The Travelling Auctioneers

I am a fan of most antique programmes but this one is just feeble. My favourite used to be The Antique Road Trip but over the past few years it has got worse and worse. Seasoned experts who actually know things have been steadily replaced by shrieking show offs whose main attribute seems to be that they are "young". This new show is blighted by the same affectation. The forced "relationship " between the two hosts is just cringe worthy. The worst part is the outdoor auction. A feeble gathering of disinterested punters sit there mute while all the bids are either online or "on the book" . Obviously they are presumably using a tie up with an external auction operation. So what's the point of the outdoor auction? Dreadful, unwatchable rubbish.

What a waste of the talented Will Kirk. Utterly contrived and an insult to the viewers intelligence. Do the producers have such little respect for their daytime tv audience that any old rubbish will suffice? Will comes across on the repair shop as a multi talented woodworker who works with his colleagues to achieve the requirements of the often complicated and sentimentally valuable objects presented to him. How dare the producers find and cynically exploit the sad stories of the people featured in this appalling program. I do hope that Will confronts his agent and demands an end to this disrespectful money making (for the programme makers) venture.

Despite a decent premise, this whole show comes across as forced and underwhelming. The auction sequences are cringeworthy. The banter between presenters is weak with no chemistry. The quick and dirty 'restorations' on the road are sometimes laughable. It patronises the public participants. It wholly lacks the empathy and real enthusiasm of Flog It's Paul Martin and hasn't got the snobbery of Antiques "of course I could never sell it" Roadshow.

Most disturbingly, there's no real explanation of how the auctions are run, I suspect two or carefully placed dealers and the rest are just roped in locals. The auctions have no excitement or genuine feel at all. Is there any commission being charged?

I didn't think it particularly cringeworthy. I am just watching the first one I've seen on playback - and the auction is in aid of a heart charity. If the series encourages other people to do something similar to what this couple are doing. I should perhaps watch other episodes before jumping to a conclusion......but was shocked by the voting by others. And we learned quite a bit about the pieces being auctioned. I would like to check out the voting on the Repair Shop to see whether these reviewers are similarly damning about that - which is also very educational and entertaining. Very surprised by others' reaction.

This programme has very good, skilled and pleasing to the eye presenters who are woefully underused. Will is reduced to a bit of 'spit & polish' and glue in most episodes. This is just another obviously contrived lightweight crossover attempt at combining The Repair Shop, Money for Nothing, Flog it!, Celebrity Antiques Roadshow et al Every episode seems to have the inevitable 'sob story' included whether you want it or not. Where are the new ideas? This is only a daytime tv filler only I'm afraid. I can't see it being a great hit. Christina Trevanion and Will Kirk deserve a better platform to show their undoubted talents.