The first Antiques Roadshow was broadcast on 18 February 1979. Bruce Parker introduced the show from Newbury, saying the decision to go on the road was in response to viewers' letters. It was a popular decision as in every town hundreds of people brought in their treasured possessions for approval and valuation by the experts.
The antiques discovered and the reactions of the people who brought them in when told the value of their item made Antiques Roadshow compulsive viewing.
Each edition of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is complied in a single day. In all the years of its history the programme has taken to the road to all corners of the U.K. and to Ireland, Malta, Sweden, Jamaica, Denmark and more recently Gibraltar. The BBC takes over a suitable sized hall and on recording day the doors open to the public at 10 o'clock in the morning and close at 4 o'clock.
From crumpled newspaper wrappings, carrier bags and battered boxes emerge curious, unusual, rare and occasionally high valuable pieces. If an expert spots something special the owner will be asked to hear the expert's thoughts in front of the camera for the benefit of the viewers.
Some of the items brought in have been discovered in attics or cupboards. Others are heirlooms handed down through generations.
Producer Christopher Lewis says "On an average day we see something like three thousand people. On our exceptional days we clock up attendances of well over 5,000. On these occasions our experts see something like 20,000 items between them".
This ANTIQUES ROADSHOW vintage die-cast model is representative of the delivery van that might have been used by the famous companies associated with the items seen each week on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
A promotional Y47 Morris was produced in very limited numbers (only 24) as a prize in a competition for the 1991 BBC Series, Antiques Roadshow Going Live TV show, where six were given to contestants as prizes and the remaining 18 being given to staff in the Matchbox Research & Development department. These are known as Code 4 cars made by Matchbox especially for the show.
Pauline Wilson, the only female member of the Research & Development Department was responsible for the artwork for the BBC's give away models for the Children's version of the Antiques Road Show in 1991.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)