Trivia / Saramandaia

• All-Star Cast: The remake featured names such as Lilia Cabral, Tarcísio Meira, Débora Bloch, Matheus Nachtergaele (O Auto da Compadecida), Marcos Palmeira, Vera Holtz and Fernanda Montenegro (Central Station).
  • The original version is no slouch either, featuring Ary Fontoura, Dina Sfat, Antônio Fagundes and Sônia Braga.
• Acting for Two: Wilza Carla did both Dona Redonda and her twin sister, Bitela in 1976. Vera Holtz did the same in 2013.
  • In the remake, José Mayer plays Zico Rosado and all his ancestors (when they appear in Professor Aristóbulo's pre-candidature to mayor video for Bole-Bole's Party).
• The Cast Show Off: Sônia Braga, who played Marcina in the original version also sung her character's theme song, Eu sou o Estopim.
• Creator's Favorite Telenovela: The author, Dias Gomes, said in his autobiography that Saramandaia was the novela he had the biggest pleasure in writing, although it wasn't his best produced one, due to the lack of developed special effects.
• Dawson Casting: In the remake, Laura Neiva and Pedro Tergolina were respectively 20 and 22 years old while playing the teenagers Stela and Tiago.
  • In the original version, Teresa Cristina Arnaud (25 years old) and Pedro Paulo Rangel (28 years old) playing those same characters.
• Defictionalization: The Saramandaia drink was actually produced by Hofer S.A. in Brazil during the 1976 version.
• Enforced Method Acting: Castro Gonzaga, the actor who portrayed Zico Rosado in the original version, had to act with real Saúva ants on his face, due to special effects constraints.
• Genre Popularizer: Saramandaia is a benchmark of Magical Realism in Brazilian television, influencing various other works in the medium of Telenovelas.
• On-Set Injury: In the original version, Pedro Paulo Rangel fell and broke his leg, thus he always had to do his scenes laying against something.
• Playing Their Own Twin: Wilza Carla and Vera Holtz.
• Pop-Culture Urban Legends: That Globo lost all but twenty chapters of the original version of the telenovela (out of 160), that's why it isn't rerun or in their streaming catalogue.
• Real Song Theme Tune: In the 1976 version, the opening song was Pavão Mysteriozo, by the singer Ednardo.
  • Professor Aristóbulo's theme song in the original song was Canção da Meia-noite, sung by the band Almôndegas.
  • Se Não For Amor Eu Cegue, by Lenine, is attributed to Professor Aristóbulo and Risoleta in the remake's soundtrack. However, the song was never played in the telenovela.
• What Could Have Been: In the remake, João Gibão was supposed to be played by Wagner Moura. Later, José Mayer (who played Zico Rosado) was considered as well.
  • Saramandaia wasn't the only option for a remake in 2013: Globo also considered remaking either Baila Comigo (1981, written by Manoel Carlos) or Dancin' Days (1978, written by Gilberto Braga).