I know absolutely nothing about establishing art provenance but I did think, while watching Fake or Fortune? (BBC1), “What’s the point of experts if they pass the buck?” Come on, guys, it’s a TV show! Be decisive and give us a happy ending (so to speak).

Barry James, a carer and art collector, brought in his lovely oil painting of a summer’s day at Herstmonceux Castle in east Sussex that said on the back it had been painted by Winston Churchill in June 1916. He had paid £140 for it at an antiques fair. But when it came to authenticating, despite much supporting evidence collected by Philip Mould and Fiona Bruce, no one wanted to take responsibility. Experts sat on the fence and said they were passing on the right to authenticate to the auction houses. But the auction houses effectively handed it back and said, “We’d rather not, thanks.”

“We find ourselves in a bamboozling position,” said Mould, who sometimes reminds me of Hugh Grant. I did agree with the head of Bonhams, who said: “We really want to rely on the opinion of recognised experts, people who have dedicated their entire lives and careers to the study of his work.” Well, exactly.

• Fiona Bruce: ‘No one knows if I am woke or not’

Again, I am clueless in this field so I may be missing the point (I’m sure you’ll tell me if I am) but it did seem to me very, very likely that it was painted by Churchill. Experts pointed to the flowers being identical to ones in corroborated art of Churchill’s. Others cited the way he did snaky squiggles in the sky and “M” letters in the trees. Mould said the figure in the painting (said to be Clementine, Churchill’s wife) was mannequin-like, which is his style. And we know that he was staying at the castle in 1916, often using the cottage as a holiday home. Call me easily convinced, but who else painted it with exactly his flourishes if it wasn’t him?

True, it was a bit of a blow that a handwriting expert said the inscription on the back didn’t match Churchill’s writing. But it did match that of his politician friend Claude Lowther, who owned the castle. Maybe Churchill gave it to him, then Lowther wrote it on the back? I felt for Barry. As it stood it was worth about £100,000 but if he could get actual documentary proof it could be worth more than £600,000. He decided to wait. You could see it meant a lot to him.

Barry was an interesting man. He collected art as a form of respite from caring for his disabled son and said he had bought “thousands” of paintings but his wife wouldn’t let him put any on the walls. She preferred photos of the children. He had tried taking this work to auction houses before contacting Fake or Fortune? but was not taken seriously. He said it was because of “the way I speak and the way I dress … I don’t look like a typical art person”. I can believe that.

• How best to display your art with Art in Isolation’s Philip Mould

So we were left at a bit of an impasse by the end. But it had been an engrossing trip through art history and Churchill’s life. I hope they’ll revisit Barry again one day when he has found his proof, and is considerably richer.
★★★★☆

Love TV? Discover the best shows on Netflix, the best Prime Video TV shows, the best Disney+ shows, the best Apple TV+ shows, the best shows on BBC iPlayer, the best shows on Sky and Now, the best shows on ITVX, the best shows on Channel 4 streaming, the best shows on Paramount+ and our favourite hidden gem TV shows. Don’t forget to check our critics’ choices to what to watch this week, and browse our comprehensive TV guide