Xavier Lopez, an 80-year-old Mexican TV icon who has entertained generations of kids by performing weekly as a perpetually youthful character named "Chabelo," says it is time to put away childish things.

Univison has announced that the last episode of “En Familia con Chabelo” will air on Dec. 20, 2015.

The news that Chabelo would no longer be on television comes after weeks of rumors that the show, which has been going strong for nearly 50 years, would soon come to an end.

"En Familia con Chabelo," which first aired in 1968 and was preceded by a radio version,
remains the longest running children's show on television.

Addressing his fans via video, Lopez said, "Everything in life has a cycle, a beginning and an end.”

The veteran actor/producer thanked the people that initially supported his show as well as his sponsors, his on-screen companions and the guests that have participated in the series over the years. Lopez recalled how, when his show first made the jump to TV in the late 1960s, few believed that it would survive, yet due to the efforts of dedicated fans the program has made history.

Lopez expressed his gratitude to the viewers who had over the decades let him into their homes each Sunday morning.

An all around entertainer, Lopez has made movies, TV shows, gone on tours, acted in plays and recorded albums. As El Grafico reports, Lopez was awarded a Guinness record for his years of portraying his Chabelo character.

Despite his advanced age, Lopez never ceased appearing in his overalls and still speaks to audiences with a child-like voice. His persona as an overgrown and impish kid has inspired multiple MEMES parodying or paying tribute to his man-child character.

Lopez may be retiring his character but he is not actually retiring from show business. He is reportedly working on a new project. But whatever this new project will be has yet to be announced.