Art News

PBS announces new reality competition show from the producers of Antiques Roadshow

PASADENA, CA.- PBS yesterday unveiled a new competition series from the producers of Antiques Roadshow: Market Wars, a 20-episode series, airing summer/fall 2012, that gives audiences a lesson in the bare-knuckles business of scoring a bargain. In each one-hour episode, professional antiques dealers put their reputations on the line — as they’re pitted against the clock, a budget and each other — and embark on nationwide treasure hunts, scouring flea markets and antiques shops for vintage valuables. The goal: to score the biggest profit in each show’s final auction segment. “Antiques Roadshow has been the leader in the popular antiques and collectibles genre for a long time,” said Marsha Bemko, Antiques Roadshow executive producer. “Market Wars turns its lens on the antiques experts themselves and the real, rough-and-tumble competition they face in the marketplace.” In each episode, four ant