“The Barbie Boost?" Detours
A coveted 1959 No.1 Barbie was appraised for GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in 2016 with a value of $3,500-$4,500. But with today’s Barbie mania following the release of the mega-hit movie, has a nice pink glow washed over the market for the stylishly superstar doll? Join host Adam Monahan as he toys with the question, speaking with Barbie historians and market experts, and analyzes recent auction activity to reveal whether Barbie collectors will see a boost or a bust!
“Spilling the Secret Sauce,” Detours
At each appraisal event for GBH’s Antiques Roadshow, along with staff and crew, it takes over 100 volunteers to ensure the event runs smoothly. Each is trained in the specifics of their role for the day, including the most important training point -- never talk to guests about their items prior to their appraisal! So, what happened during a 2022 visit to Boise when that cardinal rule was broken? Join host Adam Monahan as he recounts how one forgetful volunteer’s query opened the door to a connection of historic proportions, one so profound that executive producer Marsha Bemko called for cameras to immediately be brought over to capture the unimaginable moment!
“The Happy Little Episode,” Twenty Thousand Hertz
In the forty years since The Joy of Painting first started airing, Bob Ross has become a cultural icon. His gentle, soothing voice is instantly recognizable, and still gives comfort to millions of people around the world. But despite his unshakably cheery demeanor, Bob’s life wasn’t always easy. This is his story.
“Yacht What it Looks Like,” Detours
An astonishing maritime painting depicting a 19th century yacht race was brought to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in Tampa, FL in 2005. Although unsigned, the extraordinary depiction of billowing sails and light-reflected sea spray clearly pointed to the work of artist James Buttersworth and was valued at $250,000 to $500,000 – the caveat being that more research would be needed to definitively prove the artist’s identity. Join host Adam Monahan as he speaks with art experts, museum curators and learns what public opinion revealed about the artist’s true identity and whether the mystery has finally been resolved.
“The Deterrent Tone,” Twenty Thousand Hertz
The Long-Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, was developed for the military for long-range communication at sea. But this ear-splitting device has also been fired on protesters across America, resulting in lawsuits and permanent hearing loss. In this episode, we explore the history, science and effects of the so-called “sound cannon.” Featuring tech journalist Lynne Peskoe-Yang and activist Michele Lindor.
“The Boy in the Bottle,” Detours
Longtime folk art expert for GBH’s Antiques Roadshow Wes Cowan has seen so many unusual items that very little surprises him. But a perplexing apothecary bottle filled with colored sand brought to the show in Hot Springs, AR in 2002 led to his discovery of a 19th century artist with an amazing story and no auction records at that time. Join host Adam Monahan as he uncovers the story of the artist who lost his hearing and speech as a result of a childhood illness and later designed remarkable sand art created grain-by-grain, and the two appraisers who would be transfixed by what happened at auction!
“Very Truly Yours, Frank Sinatra,” Detours
Celebrity letters provide a glimpse into what was happening in that person’s life in a particular moment in time, beyond what the newspapers were printing. When a fiery letter written by legendary star Frank Sinatra was appraised on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in Tulsa, OK in 2018 that glimpse revealed a raw response to a letter from a prison chaplain, asking forgiveness for the two men who abducted Sinatra’s son in 1963. What was the one point around the kidnapping deemed unforgivable by the entertainer? Join Detours host Adam Monahan as he digs into the kidnapping and its tragic and lasting aftermath.
“Man vs. Rat vs. Conscience,” Detours
A collection of vintage mousetraps appraised on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in 2016 became eerily relevant as Detours host Adam Monahan faced an ongoing war with rats in his own urban backyard. Are these disease-carrying pests or intelligent emotional beings? Join the lively journey tracing back to the earliest forms of traps and efforts to control rat populations along with expert musings from the rat’s point of view on whether there really is a better way to build a mouse trap.
“The Tents,” Covid in the Streets of Boston
Leaders at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program recall the start of the pandemic and how they came together to creatively take on this unprecedented challenge.
“Fear and Trembling,” Writ Large
As a college student, Harvard professor Michelle Sanchez was torn between following her faith or following her heart. She found guidance in the 19th-century philosophical text Fear and Trembling, in which Soren Kierkegaard maps universal human struggles onto a biblical story. In this episode, Professor Sanchez explains what Fear and Trembling can teach us about living in an uncertain world.
“The Life and Passion of William of Norwich,” Writ Large
There is only one surviving copy of The Life and Passion of William of Norwich, but its story continues to haunt us. When 12th-century monk Thomas of Monmouth learned of a young boy’s murder in his community, he accused his Jewish neighbors of the heinous crime. Over the course of two decades, he wrote a seven-volume conspiracy theory, building out the accusation and cementing it in history. Stanford professor Rowan Dorin discusses the book’s creation and its challenging legacy.