Àngel Llàcer seeks "the most Catalan Catalan in Catalonia"

Barcelona20,000 euros. This is the prize that the 100 contestants of I am and I will be, TV3's new format for Wednesday nights. The program, which premieres this week at 10:05 p.m., aims to find the person who knows the most about Catalan culture and traditions. The competition is hosted by theater director, actor, and presenter Àngel Llàcer, one of the masterminds behind the format's creation. "I really like making cultural programs that entertain, and this time we invented a format in which we look for the Catalan man or woman who knows the most about Catalonia. Or, as I joke, the most Catalan Catalan in Catalonia," Llàcer explained this Saturday to Collapse.

This is not the first cultural entertainment program that Llàcer has made on TV3 –he previously made The Wolf and The Punctual–, but it is the first television adventure after serious health problems that made people fear for his life"Just a year ago I was in the hospital and the program was the first one I recorded after leaving. For me it was very exciting, because it was my return to work, when I thought I would be out of work for much longer. But I worked really hard and in November I was already presenting the program, which is very emotional," Llà recalled. The presenter assures that the filming also posed a physical challenge because all the episodes were recorded at the Hostalric castle and He was still limping due to the infection he suffered.

How will the contest work?

The first season of I am and I will be The program will have six episodes, in which contestants will face tests related to all kinds of subjects, from geography to language, music, gastronomy, and popular culture. These are issues that particularly interest Llàcer, who emphasizes that "it's very important not to give up on these things because they are part of our DNA and our lives." The presenter confesses that there was one test he was particularly excited to do: "One of my obsessions was that I wanted to do a dictation on the show, and in the end we managed to get two people, one representing each team, to do a dictation."

The mechanics are clear: each episode will have two team tests; the first will be to gain a strategic advantage, and the second will be the dreaded elimination challenge, which will eliminate the entire losing team. And so, test after test, only the most complete, fastest, and most resilient will reach the grand finale. The goal is that out of 100 contestants, only one will remain: the one who knows the most about Catalan culture. In the first episode, for example, the contestants will face a geographical challenge and a choral test, and half will be eliminated. The contestants will gradually leave the program, and only five will make it to the grand finale, two of whom will be the finalists. The winner will raise the flag and receive 20,000 euros. TV3 explains that the recording of the program involved the contestants living together, and although it is not shown on air, it does affect any relationships between participants.

In their journey to demonstrate their extensive knowledge of Catalan culture, the contestants will have the support of famous figures, who will visit Hostalric Castle to witness their victories or defeats. Some of the popular figures who will attend the cultural duel are Elena Gadel, Arnau Paris, Mercedes Sampietro, Juan Pera and Manu Guix.

The contestants won't be the only ones who will have the opportunity to answer questions about Catalan culture. The program has been designed so that viewers also feel involved. In this sense, I am and I will be will have a second life on social media, where an interactive Trivial game will be launched that everyone can use to test themselves.