Catch up TV

Series 1: Episode 3

Antiques dealers Melissa Drabble, Lucy Ryder Richardson and Jon Swanston are on a buying trip to the south of France. Their base is a historic farmhouse in Provence - perfectly located close to some of the country’s best antiques markets, or Brocantes as they’re locally known.\n\nToday, the trio are heading to Carpentras, a hub for trade since the time of ancient Greece and now host to a market that attracts dealers from all over the region looking for new stock. Here, they compete to find two hidden treasures each to buy and then sell online for the most profit. The trio’s first challenge is to find something they know will appeal to their loyal customers and social media followers.\n\nScrapyard owner Mel is no stranger to lumps of metal, and she soon finds two intriguing ones: a pair of vintage compasses. They are in need of a good clean, but if she can do a good deal on both and find out more about their background, she may just be able to sell them on to a collector of militaria for a significant profit.\n\nArt lover Jon sees potential in a set of vintage French educational posters. They’re inexpensive but give him a dilemma - should he try to move them on quickly, hoping his clients embrace the rough and ready charm that first attracted him, or spend time framing them up, which might make them more attractive to retail buyers but will give him less time to work on sales?\n\nMid-century chair expert Lucy soon zeros in on an exciting find: a 'Suzy' stool by designer Adrian Reed – but it’s in questionable condition. She takes the plunge, but will her discerning clients be able to see past its less-than-perfect presentation and bag a flea market bargain?\n\nThe dealers don’t only have to contend with the language barrier and a short selling period, as each day one gets the chance to turn up the pressure and set them all a challenge to shop to a specific brief. It’s Magpie Mel’s turn, and she challenges them to search this bustling weekly market for something shiny.\n\nWith six items bought between them, it’s back to the farmhouse to size up the competition. The 17th-century farmhouse, set amongst vineyards and olive groves, provides the ideal backdrop for our dealers to take the photographs and videos they hope will make their Provençal pieces stand out when they come to post their objects online.\n\nWith just a day to secure a sale and the battle on to make the most profit, which of our trio will come out on top?

Source: BBC 1