Collectors

Collectors was an Australian television series that was shown at 8.00pm on Friday on ABC1 and repeated at 6.00pm on Monday on ABC2. It investigated a variety of collections from museums and private collectors. It was hosted by comedian Andy Muirhead, a former biologist, and featured a panel of experts: Sydney-based fashion designer Claudia Chan Shaw, antiques dealer and restorer Gordon Brown and professor of sociology Adrian Franklin. The panel formerly included museum curator Niccole Warren, and Lauren Carpenter who still occasionally reports for the show. Past guests have included former Australian immigration minister Amanda Vanstone, former Australian federal opposition leader Kim Beazley, and musician Pete Cooper from The Porkers. On 11 June 2010, it was reported that host Andy Muirhead had been charged with one count of accessing child pornography. Collectors was off-air for a month and Muirhead took unpaid leave during proceedings. The website for the show was also taken down temporarily. These actions have been criticised for giving an impression of guilt. It was announced the following week that the show would return without Muirhead in July. In October 2012, Muirhead was sentenced to 10 months in jail for child pornography offences after pleading guilty in July 2012.