Chiquititas facts for kids

For other uses, see Chiquititas (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Chiquititas

Genre	Soap opera
Created by	Cris Morena
Written by	Gustavo Barrios Patricia Maldonado María José Campoamor María Teresa Forero Inmaculada Ruiz Santana
Directed by	Claudio Ferrari Martín Mariani Hernan Abrahamsohn Carlos Olivieri
Opening theme	"Rechufas" (season 1) "Chufa Cha" (season 2) "Chufachon" (season 3) "Dame Una Ch" (season 4) "Siempre Chiquititas" (season 5) "Chiquititas 2000" (season 6) "Chiquititas Baila Así" (season 7)
Country of origin	Argentina
Original language(s)	Spanish
No. of seasons	8 (total) 4 (Original series) 3 (New series) 1 (Reboot series)
No. of episodes	1186 (total) 155 (season 1) 206 (season 2) 175 (season 3) 153 (season 4) 173 (season 5) 144 (season 6) 10 (season 7) 170 (season 8)
Production
Running time	45 minutes
Production company(s)	Cris Morena Group Telefe
Release
Original network	Telefe
Original release	7 August 1995 (1995-08-07) – 8 December 2006 (2006-12-08)
Chronology
Related shows	Chiquititas, la historia (2001) Chiquititas: Rincón de luz (2001 feature film) Rincón de luz (2003) Chiquititas Sin Fin Chiquititas Brasil Chiquititas (2013 Brazilian version) Chiquititas (Mexican version) Chiquititas (Portuguese version)

Chiquititas (which means "Little Girls" or "Tiny Angels" in English) is a popular Argentine children's musical TV series. It was created and produced by Cris Morena. The show featured Cris Morena's daughter, Romina Yan, and Agustina Cherri in leading roles.

The story of Chiquititas follows a group of children living in a special home called Rincón de Luz. Their lives begin to change when Belén, a kind and caring young woman, comes into their lives. The series explores their journey of growing up, discovering friendship, facing challenges, and learning to form a loving family together. In its fifth season, the show was rebooted with new characters, a new setting, and a fresh story. Chiquititas is also known for its many catchy songs and music videos.

Over the years, Chiquititas inspired other TV shows. These included Cebollitas, Rincón de Luz (which aired in 2003), and Chiquititas Sin Fin in 2006. Sin Fin was made to celebrate the series' 11th anniversary and later had versions in Portugal and Romania. A video game based on Sin Fin was planned for PS2 and Wii but was later cancelled.

Chiquititas became very popular and was shown in 25 countries. It was even adapted for Brazilian and Mexican audiences. The original series aired from 1995 to 2001. In 2001, a movie called Chiquititas: Rincón de Luz was also released.

Exploring the Story of Chiquititas

Season One – Chiquititas 1995

The story begins with a baby named Milagros, who was taken from her mother, Gabriela, by her wealthy grandfather, Ramiro Morán. He told Gabriela that her baby didn't survive. Ramiro sent Milagros to the "Rincón de Luz" home, which he had created. Mili grew up there with eight other girls, forming a close-knit family. They were looked after by a strict caretaker, Ernestina, and a kind cook, Saverio.

Season One cast, in 1995: Natalia Lobo, Gabriel Corrado, Romina Yan, and the chiquititas.

The children's lives changed when Belén arrived. She lived with her brother Felipe "Piojo" and her friends Leticia and Clarita. Belén met Martín, Ramiro's oldest son, and they fell in love. Ramiro tried to keep them apart because he didn't approve of Belén. Belén and Martín helped Mili search for clues about her past. Gabriela, Mili's mother, was very sad, believing her baby was gone. Mili's presence slowly helped Gabriela feel better, though neither knew they were mother and daughter. Ramiro's sister, Carmen, also wanted his fortune and tried to cause trouble. Ramiro passed away in an accident, and Martín left with Gabriela. Belén later met Dr. Facundo Brausen.

Season Two – Chiquititas 1996

Carmen returned as the home's administrator. Facundo and Belén fell in love. Jimena, one of the girls, insisted that her friends Roña and Corcho be allowed to live at Rincón de Luz, making them the first boys there. Belén eventually became the administrator and also became a mother to Sol after Leticia's passing. Clarita became a dance instructor, and some children were adopted, while new ones joined the family.

Season Three – Chiquititas 1997

Carmen managed to force the children to leave their home. However, a mysterious man named Pedro Vega donated his old mansion to them. Belén and the children found a huge, beautiful, but mysterious mansion with hidden rooms and secret passages. It was inhabited by Elena and her granddaughter Lucia, who was kept hidden. Belén introduced the children to the Magic Window, where they could see their dreams. The children transformed the mansion into a wonderful home. Roña helped Lucia become part of their family.

The children made new friends and discovered first loves. Facundo moved nearby to be closer to Belén and the children. New children, like Mora and Nico, joined the group. However, Facundo's ex-fiancé and Alejo Méndez Ayala tried to cause problems for Belén and the children. Meanwhile, Carmen tried to keep Gabriela and Mili from discovering they were mother and daughter. Belén eventually uncovered Carmen's secrets. Mili was reunited with her mother, Gabriela, and left Rincón de Luz to live with her family. Belén and the children then went on a trip to Walt Disney World.

Season Four – Chiquititas 1998

Belén and the children celebrated, but new challenges arose. Six new children joined the group, including Patricio, a boy with a difficult past. Belén met Manuel, who seemed to be Alejo's kind twin brother. Manuel helped Belén and the children, even softening Patricio's behavior.

Romina Yan and the young cast of Chiquititas, in Season Four.

Jimena was reunited with her mother. Sadly, her mother passed away during an adventure in the jungle, and Jimena got lost. She used her memories and Belén's messages of hope to survive. She befriended a monkey and met Yago, a boy who knew a lot about jungle life. When Jimena was rescued, she brought Yago to the manor. Elena returned, now wealthy, seeking revenge. Belén and Manuel fell in love, and he proposed. At their wedding, Belén discovered that Manuel was actually Alejo in disguise. Heartbroken, she ran away. Alejo had an accident and was badly hurt while following her. Belén cared for him. A strict new administrator, Martirio, took over the home and used harsh rules. Belén and Alejo fought in court to gain custody of the children. They won, and Belén adopted all the children, giving them the Book of Life, where she wrote about their futures.

Season Five – Chiquititas 1999 – A New Beginning

This season was a fresh start for the series. Maria, a little girl living on the streets, found Belén's Book of Life. She believed it would lead her and her friends to a new home. They discovered a large granary inhabited by a kind old man named Joaquín, who welcomed them.

The granary orphans in the fifth season, where the storyline was rebooted. Camila Bordonaba, Benjamin Rojas, Nadia Di Cello, Sebastián Francini and Santiago Stieben, remained in the cast, portraying new roles.

Nearby lived Joaquín's son, Juan Maza, and his seven children. Juan was engaged to Pía Pacheco, who had her own plans. However, their wedding was interrupted by Ana, a sweet woman who arrived in a hot air balloon. Juan instantly fell in love with Ana. Ana, who could see an angel named Anita, noticed the sadness in Juan's children and began to change their lives. Pía became annoyed by Ana's presence and tried to separate them. The granary became a legal home for children. Pía sent some children to a very strict boarding school and tried to separate the others from their new home. Ana and Juan got married. Pía caused a fire at the granary and was lost in it. The children escaped from the strict institution, and Maria had a vision that it was time to find the original Rincón de Luz.

Season Six – Chiquititas 2000 - Journey Back to the Manor

Ana and Juan passed away in a plane accident, and the granary was destroyed. The children, including Felipe, Tali, the Maza children, and the granary orphans, were left without a home. Juanita was so traumatized she couldn't speak. Maria decided it was time to find the original Rincón de Luz from her Book of Life. Following a magic shooting star, they found the old manor. It looked abandoned, but inside it was full of toys and puppets. A spiritual Belén appeared, welcoming them and reminding them to keep dreaming.

The Chiquititas 2000 (Season Six) main cast. This season was aired in Brazil seven years later as a single story, by SBT.

The children discovered that the manor belonged to a mysterious man named Rafael Sander. He had an accident, lost a child, and was injured, living in the shadows of the house. His only companion was Enzo the Valet. Sander eventually allowed the children to stay, hoping one of them might be his lost son. Juanita became his first friend. Paula, Sander's deceased wife's twin sister, arrived with a girl named Olivia, causing more trouble. A brave young woman named Luz arrived at the manor after leaving a difficult job situation. Sander secretly fell in love with her. Luz was determined to help Sander find happiness again. The younger girls found a magical library, and Maria befriended a tiny elf named Tok in a hidden world of elves.

Season Seven – Chiquititas 2001

While Luz, Sander, and Juanita searched for Sander's lost son, the children were left with Enzo. However, a strict woman named Lidia was hired to manage the house. She made their lives difficult. Felipe and Bautista were taken by Paula's helpers and had an accident while trying to escape. Bautista lost his memories. They were rescued by Miki, a kind girl from a difficult home life.

Mili, the original chiquitita, returned to the neighborhood. She remembered her life at the manor and Belén's lessons. Mili decided to help the children, who were struggling under Lidia's rules. She joined the manor as a "rigorous" janitor named Greta to deceive Lidia. Mili received help from Enzo, his brother Renzo, and the bar owner Ramiro. She revealed her true identity to the children, but only Maria believed her at first. Lidia tried to send the children back to a strict institution and tied up Ramiro and Mili. Ramiro escaped and freed Mili. As the children struggled against the guards, Bautista recovered his memories while saving Luisana. Mili, Ramiro, and the children were reunited. Lidia, even after being arrested, threatened to destroy the manor. Ramiro rushed to evacuate everyone. After everyone seemed safe, Tali realized Agustín was missing, and Mili went back to rescue him. As they ran out, the manor was damaged. Mili told Lidia that their home would always exist as long as the chiquititas stayed together. A white light appeared in the sky, revealing Belén, who said that Rincón de Luz would always live in their dreams and in love. The manor magically began to rebuild itself, and the original orphans from Mili's time reappeared. Maria passed the Book of Life to other children, ending the story with a message to always keep dreaming.

Behind the Scenes of Chiquititas

The series first aired on August 7, 1995. It took over the time slot of another popular show, Jugate Conmigo. Some actors from Jugate, like Luciano Castro and Romina Yan, were part of the first season. The show started like a traditional TV drama, with both adult and young actors. Over the years, especially from the third season in 1997, the stories focused more on the young characters, and magical elements were added.

Actress Agustina Cherri played Mili, the young main character among the orphans. Romina Yan auditioned for the role of Belén Fraga and was chosen. Chiquititas was known for its unique serialized format, which was not common for TV dramas at the time. Each season had many episodes, with the final season being the shortest. The seventh season brought back Agustina Cherri as a grown-up Mili.

Romina Yan left the series in 1998. The storyline was then rebooted in 1999 (Season Five) with new characters and a new setting. Some young actors from earlier seasons, like Guillermo Santa Cruz and Camila Bordonaba, remained in new roles. In 2000 (Season Six), the story returned to the Rincón de Luz manor, where the series concluded in 2001.

Each season of Chiquititas had its own soundtrack album, with three extra albums also released. All the songs were composed by Carlos Nilson and Cris Morena. Actors like Felipe Colombo, Luisana Lopilato, Camila Bordonaba, and Benjamin Rojas were introduced in later seasons. They later became well-known for their roles in Rebelde Way, another popular Argentine TV series created by Cris Morena.

Live Stage Shows

From the second year onwards, live stage shows were held annually at the Teatro Gran Rex theatre. These shows, written and directed by Cris Morena, featured the entire cast of each season. The fourth year's performances set a record for the most tickets ever sold at that theatre. During the Season Five shows in 1999, a fire caused by an electrical issue damaged part of the stage. The audience was disappointed, and tickets were not refunded. Between 1996 and 2000, over a million people in Argentina watched the Chiquititas live shows.

Why the Show Ended

Chiquititas ended due to disagreements about the show's future between Cris Morena and the new head of the Telefe TV channel. In its seventh and final season, the show changed from airing daily to once a week on Sundays. Its original daily time slot was filled by a retrospective show called Chiquititas: la historia, which looked back at previous seasons. Cris Morena then moved to another channel, Canal 9, where she created Rincón de Luz, a new series with a similar concept. The show had to be renamed because the title Chiquititas belonged to Telefe.

Rincón de Luz (The 2003 Series)

Rincón de Luz is a 2003 TV series created by Cris Morena for the Argentine channel Canal 9. This show shared a similar concept and some actors with her previous series, Chiquititas. However, she could not use the original title due to legal reasons.

The show starred popular singer Soledad Pastorutti and Guido Kaczka (who had played Piojo in the first four seasons of Chiquititas). While it didn't reach the same level of popularity as the first Chiquititas, it was very successful in Israel. The entire cast even visited Tel Aviv for a series of concerts. Cris Morena had stated that she would continue producing the spirit of Chiquititas, even if under a different name, because for her, it was "more than a title."