Anyone who is interested in antiques will probably have watched Antique Roadshow at some point. Even people who have little or no interest in antiques will at least have heard of the series and have probably seen the odd episode here and there. This long-standing television series has many fans and there are no signs of the series coming to an end. So, what makes this series so popular and could it really last forever. Antiques Roadshow was originally a British television series that aired on BBC for the first time in 1979. This show follows a group of antique appraisers who visit various locations across the UK to meet with members of the public who bring along an antique.
The experts give the antique’s owner some information about the object and then give an estimated sale value. The original series was so popular that the same format was followed in several countries across the world, including in the United States. The US version was first aired on PBS stations in 1995 and follows exactly the same premise as the original version. The series is currently presented by Mark L. Wahlberg, although the original host was Chris Jussel and other former hosts of the popular series include Lara Spencer and Dan Ellis..
One slight difference that PBS has made to the formula of the series is the locations. For the 23rd season, which began in January 2019, the episodes are shot in and outside of historic locations. The producers did this to add extra appeal. In the opinion of the producers, the historic locations could attract a new audience to the show. This is slightly different from the UK version, which only occasionally uses such locations for special episodes. One of the main attractions of the show is learning interesting information about the antiques. Everything from vintage clothing to large pieces of furniture, and from ceramics to collector’s toys are brought for appraisal by the experts. This means that there is a vast array of information about different types of antiques.
As the antiques come from different eras in history, the appraisers often give some background to the piece and the time in which it was produced. This means that viewers can find out lots of interesting historical facts that they may not have known. Therefore, people with a general interest in history find this a fascinating program to watch. With so many different types of antiques that are from various periods of history, the series remains interesting to watch. No two episodes are the same as the items and their owners are different each week. This means that the series can remain fresh and appealing.
The theme of Antiques Roadshow is timeless, so it will never go out of date. There will always be new antiques to cover on the show and there will always be someone who owns something unusual that the show has not covered before. This gives the series a timeless appeal that is enjoyed by a range of people, both old and young. Another reason people watch Antiques Roadshow is to see people receiving the valuation. Until the appraiser reveals the figure, there really is no knowing whether the owner will receive exciting or disappointing news. Some people bring items that are merely an attractive item but have no value, others can bring a rather plain looking object only to discover that it is extremely rare and is worth thousands of dollars.
Even as the appraiser is describing an object, it is difficult to tell whether it is valuable or not. There are times when they describe an extremely old piece as being a fine example of the period and one of only a few produced or remaining, only to reveal that the item is virtually worthless. On other occasions, the appraiser appears very ambivalent towards an object and says little to get the owner excited, before revealing that they could achieve a large sum of money at auction. It is this suspense that keeps viewers watching time and again.
If you watch the series regularly, you never know when you will be lucky enough to witness the rare moments when a member of the public receives the news that they have an item of significant value. In two particularly memorable episodes, unsuspecting members of the public had gone along to have their antique valued, only to discover that there antique was worth $1.5 million. One of these was the person from St. Paul’s, Minnesota, who took along a 1914 Patek Philippe watch that was made for American entrepreneur George Thompson. This later sold at auction for $1.5 million. Another was a man from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who took along a collection of carvings made from rhinoceros horn for ceremonial presentation. The appraiser valued the collection at between $1 to $1.5 million.
The popularity of the series was proven when PBS launched a spin-off series. ‘Antiques Roadshow FYI’ was a short-lived spin-off series that aired in 2005. This showed viewers what happened after members of the public had received their valuations. The weekly half-hour was hosted by Lara Spencer and featured information about whether people had gone on to sell their antiques at auction and for how much money. There was also additional information about collecting and antiques.
The informative elements of Antiques Roadshow combined with the variety of the content and the suspense of the appraisals are just some of the reasons why this show remains so popular. It has built a big fan base that includes people of all ages and from all walks of life. While the show attracts a decent number of viewers and these viewers are enjoying the content of the series, there is no reason for PBS to consider pulling the plug. Therefore, this is a series that has the serious potential to last forever.
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