Lovejoy poster

TV series

Lovejoy

1986TV-PG6 seasons7.4 / 10

In the shady world of antiques, Lovejoy has a knack for finding the truth.

The adventures of the eponymous Lovejoy, a likeable but roguish antiques dealer based in East Anglia. Within the trade, he has a reputation as a “divvie”, a person with an almost supernatural powers for recognising exceptional items as well as distinguishing genuine antique from clever fakes or forgeries.

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Checked Jul 22, 2026

Lovejoy is available to stream on Britbox, Britbox (Via Amazon Prime), and Spectrum On Demand in United States. Use the direct links below to open the provider.

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Synopsis

The adventures of the eponymous Lovejoy, a likeable but roguish antiques dealer based in East Anglia. Within the trade, he has a reputation as a “divvie”, a person with an almost supernatural powers for recognising exceptional items as well as distinguishing genuine antique from clever fakes or forgeries.

Season 3 episodes

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Episode 1

Friends in High Places

Jan 12, 199251m7.0 / 10

As the third series begins, Lovejoy returns to Felsham after a long break in Spain, where he was trying (without marked success) to learn to paint. He quickly seeks out Tinker (who has joined a monastery), Jane, who has a new look, and Eric, now working as a security guard. Victoria Cavero, an old friend of Jane's, comes to stay, and Lovejoy loses no time in falling for her. Victoria wants to sell a South American gold ring, and the ring sets in motion strange events for Lovejoy and Jane, including safecracking, kidnapping, polo and betrayal.

Episode credits

Directed by Sarah HellingsWritten by Jeremy PaulGuest stars Joanna Lumley, James Faulkner, Pavel Douglas, Nigel Pegram, Peter Moreton, Tony Vogel, Paul Corrigan, Arturo Venegas

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Episode 2

Out To Lunch

Jan 19, 199251m8.0 / 10

Lovejoy is spending more and more time with Victoria, not so much on his business. Together with Jane and Alexander, he and Victoria go away for the weekend at a friend's cottage. Meanwhile, Lovejoy buys some drawings for a song and sells them to an art gallery for a good profit. He is shaken when the pictures are denounced as fakes - even the artist says they are not his, but Lovejoy is sure they are. What is going on?

Episode credits

Directed by Sarah HellingsWritten by Roger MarshallGuest stars Joanna Lumley, Felicity Montagu, Pavel Douglas, James Villiers, Susan Tracy, Jonathan Coy, Vivienne Ritchie, Peter Halliday

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Episode 3

No Strings

Jan 26, 199252m7.0 / 10

A band called The Hothouse Flowers is due to appear at a local charity gig, and their manager is an old friend of Tinker's. Before going away with Victoria on a little trip, Lovejoy gets Jane to agree to take in the Flowers. Then, though, the organizer of the planned gig runs off with the money. One of the band decides to sell his valuable antique harp to make good some of the shortfall, but before Lovejoy can arrrange the sale the harp also disappears.Lovejoy works his way up to proposing to Victoria, but she turns him down and goes back to South America.

Episode credits

Directed by Peter Barber-FlemingWritten by Douglas WatkinsonGuest stars Joanna Lumley, Stephen Moore, Niall O'Brien, Bev Willis, Brenda Cavendish, Peter Stockbridge, Dave Atkins, Peter Barnes

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Episode 4

Angel Trousers

Feb 2, 199252m8.0 / 10

Lovejoy gets dragged into a sinister plot concerning Mussolini's nose and the burial at sea of Captain Bucknall (Jane's old house-keeper's brother). He is given the job of selling the late Captain's medals, and there is a smart fashion photographer who wants them, but then some drunken sailors come into the picture and he has to deal with the gun-toting Angelo Pantaloni...

Episode credits

Directed by Baz TaylorWritten by Terry HodgkinsonGuest stars Doreen Mantle, Gerard Horan, Nickolas Grace, Roger Sloman, Russell Hunter, Garfield Morgan, Derek Benfield, Joseph Long

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Episode 5

The Benin Bronze

Feb 9, 199252m8.0 / 10

Greg Veitch is on a visit from Australia, looking for antiques, but especially what he calls 'my Eureka' - the thing he must have. At Sir Max Spence's house, Greg sees a magnificent bronze from Benin, in Africa, and wants it, but he can't get an export license. Then the bronze goes missing, and Lovejoy comes under suspicion - so he feels he must get to the bottom of what's going on.

Episode credits

Directed by John CromeWritten by Roger MarshallGuest stars Paul Herzberg, Charles Dale, James Laurenson, Rob Spendlove, Jan Harvey, Maurice Denham, John McGlynn, Pip Miller

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Episode 6

Eric of Arabia

Feb 16, 199252m8.0 / 10

Lovejoy is asked to value an ancient Chinese terra-cotta figure of a pig. Then he falls off a bicycle and breaks his leg, landing him in hospital. The pig's owners, curiously, are doing their best to have it under-valued. Meanwhile, Eric needs to sell his ancient motorbike and comes up with the story that it once belonged to Lawrence of Arabia. And pigs might fly...

Episode credits

Directed by Ian McShaneWritten by Steve Coombes, Dave RobinsonGuest stars Peter Birrel, Burt Kwouk, Kenneth Griffith, Glen Goei, Ozzie Yue, Amanda Noar, Angela Bruce

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Episode 7

Scotch on the Rocks

Feb 23, 199252m8.0 / 10

Vicky finds an old claymore (a Scottish sword) in her attic. Lovejoy buys it at auction and is offered much more than it's worth for it. Puzzled, he investigates and finds the claymore is a map to buried treasure. Someone tries to steal it, so Lovejoy is not the only one hot on the trail. But the treasure is elusive - a supermarket has been built on top of it.

Episode credits

Directed by Baz TaylorWritten by T.R. BowenGuest stars Edward Hardwicke, Kate Williams, Paul Brooke, Amelia Shankley, Patrick Field, Bill Leadbitter, Mark Griffiths, James Grant

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Episode 8

Loveknots

Mar 1, 199252m8.0 / 10

Jane decides to sell an Anatolian rug. When it comes up for auction, an old lady at the sale, Harriet Fisher, buys a Berber rug for her dog, but a young Arab who also wanted it promptly steals it from Harriet. Lovejoy is curious and decides to investigate... Meanwhile, Alexander and Jane are quarrelling badly, and they decide to split up.

Episode credits

Directed by Baz TaylorWritten by Jeremy PaulGuest stars Ian Barritt, Pavel Douglas, Virginia McKenna, Tony Caunter, Christopher Simon, Philip Anthony, Nadim Sawalha, Robin Soans

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Episode 9

Smoke Your Nose

Mar 8, 199252m8.0 / 10

The Reverend Harry Nettles claims there is a mosaic floor belonging to a Roman villa in the field next to his church, which is about to be built on. Nobody believes him, and the county archaeologist has agreed to the plans, so Lovejoy races to thwart the developer. He also has a dance with Jane, newly separated from Alexander...

Episode credits

Directed by Baz TaylorWritten by Terry HodgkinsonGuest stars Paul Rogers, David Kossoff, Paul Gregory, Michelle Fairley, Christopher Fulford, Tony Rohr, Sarah Flind, Frank Jarvis

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Episode 10

Kids

Mar 15, 199252m7.0 / 10

Lovejoy's daughter Vicky disappears, then announces she is living with an older man whose wife has died. Susan, Vicky's mother, does not approve. When Lovejoy investigates, he finds that Vicky's boyfriend is not a widower at all. Meanwhile, Lovejoy is also busy uncovering a fake art scam being run by the son of a cabinet minister...

Episode credits

Directed by Peter Barber-FlemingWritten by Francis MegahyGuest stars Amanda Burton, Gordon Reid, Christopher Ettridge, Amelia Shankley, Minnie Driver, Michael Kitchen, Victoria Alcock, Mel Martin

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Episode 11

Members Only

Mar 22, 199250m8.0 / 10

Mr Kashimoto is trying without success to join an exclusive local golf club. The club asks Lovejoy to value its finest silver trophy, but he recognizes it as a fake. Eric then accidentally shoots a hole in Lovejoy's ceiling, and in the loft above a very similar trophy is discovered... Lovejoy sets out to solve the mystery.

Episode credits

Directed by John CromeWritten by Geoff McQueenGuest stars Hugh Walters, Michael Culver, Dominic Jephcott, Joan Blackham, Togo Igawa, Neil Stacy, Peter Lovstrom, Peter Bayliss

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Episode 12

Highland Fling (1)

Mar 29, 199251m8.0 / 10

Some old sketches put Lovejoy and Jane on a trail which takes them up to Scotland, where they uncover a plot by another antiques dealer to con one of Jane's friends. At home, Eric is involved with a young woman with some unsavory relations, but she also has an antique mirror to sell. Lovejoy and Jane are moving closer to romance... but who is the girl Lovejoy keeps seeing in the woods?

Episode credits

Directed by Francis MegahyWritten by Andrew PayneGuest stars Karen Westwood, Eleanor David, Larry Lamb, Bill Travers, Rupert Degas, Adrienne Corri, Dougray Scott, William Simons

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Episode 13

Highland Fling (2)

Apr 5, 199247m8.0 / 10

Some old sketches put Lovejoy and Jane on a trail which takes them up to Scotland, where they uncover a plot by another antiques dealer to con one of Jane's friends. At home, Eric is involved with a young woman with some unsavory relations, but she also has an antique mirror to sell. Lovejoy and Jane are moving closer to romance... but who is the girl Lovejoy keeps seeing in the woods?

Episode credits

Directed by Geoffrey SaxWritten by Ian La Frenais, Dick ClementGuest stars Karen Westwood, Eleanor David, Larry Lamb, Bill Travers, Adrienne Corri, Dougray Scott, William Simons, Anita West

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Episode 14

The Prague Sun

Dec 26, 19921h 33m9.0 / 10finale

Lovejoy is likely to be on his own for Christmas. However, a violent attack on an old Czech fighter pilot leads Lovejoy and Eric to Prague on a treasure hunt. Jane, who was on holiday with friends in Austria, joins Lovejoy in Prague to help solve a mystery of missing diamonds.Tinker is left to mind the shop and make preparations for Christmas.

Episode credits

Directed by Geoffrey SaxWritten by Ian La Frenais, Dick Clement

Where to watch Lovejoy

Episode information updated Jul 24, 2026

More about Lovejoy

Cast

Ian McShaneLovejoy

Dudley SuttonTinker Dill

Chris JuryEric Catchpole

Malcolm TierneyCharlie Gimbert

Caroline LangrisheCharlotte Cavendish

Diane ParishBeth Taylor

Phyllis LoganLady Jane Felsham

Alexander KnoxPinder

Credits

Created by: Ian La Frenais, Jonathan Gash
Written by: Ian La Frenais, Terry Hodgkinson, Roger Marshall, Jeremy Paul, Douglas Watkinson

Production details

Status: Ended
Series type: Scripted
Episodes: 73
Original language: English

Networks & production

BBC OneUnited Kingdom
BBCUnited Kingdom

Themes

antique dealerrogue

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