Richmond, VA – The popular series "Legacy List with Matt Paxton" returns in January 2021 with a new season of eight one-hour episodes about families preparing to downsize their homes. Part "Antiques Roadshow " and part "Finding Your Roots," the series captures each family’s emotional journey as Matt and his team of historians, conservators and experts help them sort through a house full of memories. As a first step, Matt asks families to create a legacy list of essential, must-have items that are missing or about which they’d like to learn more. Each item tells a compelling story, and, through heartfelt conversations with the families, Matt uncovers the compelling story behind each item and what it means to the family’s unique past.
Distributed by American Public Television (APT), "Legacy List with Matt Paxton" premieres on public television stations in January 2021 ( check local listings). New episodes will stream on PBS.org each week for eight consecutive Fridays beginning January 8, 2021.
This season, Matt and the team help a diverse group of families, whose individual histories reflect the larger American story, from the nation’s founding in the 1700s through the civil rights era to the stories of more recent immigrants. "Legacy List with Matt Paxton" touches on powerful topics, including the importance of family, facing up to painful parts of history, and the struggle between holding on to the past and embracing the future. Filming locations included Leesburg and Richmond, Virginia; Manheim, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; Coventry, Connecticut; Dorchester, Massachusetts; Morristown, New Jersey; and East Hampton, New York.
“As hard as it was to film during the pandemic, it was what our clients and our team needed, to get back on the road and help people rediscover the important items that tell their family’s incredible stories of triumph and resolve,” said series host Paxton.
Matt brings with him an experienced team to help find the legacy list items, including Mike Kelleher, a walking encyclopedia of pop culture collectibles and antiques; Avi Hopkins, a culture, faith and military expert; and Jaime Ebanks, an expert in textiles, vintage clothing, fashion collectibles and travel. While Matt and the team hunt for the legacy list items, the episodes periodically spotlight the fascinating history behind the objects, creating an immersive journey into one family’s big, surprising and often bittersweet life transition.
“Season two of "Legacy List" arrives at the perfect time: to kick off a new year. Viewers will be delighted to follow these families as they rediscover their own stories and prepare for a fresh start with the help of the "Legacy List" crew,” said VPM Chief Content Officer Steve Humble.
"Legacy List with Matt Paxton" is produced by MY Entertainment and Shipyard Entertainment in association with VPM, Virginia’s home for public media, and distributed by American Public Television (APT). The Executive Producers are Joe Townley, Michael Yudin, and Neil J. Patel.
Visit MyLegacyList.com for more information about "Legacy List with Matt Paxton," tips about downsizing and decluttering, and to apply to be featured on a future episode.
About the Legacy List Team
Matt Paxton is a leading downsizing and decluttering expert. He started out after his father, stepfather and both grandfathers died in the same year, leaving him with several estates to settle at once. Ever since, Matt and his network of experts have been working with families struggling with settling estates and cleanouts for almost 20 years. He has been an expert featured during ten seasons of the hit A&E TV show HOARDERS. Matt also appears regularly as a public speaker, television and radio personality, helping families find the upside of downsizing.
Jaime Ebanks is a Virginian who grew up in New York City. Life in New York ignited an adventurous spirit that led her to cross country trend-hunting trips as a buyer for a fashion business, globetrotting volunteer work to support communities in need, and working as a teacher on a small Caribbean island. Now back in Virginia, Jaime works as a certified Senior Move Manager who helps seniors downsize and transition into the next phase of their lives. Jaime and her husband live in Richmond, Virginia, at least until the next adventure beckons.
Avi Hopkins was a multi-sport athlete in high school and earned a football scholarship at the prestigious Virginia Military Institute (VMI), where he studied history, the military, leadership and religion. This background has made Avi an expert in religious and military collectibles. He lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his wife TaNisha and three children.
Mike Kelleher is a Virginia native and ardent student of collecting and collections. His main interest is in pop culture items like vinyl records and music memorabilia, as well as items and collectibles from films, toys, video games, stereo equipment and more. Mike works as an estate cleanout and collectibles expert who has helped hundreds of families needing cleanouts, de-cluttering and item appraisals.
About VPM
As Virginia’s home for public media, VPM connects nearly 2 million people across Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley to insightful programming in arts and culture, history, science, news and education. VPM operates public television stations VPM PBS, VPM Plus, VPM PBS KIDS, lifestyle channel VPM Create and international program channel VPM WORLD, as well as Richmond NPR station VPM News (88.9 FM) and VPM Music (107.3 FM, 93.1 FM and 88.9-HD2). In the Northern Neck (89.1 FM) and Southside Virginia (90.1 FM), listeners receive a combination of news and music. Audiences can access VPM online at VPM.org and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About APT
American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations. Founded in 1961, APT distributes 250 new program titles per year and more than one-third of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. APT’s diverse catalog includes prominent documentaries, performance, dramas, how-to programs, classic movies, children’s series and news and current affairs programs. Doc Martin, Midsomer Murders, America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, AfroPoP, Rick Steves’ Europe, Pacific Heartbeat, Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television, Front and Center, Lidia’s Kitchen, Kevin Belton’s New Orleans Kitchen, Simply Ming, The Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross, James Patterson’s Kid Stew and NHK Newsline are a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most popular on public television. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service and distributes Create®TV — featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming — and WORLD™, public television’s premier news, science and documentary channel. To find out more about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.