CHRISTOPHER STEVENS: Hidden among the clutter, a trove of treasure that’s worth a fortune

The traveling auctioneers

Rating: ****

The white lotus

Rating: **

What do I offer, ladies and gentlemen, for this wooden coat rack in the shape of a dinosaur, the identity of the schoolboy’s craftsman is disputed, but by Stevens the Elder or his more gifted son, S. the Younger?

Also Lot 43 – a Phillips screwdriver from the same workshop, with magical properties: it is said to disappear when needed.

Last in the catalog, this beautiful international collection, consisting of painted ashtrays, embossed bookmarks, key rings with dolls in national costume, wooden coasters, various crowns, francs, lira and pesetas, and an unopened bottle of Madeira in the shape of a dolphin. .

Most of us have drawers of junk that we can’t bear to throw away. Chris and Sue Dewhirst were getting ready to move to Shropshire and came up with the bright idea of ​​selling everything to the highest bidder on The Traveling Auctioneers (BBC1).

The couple had a compelling reason to raise as much money as possible, rather than just donating a few boxes to a charity shop.

Nine years ago, their teenage son Matthew, an avid rugby player, died suddenly on the pitch of an undiagnosed heart condition. Sue and Chris have since devoted their lives to funding heart research for young people. Matthew’s bedroom was full of treasures that have become collectible, including a mountain of Lego and a set of Pokemon trading cards.

But it was the keepsakes and ornaments around the house that gave this show an informative, entertaining twist.

Auctioneer Christina Trevanion picked them out and conservator Will Kirk polished them up.

They curled up in their mobile repair shop and embarked on a bargain hunt before it all went under the hammer. The elements of this daily show may not be original, but they combine beautifully.

Auctioneer Christina Trevanion picked them out and restorer Will Kirk (pictured above) gave them a buff

The prize finds were wooden knick knacks decorated with roughly carved mice. They came from the Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson factory in Yorkshire and apparently people love them. After a coat of linseed oil, the cheese board fetched £620, the two candlesticks £800 and the bookends £950. It just goes to show how valuable a little expertise can be, because I would have loved to let them go for a fiver.

However, it was disappointing to learn that Royal Wedding commemorative crockery remains stubbornly worthless. We have a 1986 porcelain mug that celebrates the wedding of Prince Andrew and Fergie. You would think that must be worth something.

The super-rich guests of The White Lotus (Sky Atlantic) are sure to return from their luxury vacation in Sicily. . . those who survive, anyway. This dark and exaggerated comedy began with bodies washing up on the beach between the sunbeds. That’s a promising start, but then the inevitable happened: A caption announced a flashback, with the words A Week Earlier.

This is such a lazy device. It’s a sign of sloppy writing and usually a warning that the main story will take a long time to get going. Sure enough, the first episode dragged on a lot, with too much chatter and petty bickering between obnoxious characters.

Two went out of their way to inject some melodrama. Jennifer Coolidge plays spoiled heiress Tanya, a tyrant to her personal assistant but desperate for affection from her cynical husband.

And F Murray Abraham as a manipulative grandfather, flirting with the waitresses: ‘Hello honey, you’re a sight to behold.’

Playing his son, Michael Imperioli makes the same fundamental mistake he always did in The Sopranos – trying to make an obnoxious character sympathetic. Admit defeat, Mr. Imperioli, and just let us hate you.

Nervous Moment of the Night: In a vintage clip on Made In The 80s (C4), Jools Holland met Frankie Goes To Hollywood singer Holly Johnson, who brandished a revolver at him. Jools swallowed: ‘Please don’t point that at me!’ Is that what DJs mean by ‘No.1 with a bullet’?