“Swap Shop” is a reality TV treasure-hunting series set in rural Tennessee, which is based on the popular radio show called “World Famous Swap Shop” (WFSS). In a similar manner to series such as “Pawn Stars” and “American Pickers”, Netflix’s “Swap Shop” follows nine couples who listen into the radio show every morning, waiting for the next big deal they can grab cheaply and flip for a profit.

 “Swap Shop” radio show

“World Famous Swap Shop” has quite a long history. It started in 1957, and the present name was coined in 1970. The show airs every Monday through Saturday morning, kicking-off with the famous opening line ‘The ‘phone lines are now open, and we’re ready to get swapping’. The premise is rather simple – people call in to offer something up for sale, describe what it is, how much they want for the item, and how to get in touch with them.

In October 2018, Debbie Beal, the owner of WRGS radio station which broadcasts WFSS, was contacted by Hit + Run Productions about making a TV show based around it. ‘They had a lot of ideas, and wanted to know if we wanted to be a part of it. At first I was skeptical because ‘I don’t want you making fun of all my people’. But, they assured me that would not be the case. I think it’s going to be a cute show.’, Debbie said in an interview she gave for the magazine “Review”.

She was asked to run a radio ad to ask listeners of the show to contact the production company. A lot of people answered the ad, and eventually the final selection of nine couples was made. The cast includes people from all over East Tennessee, such as the historian and antique collector Rodney Ferrel, based in Surgoinsville, and Mike Ringley and Jennifer Seals also participate, having previously operated an antique shop.

On the other hand, the two voices who were sadly not called in by the production company are the hosts of “World Famous Swap Show” themselves, Jay Phillips and Tom Davis. Their eventual appearance on the show is still not off the table, though, as the two surely have valuable insights into the world of antique treasure hunting.

Fans of “Swap Shop” based outside of Tennessee can check out the original radio show on the official WRGS website, where they can also find all of the deals advertised on the show.

Amber Davis’ death

The first season of “Swap Show” was released on Netflix on 9 November 2021. One of the starring couples of the debut season was Richard and Amber Davis, who ran a comic book store in Knoxville, Tennessee, called Nirvana Comics. They founded the store in 2017, and it has since grown to be the biggest and most popular comic book store in their city, dealing in both newly released titles, and rare, antique finds.

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After the show’s production began, Amber tragically passed away in December 2020. Since when her husband Richard has continued running the store, with the help of the store manager, Garin.

According to an Instagram post by Richard, Amber was admitted to the UT Medical Center in Knoxville, in early December 2020, to undergo kidney transplant surgery. Even though the cause of her death has not been disclosed, it’s believed that she succumbed to complications following surgery. On 15 October the following year, Garin uploaded another Instagram post, in honor of what would have been Amber’s 39^th birthday. ‘This clip in the “Swap Shop” trailer really hit when it dropped this week. Today is Amber’s birthday. Seeing her alive and well in the shop she loved, dice in hand for D&D, her little white Mina dog by her side brought so many emotions’, he wrote in a heartfelt post.

Nirvana Comics today

After Amber’s tragic passing, Richard and Garin continued running Nirvana Comics, and were later joined by fellow comic book enthusiasts Grant and Jasmine Mitchell, who now co-run the store with them. While Richard’s spent his whole life in Tennessee, Garin originally comes from Roanoke, Virginia, and relocated to Knoxville to attend a local community college. The two share a strong passion for comic books, pop culture and superheroes, however, what makes their comic book shop stand out, is their commitment to treat all customers with respect, and give back to the community whenever possible.

While they may appear to be polar opposites when it comes to conducting business, their differing personalities provide a necessary balance in all of their business endeavors.

Aside from running Nirvana Comics, Garin is also the host of “The Printed Panel” podcast, while Richard has created his own comic book series, entitled “Cult of Dracula”.

In late January 2022, they made headlines by opening a fundraiser to give away free copies of “Maus”. Written and illustrated by Art Speigelman in 1991, “Maus” is a Pulitzer Prize winning graphic novel, which tells the story of the Holocaust through animal allegory. After the book was unanimously banned from schools in McMinn county, Tennessee for ‘containing swear words’ and ‘unnecessary depictions of violence and suicide’, the staff of Nirvana Comics started a GoFundMe project to raise funds to buy copies of the graphic novel, and distribute them to students across East Tennesse for free. ‘I’m sure that this school board and parents were very well-intentioned trying to protect their children, but I think they have achieved the exact opposite result, because I don’t think they’re protecting their children by shielding them from books like “Maus”.

They’re actually harming them because they’re growing up expecting the world to be something that it isn’t’, said Richard in a public statement about the fundraiser.

They managed to surpass their goal in only four days, raising almost $70,000. The project really took off when the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” star, Wil Wheaton shared the story on Twitter. By the end, Nirvana Comics had raised over $100,000 for the cause, and are planning to distribute more than 20,000 free copies of the book, along with study guides for parents and children.

In February 2022, Nirvana Comics celebrated Black History Month by showcasing black creators, characters and artists in the comic book industry.

Considering what happened with Amber, staff of Nirvana Comics decided not to return for season two of “Swap Shop”.

“Swap Shop” season two

The second season of “Swap Shop” was released on Netflix on 16 February 2022, featuring n new cast, along with some familiar faces from season one.

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One of the first pairs we get to see return are Dale and his business partner Scott, who own Kykers Xtreme Automotive car repair shop. We follow them as they try to snag a barn-kept 1970 Plymouth GTX, complete with a 440 power plant, which can go for up to $75,000 if returned to pristine condition. In one of the funniest scenes of the season, the two arrive late at the scene, to find that the Plymouth had already been purchased, but, instead of giving up, they chase down the buyer, and eventual purchase the car.

Also returning from season one are the owners of Pickers Paradise, Jen and Doug, who are rushing to get a deal at an estate sale, at which they’re greeted by JD and Bobby, another pair of seasoned pickers, and have to compete for the most valuable items.

The possible third season hasn’t even been filmed yet, and Netflix still hasn’t officially renewed the show.

While fans of the series are expecting to see more after two short seasons consisting of only six episodes each, there may not be a lot to hold on to, as Netflix is notorious for chopping down even its most successful shows, in favor of series.

Where is “Swap Shop” filmed?

Both seasons of “Swap Shop” take place in East Tennessee, within the reach of WRGD Radio airwaves. It perfectly highlights how their “World Famous Swap Shop” became an integral part of the local culture.

The radio station itself is located at 211 Buren Road in Rogersville, Hawkins County, however, we’re yet to see pickers from this town featured in the Netflix series. The majority of the businesses seen featured in the show are based in Knoxville, including Nirvana Comics and Monterrey Mexican. Businesses from other parts of Tennesse are West Main Antiques and Vintage from Johnson City, Kyker’s Xtreme Automotive located in Greenville, and JD’s Realty and Auction from Clinton.

Aside from these, a number of local barns and farms have been a vital part of production of the show.

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It’s also speculated that the crew may have filmed some scenes in other states, but these rumors were never confirmed by the production team.

History of antique picking

Showcased on numerous popular reality TV shows which aired in recent years, antique collecting is the art of gathering items of aesthetic, historical and monetary value. The first records of antique picking date back to the 16^th century, at the time when private collections of rarities flourished in Europe. The 18^th century saw a significant development in the field of archeology, which heightened public interest in collecting and preserving historical rarities.

American pickers became seriously active during that period, collecting old books, manuscripts, memoirs, as well as everyday items. As part of the Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1876, finely crafted household articles and furniture attracted many collectors. By the 20^th century, most collectors started specializing in one kind of antique objects, collecting items such as postal stamps, jewelry, coins, needlework, and many more.

Oftentimes, the value of an antique item is determined by its rarity, but the price is also influenced by the item’s overall aesthetic, the buyers’ nostalgia, and the value an item holds to them personally, ie, how much are they willing to pay. Therefore, pickers often try to get a hold of objects associated with a certain stylistic current that is going through a revival of interest.

Antique dealers use a variety of sources to find their items, such as auctions, flea markets and garage sales.

Other reality shows on Netflix

For fans of offbeat realty shows like “Swap Shop”, there is a bunch of series with a similar ‘vibe’ currently streaming on Netflix. One of the most quirky reality series has to be “Blow Away”, a soothing glass blowing competition show that centers on this mesmerizing art form, which has largely been ignored by mainstream culture.

“The Great British Bake Off” is another (more or less) peaceful competition show, featuring a group of amateur bakers as they face off in a series of challenges, attempting to impress the judges with their baked goods. Originally airing on Channel 4 since 2010, all 12 seasons of the show found their way to streaming platforms, where they’ve attracted a brand-new fanbase, especially during recent lockdowns.

Netflix’s original competition series – “The Big Flower Fight” – is similar to “The Great British Bake Off”, except with floral arrangements instead of cakes and pastries. Hosted by comedians Natasia Demetrious and Vic Reeves, with Kristen Griffith-Vanderyacht as the judge, the series has built a small but loyal fanbase, and was branded as ‘emotional comfort food’ by TV critics.

When the first season of the cult-classic reality series “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” saw its release in 2019, it made a lot of traction online, with the host’s signature phrase ‘this sparks joy’. The show follows Marie as she helps her clients tidy up their living spaces, and provide them with helpful tips on how to keep the house clean and tidy at all times.

“Somebody Feed Phil” is a travel documentary TV series which premiered on Netflix on 12 January 2018. The show follows the famous TV producer, actor and food aficionado, Phil Rosenthal as he travels across the world in search of the best culinary experiences. “Somebody Feed Phil” is often considered to be a successor to “I’ll Have What Phil’s Having”, Phil’s old show which aired on PBS. Across four seasons, Rosenthal visited 22 cities, including Venice, Marrakesh and Seoul. As the fourth season of “Somebody Feed Phil” concluded in late October 2020, a lot of Phil’s fans were left hungry for more – pun definitely intended – and wondering whether the series would be continuing with more episodes.

 “Somebody Feed Phil” season five

According to “The Hollywood Reporter”, “Somebody Feed Phil” fans and Rosenthal himself should be delighted to hear that Netflix has officially renewed the show for another season.

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Reportedly, the series will return on 25 May 2022, and season five will be longest season the series has had so far, consisting of ten episodes. If you’re a fan of “Somebody Feed Phil” – or just a fan of food and travel in general – you should know that Netflix will host an early screening on 3 May, as part of their yearly comedy festival “Netflix is ​​a Joke”. Phil himself is set to host the screening of the premiere episode, and later take part in a Q&A session, moderated by Jimmi Simpson.

The upcoming season will start with an episode set in Oaxaca, Mexico, which Phil had expressed interest in visiting for a long time. The city is known for authentic tacos, chili rellenos and crane asada, as well as more unusual options such as corn fungus, grasshoppers and goat’s head soup. Following episodes are set in Madrid, Helsinki, Portland (Oregon), and Portland (Maine).

In previous seasons, we saw Phil visit American cities such as New Orleans and Chicago, as well as world-wide locations including Seoul, Cape Town and Tel Aviv.

Based on Phil’s interviews, we can notice that he’s particularly interested in visiting Australia in the future. Although most of us associate the Australian cuisine with Vegemite sandwiches and ‘shrimp on the barbie’, the country actually offers a lot more exciting foods, even including grilled kangaroo meat, making it a potential future location for an episode of “Somebody Feed Phil”.

However, with some Covid-19 related restrictions still in place, it may prove difficult for Phil and his team to fulfill their travel wish list, so it’s safe to assume that they will opt to visit more cities in the US. It’s been speculated that an episode of the show could take place in Boston, Massachusetts, which has been long overdue for a visit from Rosenthal. If Boston makes the series’ roster, Phil will surely try out the famous Boston lobster, perhaps in a combination with macaroni and cheese.

Diners in the city are also known for seemingly simple dishes, such as Yankee pot roast and baked beans, while cream pie is their most popular dessert.

Who is Phil Rosenthal?

Born on 27 January 1960, Philip ‘Phil’ Rosenthal has built a long-lasting career on television, primarily as a producer and writer, before becoming a TV host himself in recent years.

Phil was born to Jewish parents, who immigrated to the US after WW2. He grew up in New York City, attending the local Clarkstown High School, where he became an active member of the school’s drama club, Cue N’ Curtain. After matriculating in 1977, he enrolled at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, from which he graduated in 1981.

In the following years Phil worked as an actor, before making a transition to producing, his earliest works including shows such as “Baby Talk” and “Coach”. However, his biggest commercial success up to date was the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond”, which aired on CBS from September 1996 through May 2005.

The series centered on Raymond Barone, an Italian-American sportswriter, who lives with his family on Long island, New York and takes nothing in life too seriously. The series received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and viewers alike, and is ranked the 49^th all-time funniest TV comedy by the magazine “Complex”, and the 35^th best sitcom of all time by “Rolling Stone”. Phil himself wrote a number of episodes of the series, along with being the executive producer, and was nominated for three Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, in 2000, 2002 and 2005.

In 2006, he published his first book entitled “You’re Lucky You’re Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom”, in which he recounts how his life led to the success of “Everybody Loves Raymond”. In the following years, he worked on numerous other projects, including the documentary film “Exporting Raymond” (2010), centered on his own efforts to adapt “Everybody Loves Raymond” for Russian TV, despite knowing very little about the local culture.

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In September 2015, PBS debuted Phil’s culinary documentary series “I’ll Have What Phil’s Having”, in which he travelled to locations around the world and explored their cuisines. Although the series only lasted for six episodes before it was cancelled by the network, Netflix picked up on the idea, which led to the creation of “Somebody Feed Phil”.

Phil Rosenthal is also known for his philanthropic endeavors; he serves on the creative council of the non-profit anti-corruption organization Represent.Us, focused on ending political corruption by pushing for reforms to protect voting rights, stopping gerrymandering and lobbying, and promoting financial transparency during elections. In 2020, inspired by his show “Somebody Feed Phil”, Rosenthal launched the “Somebody Feed the People” campaign, to support organizations that provide for voters waiting in long lines during Presidential Elections.

Since 1990, Phil has been married to the “Everybody Loves Raymond” star, Monica Louise Horan, with whom he has two children, daughter Lilly and son Ben.

“Somebody Feed Phil”

While the idea of a professional TV producer starring in a culinary show may seem to be out of left field, Phil turned out to be the prefect pick for the role. He actually first thought about doing that kind of a show while he was still working on “Everybody Loves Raymond”. In the interview he gave for the magazine “Fine Dining Lovers”, Phil recounts talking to the lead actor of the series, Ray Romano, and asking him whether he’d ever thought about travelling to Italy to explore his Italian heritage. As Ray responded negatively, saying ‘I’m not really interested in exploring other cultures’, Phil decided to make an episode about sending him to Italy. Ray (the actor) ended up being incredibly impressed by everything, but especially food. In regards to the episode, Phil said ‘That Italy episode expressed everything I love, not just specifically about Italy, but in the larger sense, how I feel about travelling. And personally, there is no greater high than turning people on to stuff you like.’ From that moment on, Phil wanted to do just that.

Phil likes to jokingly refer to himself as ‘Anthony Bourdain – if he was afraid of everything’, however, unlike the late Bourdain, Phil is very light-hearted and comedic in his approach to a culinary show. In the interview he gave for the “I’m So Obsessed” podcast, Phil said: ‘I figured there might be more people out there who, like me, watch Bourdain and go, ‘He’s amazing. I’m never doing that.’ And yet, there should be some kind of travel show for them’. ‘What do I want out of a vacation? Well, I’d like a hotel with a bed and a pillow. I’d like food that I recognize as food and not bugs, which are things that we don’t necessarily eat.’, he continued. Luckily, Phil’s show is produced by his brother, Rich Rosenthal, who frequently pushes him out of his comfort zone, which makes for Phil taking on more daring choices on the show.

In the past four years, “Somebody Feed Phil” has accumulated significant critical acclaim, due to Phil’s radiant positivity and sense of humor, which are the selling points of the show.

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As a test, the series has been nominated for two Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program Category. At the Critics’ Choice Real TV Awards, the show won the title of the Best Travel/Adventure Show, while Phil received the award for Male Star of the Year in 2021.

Phil published his second book in 2022, entitled “Somebody Feed Phil the Book”, which consists of behind-the-scenes stories and photos from the eponymous Netflix series, as well as frequently requested recipes, so that fans can recreate the dishes from the show at home.

Netflix food shows

While we wait for a new season of “Somebody Feed Phil”, there are plenty of culinary shows to catch up on in the meantime.

One of the best-rated food shows available on Netflix is Jon Favreau’s “The Chef Show”. Back in 2014, Jon met the famous cook, Roy Choi, who was a consultant for his movie “Chef”, which started their friendship, based on their mutual love of food. In their series, the duo cook, eat and learn about new foods, with the help of their celebrity guests.

Another culinary show worth watching is the docu-series “Chef’s Table”. Directed by David Gelb as a follow-up to his critically-acclaimed documentary film “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”, each episode of the series follows a different chef, exploring their lives, talents and passions which influenced their successful careers. “Chef’s Table” started airing in 2015, has since spawned six seasons and two spin-offs, and been nominated for a variety of awards, including eight Emmys.

Based on Samin Nosrat’s bestselling book of the same name, “Salt Fat Acid Heat” is a four-part documentary which explores all four elements from the title, and their use in cooking in depth. During the series, we see Samin visit restaurants in California, Japan and Italy, among others, while investigating the process of preparing food. Given that the show is a combination of a travel documentary and a cooking guide, it’s a must-watch for every home cook.

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In the Netflix documentary series “Ugly Delicious”, celebrity chef David Chang explores foods often overlooked in the high-class culinary world, such as pizza, tacos and fried chicken. Each episode is dedicated to a different dish, and follows Chang and his friends as they visit a variety of restaurants in the US and abroad, and delve into what makes good food good. The series also focuses on cultural aspects of foods, how they became popularized, and how they are being interpreted by cooks in different parts of the world (spoiler alert: apparently the best pizza you could eat is actually being made in Japan).

One of the most popular cooking series right now is certainly BBC’s competition show “The Great British Bake Off”. The series has been airing for 12 seasons, starting in 2010, and follows a group of baking enthusiasts as they compete for the title of UK’s Best Amateur Baker. The series has been warmly received by TV critics and audiences alike, often being praised for the lack of drama, with “The Guardian” calling it ‘the nicest show on television’. The popularity of “The Great British Bake Off” in the UK has reportedly spurred interest in home baking, with British supermarkets reporting sharp rises of baking ingredients and accessories. Furthermore, the series is even being developed into a stage musical, set to premiere in July 2022.