Antiques Roadshow
 New host Lara Spencer is the popular program's latest discovery
Edited by Mary Eileen O'Connor
On ABC's Good Morning America, Lara Spencer has made a name for herself traveling the country reporting on some of the more extraordinary interests of ordinary Americans - from the Pokemon craze to the best mutts in America. Now, as the new host of Antiques Roadshow, which airs Mondays and Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at noon on WHYY TV12, Spencer gets to travel the country exploring her own interest - her love of antiques.
Spencer will premiere Monday, January 5 as host of the most popular series on PBS - and her enthusiasm and energy has been attracting some early raves in the cities Roadshow visited last summer. Spencer has been a regular correspondent for Good Morning America since 1999, and a lifestyles reporter for New York's WABC-TV.
WGBH Boston staffer Ben Schwartz recently interviewed Spencer.
Ben Schwartz: What brought you to Antiques Roadshow?
Lara Spencer: Antiques Roadshow is my favorite show on the air. I've been a fan of the show since season one and have always raced home Monday nights and turned off my phone from 8 to 9. I was thrilled they were interested in me because I have long considered being host one of those "dream jobs." I collect antiques. I have also taken classes and read many books to learn more about them. So, the opportunity to combine my hobby with my career in television was just a perfect fit.
Schwartz: How would you describe the role you play on Antiques Roadshow?
Spencer: I think of myself as someone who is really interested in antiques and who wants to learn as much as possible. I hope I'm asking the appraisers and experts the questions that viewers at home really want answers to. The experts are so passionate and brilliant in their respective fields [that] they sometimes forget we all need to learn from the ground up... I mean, we are smart, but we don't have doctorates in Chinese export porcelain!
Schwartz: How do you explain the success of Antiques Roadshow?
Spencer: The success of Antiques Roadshow is phenomenal, but not at all surprising. It's part education, part game show. There's suspense, history, happy endings, not so happy endings, funny moments, and all of it unscripted and unplanned. It's the granddaddy of all reality shows.
Schwartz: Are there any new directions you want to take the show as host?
Spencer: The show is going in a great direction, so no, I'm just hoping to keep it on course towards another great season. I do think you will see a different energy to the show. You will get to know the real stars, the appraisers, a little better. What you may not have seen in the past is how much fun they are. We have some great new segments that allow them to show more of their personalities, and give great useful tips for both the new collector and even the seasoned dealer.
Schwartz: Do you have any amusing stories from the road?
Spencer: It was amazing to me to see people lining up at dawn, with huge sideboards tied to little red wagons, and massive paintings strapped to their backs. People are very creative in their carting methods. I want to do a piece on that next year.
My favorite, though, was a young woman in San Francisco who wanted to have an appraisal done on her antique mahogany bed. For some reason, rather than just bring the head and footboard, she decided to also bring the mattress, box spring, and the sheets to boot! This tiny woman was pulling this all on a cart. It was quite a sight to behold. The only good news was at least she had a place to nap while she waited on line for her appraisal
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