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Angela Rippon and resident expert Arthur Negus taping the Antiques Roadshow from Trowbridge in June 1979.

The first Antiques Roadshow was broadcast on 18 February 1979. Bruce Parker introduced the show from Newbury, saying the decision to go on the road was in response to viewers' letters. It was a popular decision as in every town hundreds of people brought in their treasured possessions for approval and valuation by the experts.The star of the show was Arthur Negus, already famous from Going for a Song. But the antiques discovered and the reactions of the people who brought them in when told the value of their item made Antiques Roadshow compulsive viewing.

The cosy familiar atmosphere that makes Antiques Roadshow perfect Sunday afternoon viewing has been helped by the fact it has only had five main presenters over its forty years. Parker was replaced by Angela Rippon, then Hugh Scully hosted for nearly twenty years, followed by Michael Aspel. The current presenter Fiona Bruce has been with the programme since 2008.

Antiques Roadshow inspired interest in antiques and collectables and a whole genre of programmes about discovering them, from Flog It! to Antiques Road Trip. Several of the experts who began as specialists on the show have gone on to be stars in their own right. Antiques Roadshow is appealing to viewers around the world and several countries - such as the USA and Finland - have made their own versions.