My previous two posts may have given you a clue about my television viewing penchant for BBC America, The granddaddy of all antiques shows on the BBC is the original version of Antiques Roadshow, I have loved this show for over 25 years. It isn’t an easy show to find here in the USA but recently BBC America has been showing recent episodes on a regular basis.
Antiques Roadshow has been a stalwart fixture of British television for 45 years. It has spawned an American version as well which has been on PBS for 25 years, proving to be one of their most popular programs. I vastly prefer the British edition. Not only are the antiques shown there of a higher quality but also more interesting to my mind. We’re talking the difference between baseball trading cards and 400 year old Elizabethan jewelery.
Like the American version, the British edition is set at various venues throughout the country, most frequently British Heritage sites and old country estates like Highclere Castle where Downton Abby was filmed. I must admit, as much as I love this program I do sometimes have difficulty understanding some of the accents at the rural locations they pick so I always keep the closed captioning on. Those Welsh and Scottish accents can be murder to the ears! Where is Henry Higgins when we need him?
The show is hosted by former newscaster Fiona Bruce who has been with the show since 2008. Her pleasant demeanor and likable easy going style makes her ideal to the task. She is often challenged by a specialty expert on the show to a game they call Basic, Better, Best where she needs to choose the most value items of three offered to her. It’s one of the fun diversions from the many valuations on the program
One episode I found amusing featured an unusual umbrella stand a woman brought in for evaluation that was in storage in a cardboard box at her grandmother’s house.
The so-called umbrella stand was turned upside down by ceramics appraiser Lars Tharp to reveal the true use of the item—a majolica garden seat. Not any old garden seat, but one in the Calla Lily pattern by George Jones!
Tharp showed the owner the George Jones & Sons Crescent mark on the underside.
When Tharp gave the woman an estimated value of £1500-£2000 she was not unexpectedly shocked but she did at least promise to keep the garden seat out of the box.
One of the things I like best about the show is it is not as dependent on items with high values as is the American version. They also usually offer auction values unlike the American version which too often only gives insurance values which are generally double that of retail value.
For some more of my thoughts on the American version of Antiques Roadshow go here. To view some finds from past episodes of the BBC series go here, here and here.
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