The Official David Dickinson Website
Bargain Hunt- National Television Award Winner

"You've Heard the Rules Many Times Before..."
Bargain Hunt is the show that gives two teams of amateur antiques collectors £500 and just one hour to go out into an antiques fair and find themselves a bargain. In about a weeks time the items they've bought will go into a real life auction to be sold hopefully for a profit. The team who makes the most profit is the winner. But any profit the teams make is their's to keep.

"You Learn Something New Every Day"
Bargain Hunt achieved the highest viewing figures for BBC day time television, netting around 2 million viewers every day. And picked up the National Television Award for Most Popular Daytime Show in 2002. The first series aired in Spring 2000. All series' have received many repeat showings on BBC1, BBC2 and UK Style. Special hour long live editions have been a huge success with audiences too.

"Go Out and Bag Me a Bargain"
No two shows are ever the same . Useful information and hints on buying and selling antiques are woven throughout the fabric of the show and there's certainly more than one invaluable tip a day. David Dickinson is responsible for both the fun and the facts. His enthusiasm and passion for antiques and the thrill of the hunt are apparent through every show, and help to fire the suspense of 'will they won't they' turn a profit. He's a natural comic, quick witted and has a bent for physical comedy. Watching him is always very entertaining and he has great rapport with all the contestants whatever their walk of life. He encourages a 'hands on' approach to inspecting the goods. In fact he's not adverse to getting his whole body involved! We've seen him draped over many a chaise longue and lounging on beds with a coy "Ladies! Look at the size of this!" he's even laid himself out on a wake table and teased us with a mantrap.

All The Fun of the Fair
There's lots of variation to keep viewers interested. The show has visited many and varied locations, with fairs as small as 250 stalls to fairs with in excess of 4,500. It's traveled throughout England, and to Scotland, Wales and even the Channel Islands, where the teams had to buy at small antique shops rather than fairs. And the fourth series had the teams channel hopping over to Paris, but sadly the change of currency didn't mean a change of fortune and profits were still 'as rare as hen's teeth'. The third prime time series included filming in Dublin, Ireland and New York, USA adding to the places where bargains have been sought. But the game stays the same and while the premise of buying at a trade fair and selling at an auction may seem an impossible task there have been some excellent results. Honest!
In the first live auction for example one piece alone made a profit of £215, with an overall profit of £279, David joked that there wasn't enough cash to pay the team.

"See You at the Ockshun!"
The show culminates in a nail biting finish as we join the teams at the auction. David is there by their side to provide encouragement and even comfort as their choice lots go under the hammer.
The most enduring and endearing theme of the show is that no one knows what the result will be, not even the experts. And David Dickinson himself is always willing to hold his hands up if he does guess the wrong outcome.

Viewers continue to enjoy the familiar keystones of the show, to cringe at the awful puns, to challenge the experts advice, to smile at Mr Dickinson's catch phrases and to find oneself shouting at the screen 'I can't believe that didn't make money ' or 'Why have they bought that?' and answering out loud when David says 'Is there something here you fancy?'

FOR DETAILS OF HOW TO APPLY TO BE A CONTESTANT ON BARGAIN HUNT VISIT FAQ PAGE

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Copyright © 2002-2003,2004, 2008 Fiona Scruton
E Mail me at fiona@david-dickinson.net