Some people who know me know that I'm a huge PBS geek. One new show that I'm really enjoying is History Detectives (featuring the Elvis Costello tune mentioned in the title as the opening). The show features a motley group: two antique appraisers, one professor of sociology, and one professor of architectural history. Each episode features 3 stories taking place in one region of the country. One or two of the detectives go to some place and given a mystery to solve. For instance, one episode featured a drawing of George Washington and the owner wanted to find out if it was real or a forgery. Another episode had these two old ladies who owned a dirk that was supposedly given to their ancestor by Napoleon and they wanted to know if it was true.
It's really a fascinating show and it tugs at my both my enjoyment of antiques and history. What's really interesting is that they don't just say they do all this research, they actually show you the methods they use to do it. The only odd thing about the show is that it seems a bit schizophrenic at times. The material (and time slot) is obviously aimed at adults. Yet sometimes it comes across like the Reading Rainbow. Still... I'm loving the show.