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For those who wish there was a Hollywood-themed version of American Pickers, Hollywood Treasure scratches that itch as it returns for a second season.
The first two episodes prove to be as fruitful as ever; a romp in the backyard shed of an entertainment industry worker whose house is about to be repossessed nets more than her house's worth, and an exo-skeleton from one of the Terminator movies is just one of the big-ticket items sold for astronomical amounts to anonymous bidders. The auction is something like Christie's, but for people who will pay any amount to own original props and memorabilia from various movies, TV shows, and celebrities. The grandson of the actor who played the Tin-Man from Wizard of Oz earns a pretty penny by selling a copy of the book signed by the entire cast of the film, as verified by Joe Maddalena's team at Profiles in History, the company that handles this type of business.
These are just some of the stories for whom Maddalena acts as the middle-man. He digs through sheds, warehouses, and various other locations by hand, often with a flashlight in hand, to uncover items for auction. Maddalena is likeable enough -- reality shows very clearly have a formula to follow, and he tries the best he can to do what the producers need him to do to make good television. He's not an actor (which I'm very thankful for), he's a very specialized antique dealer who wants to find good homes for the (almost) priceless treasures he comes across. His passion for his work is very clear, more so than his eagerness to cover up the marionette strings.
The show has some very cool moments for entertainment buffs. Even those who are only superficially familiar with entertainment can find something to marvel at, such as original props from Nightmare Before Christmas, and Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet, the reason why robots evolved from beeping boxes of metal to autonomous beings with personalities. Maddalena, ever the passionate salesperson, will find a way to make his wares appealing to the viewer.
It's more than likely that if you are reading this review, whether as a regular reader of Shakefire or otherwise, you will find something to like about Hollywood Treasure.