Fake or Fortune on BBC 1 is a series that looks at the art world and the problems of indentifying whether a painting is a valuable piece of art worth hundreds of thousands of pounds or is practically worthless.

If you like real life tales of investigation, the prospect of vast sums of cash and the complexities of a paper trail often crossing borders and centuries, you will love this show. Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould seek out the real truth and value of paintings held by private collectors and try to uncover whether these ordinary people own paintings that are fakes or worth a fortune.

Catch up with the latest episode of Fake or Fortune via youriplayer.co.uk Imagine you have just bought a painting at an auction or online that you thought was interesting and might look good on your wall. You take it home and examine the frame, tentatively clearing some of the dust off with a brush. Looking closer you notice a signature on the bottom right corner that reads Claude Monet. Imagine next that you have it valued and the dealer tells you it might be a real Claude Monet Canvas…..Cash back!

This really did happen to one couple and the Fake or Fortune team were on hand to help with the research and in an attempt to prove the authenticity of the painting. Fiona Bruce of Antiques Road Show fame and art expert Philip Mould use almost forensic detective skills to get to the truth behind each painting.

They investigate records and call in experts to carry out microscopic study of the works. They track down previous owners and history of paintings to present their final summary. Often the provenance of paintings of value is decided by shadowy organisations such as the Wildenstein Institute in Paris.

This group of experts validate a painting’s authenticity and have the final say on whether or not it is genuine. Despite the team’s thorough research, Wildenstein Institute did not consider the Monet to be genuine – a major disappointment for the owners and the Fake or Fortune team alike. However, this set back has not stopped the art hound nature of Fake or Fortune who do find some genuinely valuable and lost works of art during this series.

Watch all episodes of Fake or Fortune here. Fake or Fortune is a tv-programme of BBC One. You can see all episodes of Fake or Fortune here via Youriplayer.co.uk.