In Lleida, Xavier Bertran has brought back Lo Cartanyà for a three-episode special on 3Cat, 20 years after the comedy first premiered. The series, set in a fictional town in the province of Lleida, returns with its original characters and shows what has happened to them since their last appearance on Catalan public television.
Bertran, who is the actor, screenwriter and creator behind the character, spoke to SEGRE ahead of his appearance at the 45th Aplec del Caragol. He described the return as very beautiful and said he was pleased with the audience response and with how the series has been received again.
The new episodes have been promoted on social media, something that was not part of the original run. Bertran highlighted the work of influencer Postureig de Lleida, saying he has done cultural revitalisation with humour for years, and that this fits the spirit of Lo Cartanyà. More Catalonia news
Lo Cartanyà was notable for using the Lleida dialect, which sparked debate about accent and linguistic representation on television. Bertran said it was the first fiction series made in Lleida Catalan, and argued that standard Catalan should not erase the dialectal richness found across Catalonia. He also said fiction can help preserve local vocabulary and accents, and noted that the series was studied at the University of Lleida as a case study on language and society in Catalan fiction.
The character first appeared in Set de Notícies, a humorous news programme from 2001. Bertran developed the role while working as a screenwriter, and later saw that it could support its own sitcom. He said TV3 backed the idea at a time when series such as Plats Bruts and Jet Lag were also finding an audience.
Bertran said the idea for the special came to him in late 2024, when he realised 2025 would mark 20 years since the series began. He wanted to revisit the characters, thank the audience and crew, and introduce the show to younger viewers through 3Cat. He said the series has aged very well, and that filming again felt like a direct bridge to the past.
The new episodes include a fictional son for Lo Cartanyà, a role cast after auditions in Balaguer institutes, with Martí Antoni Joan chosen for the part. They also include current cultural references from Ponent, including the music group Sexenni. Bertran said these details help keep the series authentic, and that the character now has a life of his own in the collective memory.