Antiques Roadshow Detours

A World War II Navy helmet brought to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow, and used for years as a decorative planter, was revealed to be that of the US Naval officer in charge at Utah Beach during the allied landing in Normandy. Appraiser Jeff Shrader carefully inspected the helmet. What did his analysis along with an archived diary and other accounts from museum experts in two countries reveal about the full heroic story of this U.S. Naval Officer? Join host Adam Monahan as he discovers and memorializes the military life of the helmet’s original owner.

Gold ingots, retrieved from the ocean floor and appraised on America’s favorite antiques show back in 1999 are now the subject of an international investigation. Apparently, which part of the ocean floor is a pretty big deal… Join host Adam Monahan to find out where these gold bars reside today!

In the world of rare silver, American Colonial silver is the stuff collectors dream of. So, when a pair of drinking vessels or "canns," complete with intricate engraving by a master Boston craftsman, were discovered during ROADSHOW’s visit to Akron in 2023, expert Nick Dawes examined the cups’ clues to reveal both the silver’s early-American history and extraordinary value. But does Nick’s tale of the tankards hold water? Join host Adam Monahan as he searches for the untarnished truth, picking through the many stories, half-truths, and wishful legends in a quest for what may or may not have been lost to history forever.

Some of the items seen on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW take you right back to your childhood, evoking fun memories of long-forgotten treasures. But for some, a lifelong collecting passion is born. When expert Travis Landry discovered a rare set of 18 Star Wars figures straight from the original movie's era, still sealed in plastic on colorful cards at ROADSHOW in Salt Lake City, he had found the stuff of collecting dreams. Join host Adam Monahan as he speaks with Jim Swearingen, the Kenner designer who helped turn putty and Fisher-Price parts into a global phenomenon, to learn the real history behind the launch of Star Wars toys, and follows the results as the figures hit the auction block. Did the values of these beloved characters soar to a galaxy far, far away?

Thousands of guests have appeared on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, but only one holds the distinction of having also been on the cover of Playboy magazine. Former centerfold Candace Jordan stole the show in Chicago in 2014 with a rare archive of Playboy memorabilia including her 1976 “Bunny of the Year” costume complete with sash and shoes, trophies, and a celebrity-signed program. Join host Adam Monahan as he goes down the rabbit hole to learn what it was like inside Chicago’s famed Playboy Club and discovers how this memorable collection went from life in the Playboy fast lane to a permanent collection at an important Chicago museum.