"We're always looking for distinctive historical locations that will fit us," Bemko said. "When we called and asked, they said 'yes, they'd love to have us.'"
The show stops at the 654-acre property on Wednesday, June 22. "When we knock on doors, not everyone says 'yes.'" She said having a large group of people visit for the show can be overwhelming to some.
About 5,000 people are expected to descend on Filoli, which includes a 54,000-square-foot Georgian revival-style mansion and 16 acres of English Renaissance gardens, according to Bemko. Those interested in attending can enter to win two free tickets to the event, which runs from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There will also be about 120 volunteers from KQED helping run the event.
Ticket holders will be given specific time slots to attend. Each attendee can bring up to two items to be appraised by experts.
In each hour-long episode, auction house specialists and independent dealers offer free appraisals of antiques and collectibles, including family heirlooms and flea market finds, according to the show's website.
Although not everyone who attends will end up on TV — producers edit down the 150 segments they film, there's a "100% chance" you'll have your items appraised, Bemko said.
"Most of us don't understand everything we own," Bemko said. "It's a chance to learn about what you own from the country's top experts. You get an answer to a question you can't search on the internet."
Bemko noted that she feels like she has "one of the best jobs in America" as a producer on the show. Because of her travels with the show, she's been to every U.S. state.
"I love learning with the audience," she said. "I love it (that the items) takes us further into subjects."
She said her favorite item from over the years with the show is a label for a 1918, World War I-era can of peaches and a letter from a soldier, worth about $550 to $600. Although not worth as much as diamond rings she's coveted in the past, she likes the sentiment of the soldier writing home that "peaches are worth fighting for."
Past filming at Filoli
Filoli is no stranger to film and TV productions. Most notably, parts of the soap opera "Dynasty" were filmed on the estate's property in the 1980s.
The first movie to be filmed at Filoli was "Heaven Can Wait" in 1978, which starred Warren Beatty. During the 1990s, casts of "George of the Jungle" and "The Joy Luck Club" filmed scenes in Filoli's mansion.
Filoli stood in as a possible wedding location in Napa in the 2001 movie "The Wedding Planner" with Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey.
Information on the show
The Antiques Roadshow will also make stops in Nashville, Tennessee; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Boise, Idaho; and Shelburne, Vermont.
The ticket drawing will be conducted in April. After the drawing, around April 11, ticket winners will be notified if they were chosen. All guests must be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Enter the drawing at pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/tickets by March 21.
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