Antiques Roadshow Totally Explained

Everything about Antiques Roadshow totally explained

Antiques Roadshow is a British human interest 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. There are also international versions of the popular programme.

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 May 17 1977 presented by Badgerwatch presenter Bruce Parker and Going for a Song antiques expert Arthur Negus. The pilot was so successful 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, an annual children's Christmas special has become a tradition. These specials, first broadcast in 1991, air under the title Antiques Roadshow: The Next Generation and use 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.

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 Antiques Roadshow Insider

, 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–present). Aspel retired from the programme in 2007, and was replaced by Fiona Bruce starting with the 2008 series.

International versions

United States

American public broadcaster PBS created a similar show in 1997. (PBS also airs the original BBC series, though it's 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 and Rudy Franchi who works with collectibles and pop culture.
   In 2005 PBS introduced a sister series to Antiques Roadshow: Antiques Roadshow FYI. The weekly half-hour show, again 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.
   Three items are recognized as the most valuable item featured on the American Antiques Roadshow.

A Navajo blanket valued at between $350,000 and $500,000, appeared in Tucson, Arizona, in 2002..
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 $288,000, appeared on the 10th season premiere episode filmed in Tampa, Florida in June 2005.
A mid-16th-century Milanese parade helmet crafted from a single sheet of metal and then highlighted with gold, estimated to be worth at least $250,000. A fourth item, which was appraised at one million dollars, was a collection of signatures of every presidential cabinet member from the Washington administration to Franklin Roosevelt. The owner of the collection declined to appear on the show.

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.

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.

Australia

In 2005 part of the BBC team visited Australia and produced 6 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.

Trivia

In an episode of the BBC crime drama Lovejoy, the protagonist ( Ian McShane) appears on the UK Roadshow.

Further Information

Get more info on 'Antiques Roadshow'.

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