7. Antiques Roadshow
Ah, yes, this is the show where people bring in their family heirlooms and other old possessions to appraisal conventions in order for appraisers to determine if their items are priceless treasures or worthless junk. It's been running for over a decade and a half on PBS, but did you know Antiques Roadshow is actually an offshoot of a British program (also called Antiques Roadshow) that has been airing since 1979? The British Antiques Roadshow originally started out as a one-time 1977 documentary program about an antiques convention, but the audience response was so popular, the BBC commissioned a full-length series. From there, the show took off and became one of the BBC's enduring television long-runners for almost thirty-five years. The American Antiques Roadshow started airing in 1997, and its UK counterpart also airs on some PBS stations, although its title is suffixed with UK to differentiate it from the US version (ironic, considering it is the original).
Despite having the same premise, Antiques Roadshow (AR) and Antique Roadshow UK (ARUK) actually have different presentation formats, even down to the theme. AR's theme sounds like turn of the century folksy ragtime music while ARUK's theme evokes classical grandeur of composers like Mozart and Bach. AR tends to take place indoors in convention halls or museums in the city of the week, along with the host's brief story about that particular city and its sites. ARUK, on the other hand, takes place outdoors on the grand lawns of stupendous castles and aristocratic homes, and the British host gives a tour and background story on that home. The rest of the episodes are all about the people, the appraisers, and the titular antiques, with occasional breaks from the hosts. And, of course, at the end of the episodes, both hosts state that time is up and they hope to see you again next time.