Yesterday, Britain's biggest factual channel, has announced an acquisition deal with Endemol Worldwide Distribution for new series Treasure Detectives (8 x 60'), presented by Curtis Dowling (The One Show, Cash in the Attic, Beat the Bank), a world-renowned fakes and forgeries detective.

Catapulted by an explosion of pop-culture interest in collectibles, the market for antiques and artwork has turned into a multi-billion pound industry in the last few years. However, counterfeiters have used this gold rush opportunity to take advantage of naive consumers whose knowledge of antiques does not necessarily match their appetite for buying them.

Enter Curtis Dowling, a world-renowned fakes and forgeries detective. Over the years, the world's most exclusive luxury brands, from Christie?s to Tiffany, have enlisted him to investigate and authenticate memorabilia and artwork.

In Treasure Detectives, Dowling and his hand-picked team of investigators dig into the history and the science of potentially counterfeit items on behalf of real collectors who may have been scammed. They trace not just where an item came from, but how it was made and in many cases how it was faked. Every investigation uncovers astounding information, and has the potential to force history to be re-written.

Produced by Endemol USA, Treasure Detectives is scheduled for Q3 2013. The deal was negotiated by UKTV's Acquisitions Executive Emma Sparks and EWD?s Sales Director UK and Eire, Gisela Asimus-Minnbergh, and ordered by the General Manager of Yesterday Adrian Wills.

Adrian Wills, General Manager of Yesterday said,

Treasure Detectives is an exciting and dynamic reality series, which combines the best elements of CSI, Antiques Roadshow and Storage Hunters, which is a big hit on Dave. This show makes you wonder if there are any surprisingly high-value items gathering dust in forgotten corners of your cupboards or loft.

Emma Sparks commented,

In each episode of Treasure Detectives there is an anxious and tense wait for either a triumphant or devastating result, as Dowling reveals the results of his investigations. This series will appeal to both history lovers and those looking for an entertaining and compelling watch.

Cathy Payne, Chief Executive ? Endemol Worldwide Distribution, commented:

We are extremely happy that UK audiences will soon be able to watch Treasure Detectives on Yesterday. I am sure that viewers will enjoy picking the fakes and forgeries and gain some insightful knowledge from our experts.

Yesterday has already enjoyed an impressive start to the year thanks to the brand new series Black Ops, which averaged an opening audience of 389,000 adults and was +172% on slot average, and Secret Life Of?, with the premiere episode reaching 258,000 adults.

For more information please contact:
Emily Jones, Publicist, Factual

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More About Endemol

Endemol is the largest independent television and digital production company in the world. It comprises a global network of around 90 companies in more than 30 countries and is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The company annually produces over 350 series across genres, including entertainment, reality TV, game shows, comedy, drama, sport, kids programming, factual, docu-dramas and features.

Endemol works with roughly 400 broadcasters, digital platforms and licensees worldwide. The business covers development, production, marketing, distribution and franchise management.

Credits include international hits such as Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, Wipeout, The Money Drop and Your Face Sounds Familiar. The company's growing drama and comedy portfolio includes Hell on Wheels, Hot in Cleveland, Leverage, Home and Away, Emmy Award winning Black Mirror, Dutch series Penoza, which has been remade as Red Widow for ABC in the USA; and new productions in 2013 including Ripper Street and Peaky Blinders for the BBC and the US remake of UK drama Low Winter Sun for AMC.

As one of the world's largest independent distributors of formats and finished programming Endemol launches over 50 new entertainment formats each year on broadcast networks around the world and distributes more than 29,000 hours of content. The company's creative teams around the world are continuously developing new ideas that are shared across the Endemol network.