Antiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom and appraise antiques brought in by local residents. It has been running since 1979. [1] There are also international versions of the popular programme.

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History

The series began as a 1977 BBC documentary about a London auction house doing a tour of the West Country in England. The pilot roadshow was recorded in Hereford on 17 May 1977 presented by Badgerwatch presenter Bruce Parker and Going for a Song antiques expert Arthur Negus as well as the cabaret dancer Lily Brazier. The pilot was so successful that it was transmitted and the format has remained almost unchanged ever since. In the original BBC series, various towns or famous places are advertised as venues. The show has since visited a number of other countries (including Canada in 2001 and Australia in 2005) and has been imitated by other TV production companies around the world.

In the United Kingdom, annual children's Christmas specials aired from 1991 until 2006. These specials aired under the title Antiques Roadshow: The Next Generation (except for the 1991 edition, which was titled Antiques Roadshow Going Live ) and used a specially reworked version of the regular theme music. However there was no children's special in 2007; instead an edition was given over to "antiques of the future" dating from the 1950s to the present day.

A spin-off series, 20th Century Roadshow , focusing on modern collectables, aired between April and June 2005. It was hosted by Alan Titchmarsh.

Two other spin-off series, Antiques Roadshow Gems (1991) and Priceless Antiques Roadshow (2009), revisited items from the show's history and provided background information on the making of the show and interviews with the programme's experts.

The most valuable item to ever appear on the show featured on 16 November 2008. This was an original 1990s maquette of the Angel of the North sculpture by Antony Gormley, owned by Gateshead Council, which was valued at £1m by Philip Mould ^[2]. The second most expensive item ever evaluated a vase bought at a car boot sale in Dumfries for £1 was identified as a valuable Feuilles Fougères and later sold at auction for £32,450 ^[3].

Format

Local people bring along their possessions to be evaluated for authenticity and interest (especially related to the venue) and an approximate valuation is given. Often, the professional evaluators give a rather in-depth historical, craft, or artistic context to the antique, adding a very strong cultural element to the show. This increases the show’s appeal to people interested in the study of the past or some particular crafts, or certain arts, regardless of the monetary value of the objects. At the core though the focus of the production is on the interplay between the owner and the evaluator.

There is a spin-off magazine called , which gives fans an inside look at the show as well as offering special features about antiques and collectibles from the series itself.

Hosts

Antiques Roadshow has been hosted by Bruce Parker (1979), Angela Rippon (1979), Arthur Negus (1979–1983), Hugh Scully (1981–2000) and Michael Aspel (2000–2007). Fiona Bruce took over at the beginning of the 2008 series. ^[4]

Experts

Many experts in the various fields of antiques appear on the show either regularly or intermittently. For example:

• Philip Mould is the leading specialist in British portraiture. He is well known for his numerous discoveries in the area of early British art.
• Eric Knowles, ceramics
• Rupert Maas is an art critic with a particular interest in Impressionist and Pre-Raphalite painting
• Henry Sandon and his son John are the porcelain experts.
• A regular expert in silver is Alastair Dickenson.
• Geoffrey Munn features regularly looking at jewelry.
• Bunny Campione is the ‘miscellaneous’ expert.
• Art expert Peter Nahum appeared on the show from 1981 to 2002.
• John Bly speaks on furniture of all ages.
• Lars Tharp looks at pottery of all ages.
• David Battie has a particular interest in and knowledge of Japanese and Chinese artifacts.
• Paul Atterbury is a journalist with an interest in art and design of the 20th century.
• Hilary Kay, an expert on all types of toys.
• Jon Baddeley, an expert on nautical antiques.
• Tim Wonnacott, fine and decorative arts.

Episode locations

Episodes are usually filmed during the spring and summer and aired the following autumn and winter (into the following year). Each episode is filmed at a different location, although some locations feature in two episodes.

International versions

United States

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American public broadcaster PBS created a similar show in 1997. (PBS also airs the original BBC series, though it is called Antiques Roadshow UK to differentiate it from its own version.) The American version of Antiques Roadshow'' is produced by WGBH, a broadcast station in Boston, Massachusetts.

The American version has been hosted by Chris Jussel (1997–2000), Dan Elias (2001–2003), Lara Spencer (2004–2005), and Mark L. Walberg (2005–).

Notable appraisers include Leigh and Leslie Keno, who appraise furniture and folk art, as well as Rudy Franchi, who works with collectibles and pop culture and Gary Sohmers, an appraiser of collectibles, pop culture and toys.

In 2005 PBS introduced Antiques Roadshow FYI , a sister series to Antiques Roadshow . The weekly half-hour show, hosted by Lara Spencer with correspondent Clay Reynolds, provides information on items shown on previous episodes of Antiques Roadshow , as well as additional information on antiques and collecting.

Four items are recognized as the most valuable item featured on the American Antiques Roadshow .

• In a record for the show, four pieces of Chinese carved jade and celadon from the Chien Lung Dynasty (1736-1795), including a large bowl crafted for the Emperor, were given a conservative auction estimate of up to $1.07 million. ^[5]
• A 1937 Clyfford Still oil painting, valued conservatively at $500,000, making it the second most valuable find ever appraised on the series, the episode is scheduled to debut on the first episode of its 13th season on January 5, 2009. ^{[6] [7]}
• A Navajo blanket valued at between $350,000 and $500,000, appeared in Tucson, Arizona, in 2002. ^[8]
• An unsigned painting originally believed to be by 19th-century marine artist James E. Buttersworth valued at between $250,000 and $500,000, but turned out to be by Antonio Jacobsen and sold at auction for $281,000, appeared on the 10th season premiere episode filmed in Tampa, Florida, in June 2005. ^[9]

Australia

In 2005 part of the BBC team visited Australia and produced 6 x 1 hour-long episodes in conjunction with The LifeStyle Channel (XYZnetworks). These were titled Antiques Roadshow Australia . A special was also made about the visit to Australia, entitled Antiques Roadshow Australia: Behind the Scenes .

Canada

A Canadian version — called Canadian Antiques Roadshow — debuted in January 2005 on CBC Television and CBC Newsworld. It is hosted by Valerie Pringle. The show has also been aired on CBC Country Canada. - Most expensive item: O’Neil's "Eastward Ho!" oil on canvas. Recommended insurance: $500000 CDN, later sold at Southebys London for 164,800 British pounds ($412000 CDN).

Finland

The Finnish version, known as Antiikkia, antiikkia has been running on YLE TV1 since 1997. The main host is Wenzel Hagelstam.

Germany

In Germany, various versions are broadcast regularly on the public regional channels of Das Erste, notable the eldest being the BR production Kunst und Krempel (in English: Art and Junk ), which came into being in 1987. Other formats include Lieb & teuer (in English: Near & Dear ), shown on NDR, Kitsch oder Kunst? , shown on HR (in English: Kitsch or Art? ) or echt antik?! , shown on SWR (in English: Genuinely Antique?! ).

The Netherlands

Since 1984 a version has also been aired in the Netherlands under the name Tussen Kunst & Kitsch , (in English: Between Art & Kitsch ). Also shown on the public broadcaster, the programme is usually set in a museum in the Netherlands or sometimes in Belgium and Germany. It has become so popular through the years that even specials have been made. The experts take the viewers on a "cultural-art-trip" to places of great importance in the history of art.

Sweden

The Swedish version started out as co-production between SVT Malmö and the BBC where the Antiques Roadshow would visit Scandinavia for two programmes. Antikrundan , its Swedish title, premiered in August 1989 on TV2. Since then, Antikrundan , has been shown on SVT every year.

As of 2006, 17 seasons have been shown and most of the experts have been with the programme since the start. Jesper Aspegren and Anne Lundberg were the original hosts. Aspegren left in 1999.

DVD

A DVD entitled Priceless Antiques Roadshow, presented by Fiona Bruce and featuring highlights from 30 years of the series is being released by Acorn Media UK on 5 October 2009

References

1. BBC - Cult - Classic TV - BBC - Title Sequences - The Antiques Roadshow
2. "Antiques Roadshow's Highest Valuation Ever", BBC on YouTube, accessed on 25/08/2009
3. McVeigh, Tracy Revealed: £1m find by BBC's antiques expert, ''The Observer'', accessed 25/09/2009
4. Bruce to host Antiques Roadshow
5. First $1 million find for U.S. Antiques Roadshow
6. LADY'S SUDDEN 'OIL' FORTUNE
7. ANTIQUES ROADSHOW Debuts Its Lucky 13th Season
8. 1870s Navajo Blanket
9. Marine Score