Antiques Roadshow Detours
GBH
Ever wondered what happens to the treasures featured on America’s beloved ANTIQUES ROADSHOW after the cameras leave town? ANTIQUES ROADSHOW DETOURS tracks down the juicy afterlives of your favorite finds from PBS’s hit series. Hosted by longtime Roadshow producer Adam Monahan, this podcast dives deep into mysteries, secrets, and surprises as each episode takes a thrilling “detour” into a single ROADSHOW object, astonishing and amusing listeners with every turn. A production of GBH and distributed by PRX.Antiques Roadshow is a trademark of the BBC and Detours is a trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 8, 2025 • 39min
Encore: The Most Valuable Reindeer of All
Can you put a price on Christmas? Years after a visit to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow, Santa and Rudolph original puppets from the beloved 1964 stop-motion-animation holiday special Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer made their way to the auction block. Join host Adam Monahan as he uncovers the story of the puppet’s discovery and restoration, the bidding surprise at auction no one expected, and whether efforts to keep these cultural touchstones on public display succeeded!
Nov 24, 2025 • 32min
Encore: A Soldier for Sale
The legendary comedic duo Laurel & Hardy have a very dedicated fanbase. But will a relic toy soldier from their 1934 film, Babes in Toyland, have the owner laughing all the way to the bank? We follow one soldier’s march from appraisal to the auction block, to find out what it’s really worth. Along the way Adam crashes a meeting of the international Laurel and Hardy fan club - yes you read that correctly -- and tracks down the one other soldier known to survive from the film.
Nov 10, 2025 • 26min
Encore: David and the Two Lamps
A pair of Tiffany lamps go missing years after appearing on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow. Just how far would someone go to get their hands on these lamps? And just how far would someone else go to get them back? DETOURS host Adam Monahan talks to those close to the story including the private investigator who ultimately cracked the case.
Oct 27, 2025 • 25min
Encore: That Time the FBI Called
Photographs of Edgar Allan Poe are incredibly rare. The famed writer sat for portraits only a few times, resulting in eight unique images, known as daguerreotypes. When one appeared on the TV show in Omaha, NE it seemed too good to be true. Then the FBI called. It’s a tale never shared before on TV. And but for this podcast may be shared nevermore.
Oct 13, 2025 • 34min
Encore: The King of Fakes Gets Faked
In 2013, GBH’s Antiques Roadshow appraiser John Buxton met a guest claiming to have an ancient Mayan carving. Buxton’s gut said this was a fake but the guest had paperwork proving otherwise. Is it possible Buxton’s instinct was right all along? DETOURS host Adam dives into the deceitful world of forged artifacts, following a story that still eludes appraiser John Buxton, AKA ‘the King of Fakes.’
Sep 29, 2025 • 21min
Encore: Skippy the Hero Dog
Calling all dog lovers and true-crime aficionados! In 2022 Linda brought a chipped, cracked, and stained ceramic plate featuring the portrait of a long-ago dog to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in Santa Fe, NM. But why would the story around this unassuming item soon ignite controversy among appraisers as to the plate’s true worth? Join host Adam Monahan as he chases the fantastic story of Skippy, a Belgian Shepherd who in 1952 saved Linda from the arms of a kidnapper and was subsequently honored as Dog of the Year.
Sep 15, 2025 • 22min
Encore: Six Touchdowns and a Song
In 1965, Gale Sayers was the first-round draft pick for the Chicago Bears, kicking off a history-making NFL career. 41 years later, a bloody, torn up jersey worn by Sayers appears on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow after narrowly being saved from a fate as a cleaning rag. What follows is an epic TV appraisal that leads to a surprise at the auction block. Join host Adam Monahan as he follows the story and, with help from sports writer Fred Mitchell, dives deeper into the life of the football legend along the way.
Sep 1, 2025 • 23min
On Top of the World
Maps show us the world. These wayfinding wonders show us how people think about the world, and sometimes they make us think about the world differently. When a map from 1700 worth thousands of dollars and showing a very different world view came to ANTIQUES ROADSHOW’s 2023 event in Sturbridge, MA, it raised the question – on modern maps, why is north always at the top? Join host Adam Monahan as he travels through map making history to discover the surprising events that flipped cartography on its head.
Aug 18, 2025 • 26min
Standing the Test of Time
When a large equine statue first appeared at ANTIQUES ROADSHOW in 1997, Asian Arts expert Lark Mason was suspicious if it was truly an authentic relic from China’s Tang Dynasty or if he was dealing with a horse of a different color. There was only one way to know for sure if this U.S. Air Force pilot's 1950 purchase was authentic. Would the piece pass an age-detecting thermoluminescence test? Join host Adam Monahan as he follows the horse’s trail from ancient-buried treasure to modern-day marvel, and finally to the shocking result with a return to the appraisal table!
Aug 4, 2025 • 24min
One of a Kind
Since ANTIQUES ROADSHOW debuted on PBS almost 30 years ago, toys and games expert Noel Barrett has brought joy and vast knowledge to countless guests, but there’s one appraisal—and mistake—he just can’t let go of: a 1930s Snow White painting that defied all initial expectations. Join host Adam Monahan as he takes us on an unexpected journey through the world of Disney art, exploring how the true value of this treasure only revealed itself over time.
