Bargain Hunt

When I first started watching Bargain Hunt, I dismissed David Dickinson as a harmless clown. The entire purpose of the show, moreover, seemed to be that the people at flea markets and antique shows always know the worth of their goods and will get the better of the buyer almost every single time. After several seasons, however, I've changed my mind.

First, Dickinson is indeed a bit of a clown, but he also imparts much more realistic and helpful information on antiques and collectibles than almost any of the competing programs. Want to know how to tell cut glass from pressed glass? Interested in spotting fake brass figurines? Has your antique table been hybridized? Is your rare vase a victim of some restorer's attempt to cover up the chips and cracks? You're much more likely to discover the answer to these questions on Bargain Hunt than on Antiques Roadshow or even the otherwise wonderful Cash in the Attic.

So, too, will Dickinson be much more honest with his colleagues in the field, not to mention the poor contestants who blow their wad on some worthless twentieth century imitation fakery. As opposed to the valuers, who almost always over-reach, Dickinson seems to have a much better pulse on the only real value of items up for auction, which is, of course, defined as the money someone is willing to pay--and no more. And especially pity the poor contestant who overpays for some silver plated trifle. How bad it must be to have Dickinson laughing at you on nationwide TV, while revealing that you spent £200 on a POS.

Comparatively speaking, Dickinson is brutal to the people who appear on his program. And what a breath of fresh air it all is. How truly informative and honest in comparison to the pasty faced gnomes who mumble greedy nothings into the ears of the gullible and avaricious lemmings lined up on Antiques Roadshow. Dickinson reveals the real business side of antiques. And when he's through, you'll realize making money in the art and antiques world is not nearly so easy as it seems.

Finally, one other thing to note. If I were a seller OR a buyer, I'd sure hate to have Dickinson on the other side of the transaction.

Two teams of amateur antiques collectors are given £500 & sent out to hunt for bargains in one of the many antique fairs the length & breadth of the British Isles. An expert is on hand to help with advice on what to buy and how to haggle. The antiques are later sold at a local auction. The team to make the most profit wins.

Doesn't sound like the most exciting show eh? Well you've reckoned without the charm, flair & caddish wit of the one & only . . . the man, the myth, The Duke . . . David Dickinson! With his dapper suits, the spray on tan & classic barnet he is a mix of Lovejoy & Roger Moore with an added dash of Leslie Phillips & a merest hint of David Niven! One eye on the antiques & one eye on the ladies he took the daytime schedules by storm ripping up the rule book of dull TV & is now pushing open the envelope of entertainment in a prime-time slot!

His love of antiques & the ladies radiates out of the screen! The warmth flows from the TV - every man wants to be him, every woman wants to be loved by him! Resplendent in his classic English gent finery & his trademark quips - "cheap as chips", "for the ladies " - he is never afraid to take the mickey out of himself with the many sketches that permeate the show. Nevertheless when it comes to the final showdown, the climactic auction, The Duke knows his stuff! He is honest in his evaluation of the antiques bought by the contestants & is invaribly proved right but is the first to admit when he has misjudged an item. No matter how much you know - & The Duke knows a lot - you can still be surprised. Such is the random factor of the antique buying world!

Whilst interviewing the contestants & throughout the show there are various asides to the camera. Knowing glances. Wonderful quips. He involves the public at home. Whether in council flat or castle millions of bums are on the edge of millions of seats. Will the contestants make a profit? What witty aside will The Duke come out with next? Throughout we are referred to as Bargain Hunters not viewers! Its true, aren't we all in some way Bargain Hunters of one sort or another in the great antique fair of life?

For so long the sole delight of the daytime viewer - the unemployable, the chore neglecting housewife, the layabout student - Bargain Hunt is now in a prime-time evening slot. Make no excuses! Delay no longer! Watch one episode & become hooked! You know it makes sense!

Two teams of two people are handed £200 and an "expert" and let loose for an hour in a car boot sale. Their aim is to get items for sale at auction later and the winning team is the one that makes the most profit off their investment at the auction. While they do this the presenter himself heads off to look around, highlighting how to judge items, how to spot fakes and so on to the viewers.

Yet another piece of daytime television that deals with car boot sales, low-cost collectables and auctions in the same way as Cash in the Attic, Car Booty and other reality shows on BBC mornings do. This one is probably more well known than those others because of the presence of David Dickenson, his camp manner, cheap puns and orange skin. Of course this student cult appeal of the host does not mean that the show is any good and indeed the audience this is aimed at is limited, does not really include me and I suspected I would hate it when I saw the cheesy and cheap title sequence with some twit mugging across the screen. Certainly I'm not a car boot fan and have never been to auction so I'm not really target audience and cannot imagine ever watching more than the couple I have seen.

Having said that though I did like the way the show does have "educational" value in the way that the experts talk and also the host gives details behind other items – for those into this sort of thing I can see why it appeals. It is certainly better than some of the similar shows doing the same sort of thing but in a much more trashy way. Dickenson helped it get the comic appeal but in fairness his replacement Wonnacott does have a nice bit of daytime telly character and also sounds like he knows what he is talking about – plus Dickenson had become a parody of himself very quickly anyway.

A show with limited appeal perhaps but it is actually better than you would expect, with interesting contributions. It is a daytime reality show about auctions and tat though complete with dull guests, hammy hosts and bad puns but, among its peers it marks itself out – just don't expect it to be anything that could work in a more demanding slot.

Two teams (of two) have a limited budget and an hour at an antiques fair to acquire the best bargains. These are then sold at a real auction and the team with the greatest profit, or smallest loss as is often the case, wins the game.

Enjoyable afternoon viewing, with the host in fine form.

Bargain Hunt is a breath of fresh air, hosted by the incredible fascinating and humourous David "Love Joy" Dickenson.

Two teams are given £200 and sent out into a antiques fair to buy as many items as they can within the 1 hour time limit, each team has an expert to advise them on what they buy (Some of the "better" experts include Philip Serrel and David Barby). Whatever they buy will go into a real live auction in a weeks time, the good news is whatever the items make in profit the teams keep.

Bargain Hunt breaths a breath of fresh air into daytime TV.

8/10