Synopsis
What was the origin of the Catalan nation? The demand for sovereignty goes back to the 9th century, the beginning of a crucial period in our history, which finally comes to television with Counts. This docu-series tells of the process undertaken by the first Catalan counts to achieve independence from the Carolingian empire. Written by Carles Porta and Albert Sánchez Piñol and directed by Porta, the series reconstructs with strict historical accuracy the reigns of four counts who succeeded one another chronologically: Wilfred the Hairy, Wilfred Borrell, Sunyer I and Borrell II.
They are each featured in turn in the four 30-minute episodes presented by the actress Marta Marco, in which dramatic fiction is combined with the testimony of a wide range of historians to provide context on the period and help interpret the facts.
In Counts, viewers will travel back to a highly politically charged period marked by power struggles. They will discover the personalities and legacies of a dynasty of fascinating characters: the honourable Wilfred the Hairy, founder of the House of Barcelona and the first Count to pass the title to his children without the permission of the Carolingian king; the prudent Wilfred Borrell, who consolidated the sovereignty of the County of Barcelona against Franks and Saracens; the ambitious Sunyer I, a great warrior and strategist, who expanded the counties and created State structures to control the territory; and, finally, Borrell II, who with the vision of a statesman, brought the Catalan counties together, made Barcelona great, and declared independence from the Frankish king.
The series is a production by La Xarxa de Comunicació Local made by Antàrtida Produccions. It begins on Wednesday, 27 December, on local television channels and Channel 159 of Movistar+. A different episode will be broadcast every day until Saturday 30 December. After each episode there will be a conversation between historians to complement the story told, including the most important details of the period and the series.