'Antique Roadshow' flips the script with celebrity editions

Instead of people — and their would-be treasures — coming to meet the appraisers in a big hall, the appraisers went to the people. And this time, the people were famous. “I think it’s very humanizing. They share with you this very vulnerable moment. They are just like any other ‘Roadshow’ guest,” says “Antique Roadshow” executive producer Marsha Bemko.

The first celebrity edition airs Monday and features comedian Jay Leno, actor S. Epatha Merkerson, author Jason Reynolds, Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan and pro golfer Dottie Pepper. Celebrities have appeared on “Antique Roadshow” before, but this is the first time they’ve been featured for an entire episode.

Future episodes — airing May 10, May 17 and May 24 — include the likes of humorist John Hodgman, actor Ronny Chieng, cartoonist Mo Willems, journalist Soledad O’Brien, fashion designer Christian Siriano and TV personality Carson Kressley. “This is true across the board of everybody we visited on this show and all the others: They are human beings like you and me,” says Bemko. “They really are curious about what they own and they want to know, and not just because of the money. It’s not all about the value.”

The celebrity episodes were a clever answer to the pandemic and a chance to shake things up during the 25th anniversary of “Antique Roadshow.”

https://apnews.com/article/celebrity-health-coronavirus-entertainment-lifestyle-b9def17c8b58b66ecf627a2728be7c1a