Fantástico debuted on August 5, 1973 in black-and-white and began as a variety show featuring music, dance numbers, tele theater,[1] humorous sketches and some news as well.

Topics for each show vary, some are political, some involve scandals, the environment, crime, science, health, sports, religion, international news or a combination.

In 2011, the Brazilian actors Otávio Muller and Heloísa Périssé play "Lolô" and "Tavinho", and Ingrid Guimarães presents the fictional supermodel "Leandra Borges".

Among them, the actress and singer Demi Lovato performed on stage with some hits acoustically as "Really Don't Care" and "Neon Lights", aired on May 4, 2014.

Since April 2010, the opening sequences were altered to run for 30 seconds: images of DNA, stars, waterfalls, schools, plant, among others are shown.

In 2014, a new version of the credits was broadcast, which included French model and dancer Cathy Ematchoua, featuring her dancing on a grey background, though this was short-lived.

Since August 5, 2018, the program sequences opened with dancers invoking natural elements with the new graphics, this time in chroma key.

Even being an allusion to the original title, this program brings memorable music videos from the 1980s and 1990s, and now is reprising the following Destino Fantástico (Fantastic Destiny) of 2005/06, which shows the scenery and interesting things of the Brazilian territory.

[11] Fantástico was nominated for Best Web Hit at the 2010 MTV Video Music Brazil, due to host Zeca Camargo being filmed yawning, live, when the show returned from commercials on June 6, 2010.