by the station, who contacted Peruvian playwright Alonso Alegría due to his experience in the field. Alegría formed a creative team that included the participation of a linguist (Clara Cavagnaro), a graphic designer (Fernando Gagliuffi) and two writers (Catalina Lohmann and Maritza Kirchhausen).

The show first aired on September 8 of the same year, with its stage located at the Coliseo Amauta, the largest in Latin America at the time with a capacity of 5,000 people, and hosted by models Mónica Santa María and Almendra Gomelsky, who was brought on by Santa María. The show was watched by 8 million people. Its main contribution to the genre was the creation of an alternative world made of 'nube' (cloud) and 'luz' (light), with its own language, called 'glúfico', and its own peculiar manners and customs, where two weekly fiestas (replacing the terms "programme" or "show") were held.

Nubeluz featured several competitions between children (and even adults on occasion) divided into two coloured teams, always red and yellow, plus songs and dances, some with overt messages, performed by the Dalinas, interspersed with cartoons. The back-up dancers had nicknames of their own: Cíndelas for women, and Gólmodis for men, being paid US$800 each and starting careers after the show ended. The competition was also set to its own musical score, played in the background exclusively while competition was in progress. This musical score included an acoustic, instrumental remix of the song "Rock This Town" by the Stray Cats.

During the competitions, the Gólmodis were in charge of assisting and spotting the competitors. However, the Gólmodis were also in control of the swinging demolition pads during one of the competition's toughest events, "Glufiadores". The Cíndelas were in charge of handing out the prizes at the end of each event, as well as wrapping towels around the competitors at the end of events that involved getting wet.

Numerous well-known singing groups, as well as other noted personalities, most of them well known in Latin America, made special guest appearances on the show at various times during its run. They performed their own songs or showed off their own talents. They frequently even experienced the show's competition first-hand during their guest appearance.

The show enjoyed great success and was soon broadcast in many Latin American countries. Moreover, it began to be broadcast to other countries, such as China, Turkey, Egypt, The Philippines, and the United States among others. A magazine, PLAK, was the show's official publication. Nubeluz was originally created for broadcast in Spanish and in Peru. In the mid-1990s an English-language pilot appeared, starring Monica Potter as the first American Dalina. The 1995 season also featured a character called Glufo, much like the American Barney the Dinosaur, who was large with rainbow colored fur, a loud distorted voice, and ears that wiggled. During its final two seasons, Nubeluz was relocated to Venezuela.

The 1994 suicide of one of the main hostesses, Mónica Santa María, was a turning point that led to the programme's decline in popularity. The show finally ended in 1996. However, it was rebroadcast in other countries such as Venezuela with a different cast.