The Polònia is twenty years old. And it has merit: as things stand, it is very difficult for a TV3 program to reach twenty years. The proof of its power is the massive attendance of politicians at the anniversary gala that was held this Monday and will be broadcast on Thursday. Two decades that confirm Polònia as a television classic, because it combines media, cultural and symbolic factors that make it unique and, at the same time, turn it into a benchmark.On the one hand, there is longevity. It has survived seven presidents of the Generalitat. All seven have had the temptation to get rid of it, but the cost of making it disappear would have been much greater than the wear and tear of appearing parodied on it. Another key element, the audience, has guaranteed its relevance and, therefore, its survival. It is a program loved by viewers, who, in these twenty years, have seen television go from traditional consumption to the viralization of sketches through social networks. The medium has transformed more than the program.The Polònia has been a turning point as a television format. There were sketch comedy programs before and there have been since. But Polònia has managed to create a language and codes that have given it a very recognizable personality. Any circumstance of political current affairs that enters the realm of the grotesque is automatically identified with the humor of the program. "That looks like a sketch from "Polònia", we say when reality surpasses fiction. This is a symptom of its ability to leave a social mark. Furthermore, its scriptwriters have created a universe of phrases, musical themes and characters that show that the program has contributed to strengthening the imaginary of pop culture in Catalonia.The format has also transcended its own protagonists. Not even Toni Soler has been essential for the program's continuity. Polònia has strengthened thestar-system of actors with multiple actors and actresses who have seen their professional careers boosted thanks to the program. And, on the other hand, the political satire space has devoured another star-system, the media one, to pass it through its shredder. From Basté to Ustrell, from Cuní to Cruanyes, from Terribas to Rahola, from Tomàs Molina to Raquel Sans, Polònia has known how to play with autochthonous references and draw a symbolic universe.
Twenty years of political satire are also a very privileged alternative chronicle of the country. The program allows us to reread the last twenty years of history, which have also been quite turbulent. In the sketches, we have been able to interpret, between the lines, what the news often could not explain. Polònia has managed to handle humor even with a good part of the Government in prison or in exile. The spirit of Franco, perhaps a little too friendly, has served to remind us that what it represents is not as dead as we thought. Revisiting old sketches gives a perspective of what we have lived through. A humorous portrait of who we are as a country.
