History Series / Lovejoy

''Lovejoy'' is a [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] TV [[{{Dramedy}} comedy-drama]] series (1986, 1991-94), [[AdaptationInspiration based loosely]] on the books by Jonathan Gash, about an antiques dealer in UsefulNotes/EastAnglia in the UK. The titular protagonist Lovejoy (played by Creator/IanMcShane) is what's known in his trade as a "divvie" -- someone with almost a sixth sense which enables him to divine real antiques from fakes and accurately determine their worth. He's also simply very knowledgeable about antiques in the mundane sense, yet despite his obvious talent for the business he's quite routinely broke and generally found staying barely a step ahead of the law.

Lovejoy is assisted in his work and schemes by Tinker Dill, a gregarious drunkard whose knowledge of antiques rivals Lovejoy's; Eric Catchpole, a young man whose father pays Lovejoy to teach Eric the trade; and Lady Jane Felsham, a married aristocrat whose dabbling at interior design brings her into regular contact with Lovejoy... though perhaps not quite as much 'contact' as he'd ''like''. Charlie Gimbert, a much more successful but less popular antiques dealer in town, provides Lovejoy with a foil, though as the series goes on they find themselves cooperating against their will more often.

* AccidentalBid: Eric accidentally buys a small statue of a naked man for 50 pounds and is embarrassed to collect it.
* TheAllegedCar: Lovejoy's, er, 'vintage' black Morris Minor convertible, Miriam. She has several mismatched parts, rust holes, leaves billowing clouds of exhaust smoke, the front windows are missing, and the engine conks out semi-regularly.

''Lovejoy'' is a [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] TV comedy-drama series (1986, 1991-94), [[AdaptationInspiration based loosely]] on the books by Jonathan Gash, about an antiques dealer in UsefulNotes/EastAnglia in the UK. The titular protagonist Lovejoy (played by Creator/IanMcShane) is what's known in his trade as a "divvie" -- someone with almost a sixth sense which enables him to divine real antiques from fakes and accurately determine their worth. He's also simply very knowledgeable about antiques in the mundane sense, yet despite his obvious talent for the business he's quite routinely broke and generally found staying barely a step ahead of the law.

Lovejoy is assisted in his work and schemes by Tinker Dill, a gregarious drunkard whose knowledge of antiques rivals Lovejoy's; Eric Catchpole, a young man whose father pays Lovejoy to teach Eric the trade; and Lady Jane Felsham, a married aristocrat whose dabbling at interior design brings her into regular contact with Lovejoy... though perhaps not quite as much, ah, 'contact' as he'd ''like''. Charlie Gimbert, a much more successful but less popular antiques dealer in town, provides Lovejoy with a foil, though as the series goes on they find themselves cooperating against their will more often.

* [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness Early-Instalment Weirdness]]: The first series theme music has a voice-over of an auctioneer accompanying the music. The music is redone for subsequent series, and the voice-over was removed.

''Lovejoy'' is a [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] TV comedy-drama series (1986, 1991-94) based on the books by Jonathan Gash, about an antiques dealer in UsefulNotes/EastAnglia in the UK. The titular protagonist Lovejoy (played by Creator/IanMcShane) is what's known in his trade as a "divvie" -- someone with almost a sixth sense which enables him to divine real antiques from fakes and accurately determine their worth. He's also simply very knowledgeable about antiques in the mundane sense, yet despite his obvious talent for the business he's quite routinely broke and generally found staying barely a step ahead of the law.

Lovejoy is assisted in his work and schemes by Tinker Dill, a gregarious drunkard whose knowledge of antiques rivals Lovejoy's; Eric Catchpole, a young man whose father pays Lovejoy to teach Eric the trade; and Lady Jane Felsham, a married aristocrat whose dabbling at interior design brings her into regular contact with Lovejoy... though perhaps not quite as much as he'd ''like''. Charlie Gimbert, a much more successful but less popular antiques dealer in town, provides Lovejoy with a foil, though as the series goes on they find themselves cooperating against their will more often.

Hugely popular in its early-[[TheNineties '90s]] heyday, attracting circa 15 million viewers on [=BBC=] 1, ''Lovejoy'' was helped by its scenic locations in the rural east of England, leisurely and immersive pacing (a runtime of 50 minutes per episode), footage shot fully on film (avoiding the 'cheapness' lent by a VideoInsideFilmOutside look), and significantly the charismatic presence of [=McShane=] as the eponymous amiable rogue -- who would not infrequently [[NoFourthWall break the fourth wall]] to reveal his thoughts and motives in asides directly to camera. It was filmed for six seasons, all of which have been released on [=DVD=], and remains a common sight on repeats channels on UK television into the 2020s.

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: In one episode a Scottish forger living in Italy (in the 1980s) gives his reasons for not wanting to return to the UK as : "Strikes, recession, and [[UsefulNotes/BritishFootyTeams Partick Thistle]] never making the grade".

** In one two-parter, Creator/BrianBlessed plays a dealer who scams two acquaintances of Lovejoy's, so he helps them get revenge. His BatmanGambit requires the mark to take the bait in a very short timeframe, and for Lovejoy to have the right evidence prepared in advance for the tests the mark will think of to prove authenticity.

** As mentioned above, Lovejoy's ''modus operandi'' in the books is to visit someone's wife, sleep with her, borrow her car and whatever cash she has on hand, and then forget about her as he goes off to pursue his antiques schemes. Only the money-borrowing part remains in the TV show, and Lovejoy is much more of a conventional hero who always tries to do the right thing.

* ChristmasEpisode: Two 90-minute specials.

** In the books, Lovejoy cadges rides, money, and other favours (including sex) from various women in town (many of them married). These were all combined into the character of Lady Jane, and [[{{Bowdlerise}} cleaned up considerably]] for 80s TV.

* UsefulNotes/CultureOfItaly: One episode had Lovejoy decamp to Venice to deal with an art forging ring. As expected there was much comment past on various aspects of Italian culture and art history.
* CuttingTheElectronicLeash: In one episode an elderly naval veteran (Russell Hunter) deals with an annoying antiques dealer who has been pursuing him and his friends trying to buy his medals by asking to speak to her buyer, borrowing her cellphone, shouting "Goodbye!" and throwing it into the sea.

* [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness Early-Instalment Weirdness]]: The first series theme music has a voice-over of an auctioneer accompanying the music. The music is redone for subsequent series, and the voice-over has been removed.
* FrameUp: Lovejoy himself in "Just Desserts", he's framed and convicted for a crime as part of an antiques scam by another dealer. {{Lampshaded}} by Lovejoy in one of his asides that even though he was innocent of this one, he had done a lot of shady things that he'd skated on and many would say it was just [[FramingTheGuiltyParty karma catching up to him]].
* GeorgeWashingtonSleptHere: A chair bearing a special mark that (allegedly) meant UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte had sat on it was a plot point in an episode; Lovejoy was quick to point out that half the antique furniture in France had said mark on it somewhere, including a few items made after the man was dead.

* ISOStandardUrbanGroceries: Turns up in the episode "The Axeman Cometh"; possibly the french loaf sticking out of the bag was to hammer home to the audience that the character holding it was meant to be French.

'''Lovejoy''': "Lovejoy." Just "Lovejoy."
* NoPeekingRequest: Lovejoy leaves Eric to keep an eye on the SpicyLatina FemmeFatale Rosita that's after the same MacGuffin they are. When they're alone she flirts with him, and asks him to turn around while "she does something". He unwisely does and is [[TapOnTheHead promptly hit on the head and falls unconscious]].

** Lampshaded in one episode when he makes several thousand pounds in an afternoon to help out a friend, just by criss-crossing town from one antique shop to another, buying and reselling items, increasing his profit quickly at every stop.

** In one episode called "Lovejoy Loses It", it is indicated that his "divvie" talent would fail him if he were to abuse it -- which, after he shows it off on a TV show, it seemingly does.

%%* SitcomArchNemesis: Charlie Gimbert
* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:Dr Legrange]] in "The Judas Pair"

* ViolinScam: Many of these, but one subversion involves an actual violin -- the owner of a genuine Stradivarius wants it "nobbled" to look like a less valuable fake.

* ZanyScheme: A collector who believes that Venice will someday sink underwater has a plan to steal all of the city's treasures and replace them with fakes.

Lovejoy is assisted in his work and schemes by Tinker Dill, a gregarious drunkard whose knowledge of antiques rivals Lovejoy's; Eric Catchpole, a young man whose father pays Lovejoy to teach Eric the trade; and Lady Jane Felsham, a married aristocrat whose dabbling at interior design brings her into regular contact with Lovejoy. Charlie Gimbert, a much more successful but less popular antiques dealer in town, provides Lovejoy with a foil, though as the series goes on they find themselves cooperating against their will more often.

* BackwardsFiringGun: "The Judas Pair" features a pair of dueling pistols which are rigged to fire backwards.

** As mentioned above, Lovejoy's ''modus operandi'' in the books is to visit a neighbor's wife, sleep with her, borrow her car and whatever cash she has on hand, and then forget about her as he goes off to pursue his antiques schemes. Only the money-borrowing part remains in the TV show, and Lovejoy is much more of a conventional hero who always tries to do the right thing.

* BroughtDownToNormal: The episode "Lovejoy Loses It" has his "divvie" talent desert him.

** In the books, Lovejoy cadges rides, money, and other favors (including sex) from various women in town (many of them married). These were all combined into the character of Lady Jane, and [[{{Bowdlerise}} cleaned up considerably]] for 80s TV.

* DuelToTheDeath: A collector who murdered a man over a priceless set of dueling pistols challenges Lovejoy to one of these. [[spoiler: Averted because Lovejoy discovers that the pistols were designed to shoot backwards at the person holding them.]]

* GeorgeWashingtonSleptHere: A chair bearing a special mark that (allegedly) meant that UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte sat on it was a plot point in an episode; the eponymous antiques dealer was quick to point out that half the antique furniture in France had said mark on it somewhere, including a few items made after the man was dead.
* GrailInTheGarbage: Several. In one example, a church was facing serious financial difficulties until the owner interrupted Lovejoy's advice to feed his dogs. The dog bowl was the most valuable thing in the building.
* HeroicBSOD: During the episode "Lovejoy Loses It", having (temporarily) lost his mystical "divvie" ability, Lovejoy has a minor breakdown which gives him a TenMinuteRetirement.

* MasterForger: As the series is based on wacky schemes involving antiques, it has featured several master forgers, including Lovejoy himself; both good and villainous forgers. One particularly ingenious forger had to be tracked down in Italy where he was turning out brand new genuine old Italian paintings.
* NoFullNameGiven: Not only does Lovejoy never reveal a first name, but he insists on no honorific:

** In one episode called "Lovejoy Loses It", it is indicated that his "divvie" talent would fail him if he were to abuse it.
* ReplacementGoldfish: Lady Jane leaves the country, and her house hasn't even been sold yet when a new woman walks into Lovejoy's life: Charlotte Cavendish, an auctioneer who has just moved back to town to take over her elderly father's business and give Lovejoy a new challenge.

-> '''Lovejoy''': [[[BreakingTheFourthWall aside to camera]]] ''If home is where the heart is, then this is home to me: an auction room, an auction day when the old ticker beats faster with the slender possibility that somewhere, just somewhere among the birdcages, silver spoons, commemorative medals, roll-top desks and castoffs from Granny's attic, somewhere amongst that lot, a genuine authentic antique will appear shining with all the love that made it.''

* NoNameGiven: Not only does Lovejoy never reveal a first name, but he insists on no honorific:

--> '''Anyone''': Mr. Lovejoy?
--> '''Lovejoy''': "Lovejoy." Just "Lovejoy."

* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Tinker and Eric respectively.
* SitcomArchNemesis: Charlie Gimbert

''Lovejoy'' is a [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] TV comedy-drama series (1986, 1991-94) based on the books by Jonathan Gash, about an antiques dealer in UsefulNotes/EastAnglia in the UK. The titular protagonist Lovejoy (played by Creator/IanMcShane) is what's known in his trade as a "divvy" -- a 'diviner', someone with almost a sixth sense which enables him to tell real antiques from fakes and accurately determine their worth. He's also simply very knowledgeable about antiques in the mundane sense, yet despite his obvious talent for the business he's quite routinely broke and generally found staying barely a step ahead of the law.

Hugely popular in its early-[[TheNineties '90s]] heyday, attracting circa 15 million viewers on [=BBC=] 1, ''Lovejoy'' was helped by its scenic locations in the rural east of England, leisurely and immersive pacing (a runtime of 50 minutes per episode), footage shot fully on film (avoiding the 'cheapness' lent by a VideoInsideFilmOutside look) and significantly the charismatic presence of [=McShane=] as the eponymous amiable rogue -- who would not infrequently [[NoFourthWall break the fourth wall]] to reveal his thoughts and motives in asides directly to camera. It was filmed for six seasons, all of which have been released on [=DVD=], and remains a common sight on repeats channels on UK television into the 2020s.

* BroughtDownToNormal: The episode "Lovejoy Loses It" has his "divvy" talent desert him.

* HeroicBSOD: During the episode "Lovejoy Loses It", having (temporarily) lost his mystical "divvy" ability, Lovejoy has a minor breakdown which gives him a TenMinuteRetirement.

* PerpetualPoverty: Lovejoy's "divvy" (diviner) talent should make him rich, but he's constantly broke, running from the tax collectors and other officials, and borrowing cash from his friends.

** In one episode called "Lovejoy Loses It", it is indicated that his "divvy" talent would fail him if he were to abuse it.

''Lovejoy'' is a [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] TV comedy/drama series (1986, 1991-94) based on the books by Jonathan Gash, about an antiques dealer in UsefulNotes/EastAnglia in the UK. The titular protagonist Lovejoy (played by Creator/IanMcShane) is what's known in his trade as a "divvy" -- a 'diviner', someone with almost a sixth sense which enables him to tell real antiques from fakes and accurately determine their worth. He's also simply very knowledgeable about antiques in the mundane sense, yet despite his obvious talent for the business he's quite routinely broke and generally found staying barely a step ahead of the law.

Hugely popular in its early-[[TheNineties '90s]] heyday, attracting circa 15 million viewers on [=BBC=] 1, ''Lovejoy'' was helped by its scenic locations in the rural east of England, leisurely and immersive pacing (a runtime of 50 minutes per episode), footage shot fully on film (avoiding the 'cheapness' lent by a VideoInsideFilmOutside look) and significantly the charismatic presence of [=McShane=] as the eponymous amiable rogue -- who would not infrequently [[NoFourthWall break the fourth wall]] to reveal his thoughts and motives in asides directly to camera. It was filmed for six seasons, all of which have been released on [=DVD=], and remains a common sight on repeats channels on UK television into the 2020s. No relation to [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Reverend Lovejoy]], or the indie rock band Music/{{Lovejoy}}.

Hugely popular in its early-[[TheNineties '90s]] heyday, attracting circa 15 million viewers on [=BBC=] 1, ''Lovejoy'' was helped by its scenic locations in the rural east of England, leisurely and immersive pacing (a runtime of 50 minutes per episode), footage shot fully on film (avoiding the 'cheapness' lent by a VideoInsideFilmOutside look) and significantly the charismatic presence of [=McShane=] as the eponymous amiable rogue -- who would not infrequently [[NoFourthWall break the fourth wall]] to reveal his thoughts and motives in asides directly to camera. It was filmed for six seasons, all of which have been released on [=DVD=], and remains a common sight on repeats channels on UK television into the 2020s. No relation to [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Reverend Lovejoy]].

''Lovejoy'' is a British TV comedy/drama series (1986-94) based on the books by Jonathan Gash, about an antiques dealer in UsefulNotes/EastAnglia in the UK. The titular protagonist Lovejoy (played by Creator/IanMcShane) is what's known in his trade as a "divvy" -- a 'diviner', someone with almost a sixth sense which enables him to tell real antiques from fakes and accurately determine their worth. He's also simply very knowledgeable about antiques in the mundane sense, yet despite his obvious talent for the business he's quite routinely broke and generally found staying barely a step ahead of the law.

''Lovejoy'' was filmed for six seasons, all of which have been released on [=DVD=]. No relation to [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Reverend Lovejoy]].

''Lovejoy'' is a British TV comedy/drama series (1986-94) based on the books by Jonathan Gash, about an antiques dealer in UsefulNotes/EastAnglia in the UK. Lovejoy (played by Creator/IanMcShane) is a "divvy" -- a person with a sixth sense which enables him to tell real antiques from fakes and accurately determine their worth. In addition, he's very knowledgeable about antiques in the mundane sense, yet he's routinely broke and staying barely a step ahead of the law.

* OnlyOneName: Not only does Lovejoy never reveal a first name, but he insists on no honorific:

* SeriesHiatus: A five-year break between the first and second seasons.

-> '''Lovejoy''': [Aside to camera] If home is where the heart is, then this is home to me: an auction room, an auction day when the old ticker beats faster with the slender possibility that somewhere, just somewhere among the birdcages, silver spoons, commemorative medals, roll top desks and castoffs from Granny's attic, somewhere amongst that lot, a genuine authentic antique will appear shining with all the love that made it.

''Lovejoy'' is a British TV comedy/drama series based on the books by Jonathan Gash, about an antiques dealer in UsefulNotes/EastAnglia in the UK. Lovejoy (played by Creator/IanMcShane) is a "divvy" -- a person with a sixth sense which enables him to tell real antiques from fakes and accurately determine their worth. In addition, he's very knowledgeable about antiques in the mundane sense, yet he's routinely broke and staying a step ahead of the law.

Lovejoy is assisted in his work and schemes by Tinker Dill, a gregarious drunkard whose knowledge of antiques rivals Lovejoy's; Eric Catchpole, a young man whose father pays Lovejoy to teach Eric the trade; and Lady Jane Felsham, a married aristocrat whose dabbling at interior design brings her into regular contact with Lovejoy. Charlie Gimbert, a much more successful, but less popular, antiques dealer in town, provides Lovejoy with a foil, though as the series goes on they find themselves cooperating against their will more often.