The “Legacy List” team: Jamie Ebanks, Mike Kelleher, Matt Paxton and Avi Hopkins (Image courtesy American Public Television)
Matt Paxton is right where he wants to be. He’s back in his hometown, raising his kids in the Bon Air neighborhood where he grew up, and he’s back on TV telling the stories he really wants to tell. Known for his work on A&E’s “Hoarders,” the reality TV star’s new show, produced by VPM, is set to premiere nationwide in January. “Legacy List” helps aging homeowners sort through their lifetime of belongings in preparation for downsizing.
In 2016, Paxton’s focus switched from helping hoarders to working with seniors preparing for a life transition when he founded a new company, Legacy Navigator, now known as WayForth.
“I realized then that I wanted to do a show focused on seniors,” Paxton says. “I get engrossed in their stories.” Paxton pitched the idea to cable networks with no luck. Then his business partner Neil Patel suggested public television. VPM signed on, and Paxton left WayForth to concentrate on the show.
For Paxton, who manned the station’s pledge week phone banks during his high school years, things seem perfectly aligned. Some of his best childhood friends work with him on the show, taking advantage of their knowledge of a particular subject — Avi Hopkins helps with military memorabilia, Mike Kelleher knows pop culture and antiques, Jamie Ebanks focuses on fashion collectibles, and Alex Reeves specializes in American paintings and furniture.
Paxton credits his Richmond upbringing for his sense of nostalgia, along with time spent with his grandfather, who was a minister, and his father, the late Ed F. Paxton, a beloved Richmond adman who mentored countless individuals throughout his career. Paxton also thinks that his experience working as a delivery boy for Buford Road Pharmacy, a highlight of which was listening to customers’ stories, prepared him for this moment.
The premiere season of “Legacy List” features six episodes, two of which were filmed in Richmond, in which Paxton’s team sorts through homeowners’ belongings in preparation for their move. The homeowner also provides a list of six items — a legacy list — they’ve misplaced but would like the team to find. “It’s not about the monetary value, it’s about emotional value,” Paxton says. “I’ve found that the more people tell the stories behind each item, it becomes easier for them to let go, whether they’re passing things on to their children, selling or donating them.
“I want to thank VPM for letting me tell these stories,” he says. “I really hope it gets people to share their stories with their families and friends.”
