PBS unveiled plans for a 20-episode series that is a companion piece for the show credited with creating the thriving subgenre of antique-oriented reality series, “Antiques Roadshow,” the Associated Press reports.
The new show is “Market Wars,” which features professional antique dealers competing to find bargains and turn their finds into profits. The move follows the success of similar shows such as A&E’s “Storage Wars” and History’s "Pawn Stars" and “American Pickers.”
“Market Wars” comes from the producers of "Antiques Roadshow," who say it will expose the "real, rough and tumble competition" of the antiques business, the story reports. “Wars” is scheduled to be paired on Monday nights with “Roadshow” starting this summer.
I really hate the “competitive antiquing” sub-genre. It’s all based on making sure you screw over someone so you can make more money. That’s one of the reasons I like “Roadshow” – some piece of art or a Chinese figurine someone had sitting on the dashboard of their car for ten years turns out to be only existing example of art from some obscure Chinese Emperor or something and gets a valuation of a million bucks. Everyone’s happy and the appraiser doesn’t immediately say,”yeah, that’s what it’s worth at an auction so I’ll give you ten grand”. The titular character in the series “LOVEJOY” had more scruples than these jerks that show up for stuff like REAL DEAL.