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Antiques Roadshow

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the U.S. version, seeAntiques Roadshow (American TV program).

Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow title logo
Created byBBC Studios
Starring
Theme music composer
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No.of series46
No.of episodes866(list of episodes)
Production
Running time60 minutes
Production companyBBC StudiosFactual Entertainment Productions
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release18 February 1979(1979-02-18)–
present

Antiques Roadshowis aBritishtelevision programmebroadcast by theBBCin whichantiquesappraiserstravel to various regions of theUnited Kingdom(and occasionally in other countries) to appraise antiques brought in by local people (generally speaking). It has been running since 1979, based on a 1977documentaryprogramme.[1]

The series has spawned many international versions throughout Europe, North America and other countries with the sameTV format.The programme is hosted byFiona Bruceand in 2024 was in its 46th series.[2]

History

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Paul Atterburyexamines an antiquecricket bat

The programme began as a BBC documentary that aired in 1977, about aLondonauction housedoing a tour of theWest CountryinEngland.The pilot roadshow was recorded inHerefordon 17 May 1977 and presented by contributorBruce Parker,a presenter of the news/current affairs programmeNationwide,and antiques expertArthur Negus,who had previously worked on a similarly themed show, calledGoing for a Song.The pilot was so successful that it was transmitted and the format has remained almost unchanged ever since, though fewer and fewer antiques are featured in recent series, being replaced with Lego, Barbie Dolls, modern ceramics, Star Wars and other film memorabilia. Negus appeared onAntiques Roadshowuntil 1983. In the original BBC programme, various towns or famous places are advertised as venues. The show has since visited a number of other countries (including Canada in 2001 andAustraliain 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, under the titleAntiques Roadshow: The Next Generation(except for the 1991 edition, which was titledAntiques 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 devoted to "antiques of the future" dating from the 1950s to the present day. Since then individually themed specials have been aired, though not every year.

A spin-off programme,20th Century Roadshow,focusing on modern collectibles, aired between April and June 2005. It was hosted byAlan Titchmarsh.Two other spin-off programmes,Antiques Roadshow Gems(1991) andPriceless Antiques Roadshow(2009–10), 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 1990smaquetteof theAngel of the Northsculpture byAntony Gormley,owned byGateshead Council,which was valued at £1,000,000 by Philip Mould.[3]Glassware expert Andy McConnell later valued a collection of chandeliers at seven million pounds (their actual insurance value), noting as he did so that this beat Mould's record; however these were fixtures of the building in which the show was being filmed (Bath Assembly Rooms) rather than an item that had been brought in. In reality, the two most expensive objects to be sold as a result of being discovered on the show are the 1932[4]camera found by Marc Allum, which realised over $600,000 (US) in 2013 and the Christofle et Cie Japonismejardinierefilmed byEric Knowles,which sold for £668,450 (including buyers premium).

Conversely, many items brought before the experts are without commercial value, if not outrightcounterfeits.They are seldom shown in the broadcast episodes, to spare embarrassment for the individuals involved,[5]although counterfeit objects are sometimes included, to give experts an opportunity to explain the difference between real and fake items. Value is not the only criterion for inclusion; items with aninteresting storyattached, or of aprovenancerelevant to the show's location, will often be featured regardless of value. Items directly related toThe Holocaustmay have their stories featured, but are not given valuations. An episode commemorating the end of theFirst World Warand featuring personal mementoes, included no valuations. All items are appraised, although most appraisals take place off-camera, with only the most promising items (around 50 on an average day) being filmed, of which about 20 appear in the final programme.[citation needed]

The Artist's Halt in the Desert by Moonlight,watercolour, byRichard Dadd

Some significant items have been acquired by museums after being sold once their owners were appraised of their true value. An example is the watercolour paintingThe Artist's Halt in the DesertbyRichard Dadd,discovered and shown byPeter Nahumin 1986 and purchased the next year by theBritish Museum[6]for £100,000.[7]Another such item, later dubbed "Ozzy the Owl", is aStaffordshireslipwarejug, valued byHenry Sandonon a 1990 show at £20,000 to £30,000,[7]and subsequently acquired byPotteries Museum & Art Gallery.[8]

The original theme music wasBach'sBrandenburg Concerto No. 3(for several years in aMoog synthesiserversion byWendy Carlos), but was changed in the early 1990s to an original piece. This theme was written byPaul Readeand Tim Gibson and published by Air Edel.[9]

In March 2023, for an edition fromEden Projectin Cornwall, the guest wasCamilla, Queen Consort.[10]

Format

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Visitors (predominantly from the area being visited by the show) bring along their possessions to beevaluatedforauthenticityand interest (especially related to the venue) and an approximate valuation is given. The production team selects the items whose appraisal is to be televised. Often, the professional evaluators give a rather in-depth historical, craft, or artistic context to the item, 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.[citation needed]At the core, however, the focus of the production is on the interplay between the owner and the evaluator.

Presenters

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Antiques Roadshowhas been hosted by:

Programme experts for 2021/2022

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See also:List of Antiques Roadshow episodes

Antiques Roadshowhas a team of experts numbering over 60. Many have areas of speciality, some of them are long tenuring experts on the programme.[12]

Arms and militaria

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  • Bill Harriman
  • Runjeet Singh
  • Mark Smith
  • Robert Tilney

Books and manuscripts

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  • Justin Croft
  • Clive Farahar
  • Matthew Haley
  • Rupert Powell
  • Fuchsia Voremberg

Ceramics and glass

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Clocks and watches

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  • Alastair Chandler
  • Richard Price
  • Ben Wright

Furniture

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Jewellery

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Miscellaneous

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Pictures and prints

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Silver

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Locations

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Episodes

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Main article:List of Antiques Roadshow episodes

Episodes are usually filmed during the spring and summer and aired the following autumn and winter (into the following year). Each location visited is covered by one or two (exceptionally even three) episodes.

International versions

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Australia

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In 2005, part of the BBC team visitedAustraliaand produced six one-hour episodes in conjunction withThe LifeStyle Channel(XYZnetworks). These were titledAntiques Roadshow Australia.[16]A special was also made about the visit to Australia, entitledAntiques Roadshow Australia: Behind the Scenes.

Belgium

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InFlanders,VTMhas been broadcasting a local version,[17]calledRijker dan je denkt?(Richer than you thought?) since 2012, which is hosted byStaf Coppens.

Canada

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Eastward Ho!(1857) by Henry Nelson O'Neil was appraised onCanadian Antiques Roadshow

InCanada,Canadian Antiques Roadshow– a programme based on the British and American versions[18]- debuted in January 2005 onCBC TelevisionandCBC Newsworldand ran until 2009. The show has also been aired onCBC Country Canada.It was hosted byValerie Pringle.

The most expensive item featured wasHenry Nelson O'Neil's "Eastward Ho!"oil on canvas.Recommended insurance: CDN$500,000, later sold atSotheby'sinLondonfor £164,800 (about CDN$300,000 at the 2008 exchange rate).

Finland

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TheFinnishversion, known asAntiikkia, antiikkia,[19](Antiques, antiques), has been running onYLE TV1since 1997.

Germany

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InGermany,various versions are broadcast regularly on the public regional channels of theARD,the oldest being theBRproductionKunst und Krempel(Art and Junk), airing since 1985. Other versions includeLieb & teuer(Near & dear), shown onNDR,Kitsch oder Kunst?(Kitschor Art?), shown onHR,andEcht Antik?!(Genuinely antique?!), shown onSWR.

Netherlands

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The showTussen Kunst & Kitsch(Between Art & Kitsch) has been running in theNetherlandssince 1984.[20]First shown onAVRO,the programme is usually set in a museum somewhere in the Netherlands, sometimes inBelgiumand Germany. Due to its popularity, special episodes have been made in which the experts take the viewers on "cultural art excursions" to places of great importance in the history of art.

In 2011, a painting ofJoost van Geelwith the titleHet Kantwerkstertje(The Little Lacemaker) was discovered with an estimated value of 250,000 euros, the highest-appraised item on the show.[21]The programme has been presented byCees van Drongelen(1984–2002),Nelleke van der Krogt(2002–2015), andFrits Sissing(2015-), and it celebrated its 30th series in 2014.

Sweden

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Main article:Antikrundan

TheSwedishversion started out as a co-production betweenSVTMalmöand the BBC, whoseAntiques RoadshowvisitedScandinaviafor two programmes.[22]Antikrundan(Antiques Round), itsSwedishversion, premiered in August 1989 onTV2,and SVT has produced a new season every year since.

As of 2019, 30 seasons have been shown and most of the experts have been with the programme since its start.Jesper Aspegrenwas the original host. He left in 2000, and from the 2001 season onwards, Antikrundan has been hosted byAnne Lundberg.

The BBC original is also run on Swedish television, under the nameEngelska Antikrundan("English [sic] Antiques Round ").

United States

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Main article:Antiques Roadshow (U.S. TV program)

Americanpublic broadcasterPBScreated a show in 1997 inspired by the Antiques Roadshow.[23]The American version ofAntiques Roadshowis produced byWGBH,a PBS member station inBoston, Massachusetts.Mark Walbergis host andMarsha Bemkois executive producer.

PBS also airs the original BBC programme, though it is calledAntiques Roadshow UKto differentiate it from the PBS version. Values of items in United States dollars are often superimposed over thepound sterlingvalues given in the original broadcast.

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Specials

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Main article:List of Antiques Roadshow episodes § Specials

Overseas specials

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Hugh Scully hosted aBeaulieubased show on 3 January 1993,[24]aJamaicanbased show on 14 February 1993,[25]aCorkbased show on 13 February 1994[26]and aBrusselsbased show on 16 April 1995,[27]all on the BBC.

Antiques Roadshow Detectives

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Fiona Bruce together with individualAntiques Roadshowappraisers investigate the history of significant items, uncovering the stories that form the history of family heirlooms and finding out about their origin and authenticity.[28]

Broadcasts

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This one-season programme was broadcast in 2015 and comprises 15 episodes.[29]

In Sweden it was shown on SVT in Autumn 2018 under the name ofEngelska Antikrundan: Arvegodsens hemligheter("English Round of Antiques: The Secrets of the Heirlooms").[citation needed]

Reception

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Ellen E Jones ofThe Independentcalled the first episode, about aCromwellianescutcheon,"a welcome addition to the schedules".[30]

Literature

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Magazines

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The BBC published a monthlyHomes & Antiquesmagazine until 2011, which offered behind-the-scenes insights intoAntiques Roadshow,as well as offering tips and advice on buying and evaluating antiques.[31]This magazine still exists, now published byImmediatesince 2015.[32]

There is also a spin-off magazine of the American version of the show calledAntiques Roadshow Insider,which gives fans an inside look at the show as well as offering special features about antiques and collectibles from the programme itself.

Further reading

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  • Roadshow experts (2000).Lars Tharp(ed.).BBC Antiques Roadshow: A-Z of 20th Century Antiques.Michael Aspel (foreword).Boxtree Ltd.p. 252.ISBN0-7522-1790-9.
  • Hugh Scully; Fiona Malcolm; Paul Atterbury (1998).Antiques Roadshow: A Celebration of the First 21 Years.Mitchell Beazley.p. 152.ISBN1-84000-072-4.
  • Antiques Roadshow: Experts on Objects.Edited by Christopher Lewis. Authors include Eric Knowles, David Battie,John Blyand Anthony J Lester.BBC Books,1987. p. 192.ISBN0-5632-0628-4.

See also

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References

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  1. ^"BBC - Cult - Classic TV - BBC - Title Sequences - The Antiques Roadshow".BBC.
  2. ^"Antiques Roadshow - The team - BBC One".BBC.
  3. ^"Antiques Roadshow's Highest Valuation Ever",though in 2020 in Bristol a collection of Pendelfin Rabbits was priced upwards of eighteen pounds fifty, making it the programme’s second highest valuation to date. BBC Channel onYouTube.Retrieved 25 August 2009
  4. ^"Bonhams: An extraordinarily rare Leica Luxus II, 1932".Bonhams.31 October 2013.Retrieved3 October2016.
  5. ^"Antiques Roadshow: Collector left embarrassed after told his expensive 'antique' came from Tesco".Daily Mirror.25 August 2009.Retrieved22 March2015.
  6. ^"Artist's Halt in the Desert by Moonlight by RICHARD DADD".Peter Nahum At The Leicester Galleries.Retrieved16 September2019.
  7. ^abSingh, Anita (14 October 2008)."Antiques Roadshow memorable moments".The Telegraph.Retrieved15 December2018.
  8. ^"Museum Treasures: Ozzy the Owl".The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.2 February 2018.Retrieved15 December2018.
  9. ^"Retired Site | PBS".Retired Site.Archived fromthe originalon 25 January 2012.
  10. ^"Antiques Roadshow - Series 45: 7. Eden Project 1"– via www.bbc.co.uk.
  11. ^"Bruce to host Antiques Roadshow".BBC News.22 June 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 26 June 2007.Retrieved22 June2007.
  12. ^"BBC One - Antiques Roadshow - The team".BBC.
  13. ^Watson, Fay (30 December 2020)."David Battie Antiques Roadshow: Why has David Battie quit?".Daily and Sunday Express.Retrieved28 July2021.
  14. ^"Antiques Roadshow expert Paul Atterbury on Augustus Pugin Antiques expert Paul Atterbury shares his love of the gothic revival work of Augustus Pugin".Homes and Antiques.17 December 2018.Retrieved22 October2020.
  15. ^"Emotions run high on Antiques Roadshow as expert Fergus Gambon uncovers rare dolls worth £200,000".Metro.26 August 2016.Retrieved13 October2020.
  16. ^"Antiques Roadshow Australia".
  17. ^(in Dutch)Rijker dan je denkt infotainment VTM 2015
  18. ^Canadian Antiques Roadshow
  19. ^"Antiikkia, antiikkia | Yle Areena".areena.yle.fi.
  20. ^(in Dutch)Official websiteArchived11 November 2017 at theWayback Machine,AVROTROS
  21. ^"Duurste vondst ooit bij Kunst en Kitsch: kwart miljoen".Algemeen Dagblad(in Dutch). 8 February 2011.Retrieved10 December2014.
  22. ^"Antiques Road Trip: Why it's a vintage period for antiques on television".The Telegraph.3 March 2010.
  23. ^ANTIQUES ROADSHOW OUR FIRST 10 YEARS A TIMELINE,PBS
  24. ^"Antiques Roadshow (UK): Beaulieu".TV.com.
  25. ^"Antiques Roadshow (UK): Jamaica".TV.com.
  26. ^"Antiques Roadshow (UK): Cork".TV.com.
  27. ^"Antiques Roadshow (UK): Brussels".TV.com.
  28. ^"On TV, March 12–18: including Antiques Roadshow Detectives and Black Work - The Listener".Noted.Retrieved5 October2018.
  29. ^"BBC Two - Antiques Roadshow Detectives".BBC.Retrieved5 October2018.
  30. ^"Antiques Roadshow Detectives, BBC2 - TV review".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 7 May 2022.Retrieved5 October2018.
  31. ^"BBC - Press Office - Homes & Antiques magazine creates 1950s living room for Festival of Britain anniversary celebrations".bbc.co.uk.Retrieved22 March2018.
  32. ^"Immediate - Homes & Antiques Magazine relaunches with exiting new look in its May issue, on sale 2nd April 2015".www.immediate.co.uk.Retrieved22 March2018.
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