At the Movies (1986 TV program)

This article is about the 1986–2010 film review series. For the 1982–90 film review program also hosted by Siskel and Ebert, see At the Movies (1982 TV program). For the Australian film review program hosted by David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz, see At the Movies (Australian TV series).
"Two thumbs up" redirects here. For other uses, see Two Thumbs Up.

At the Movies
GenreFilm review
Presented by
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons24
Production
Production locations
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkSyndication
ReleaseSeptember 13, 1986 (1986-09-13) –
August 14, 2010 (2010-08-14)
Related
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

At the Movies (originally Siskel & Ebert & the Movies, and later At the Movies with Ebert and Roeper) was an American movie review television program produced by Disney–ABC Domestic Television in which two film critics share their opinions of newly released films.[1] Its original hosts were Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, the former hosts of Sneak Previews on PBS (1975–1982) and a similarly titled syndicated series (1982–1986).[1] After Siskel died in 1999,[2] Ebert worked with various guest critics until choosing Chicago Sun-Times colleague Richard Roeper as his regular partner in 2000.[3]

Ebert suspended his appearances in 2006 for treatment of thyroid cancer, with various guest hosts substituting for him. From April to August 2008 Michael Phillips, a successor of Siskel at the Chicago Tribune, co-hosted with Roeper.[4] Starting on September 6, 2008, Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz took over as hosts;[5] their partnership lasted only one season.[6] On August 5, 2009, it was announced that Phillips would return to the show as a permanent co-host, teaming with A. O. Scott of The New York Times for what would be the program's final season.[6]

During its run with Siskel and Ebert as hosts, the series was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards seven times and also for Outstanding Information Series, the last nomination occurring in 1997.[1][7] It was widely known for the "thumbs up/thumbs down" review summaries given during Siskel's and Ebert's tenures[8] (this was dropped after Ebert ended his association with the program, as the phrase "Two Thumbs Up" is a trademark held by the Siskel and Ebert families).[9][10] The show aired in syndication in the United States and on CTV in Canada; it also aired throughout the week on the cable network ReelzChannel.

The show's cancellation was announced on March 24, 2010,[11] and the last episode was aired during the weekend of August 14–15, 2010.[12] The next month, Ebert announced a new version of At the Movies, which launched on public television on January 21, 2011.[13] The series went on permanent hiatus at the end of 2011 due to lack of financial underwriting and then Ebert's death on April 4, 2013.[14][15]

  1. ^ a b c Steinberg, Joel. "Siskel and Ebert". Museum of Broadcast Communications. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  2. ^ McG Thomas, Robert Jr. (February 21, 1999). "Gene Siskel, Half of a Famed Movie-Review Team, Dies at 53". The New York Times. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  3. ^ "Columnist to become foil to Roger Ebert". Tampa Bay Times. July 14, 2000. Retrieved May 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Scott, A.O. (April 13, 2008). "Roger Ebert, The Critic Behind The Thumb". The New York Times. pp. Arts & Leisure, 1, 22. Retrieved May 5, 2008.
  5. ^ Anne Thompson (July 22, 2008). "Lyons, Mankiewicz to host 'Movies'". Variety. Archived from the original on September 12, 2008. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Phil Rosenthal (August 5, 2009). "Chicago Tribune's Michael Phillips, N.Y. Times' A.O. Scott take over 'At the Movies'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  7. ^ "Siskel & Ebert - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  8. ^ Gliatto, Tom (November 1, 1999). "Despite the Loss of Film-Critic Buddy Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert Gives Life a Thumbs Up". People. Archived from the original on February 5, 2009. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference ebertleaves was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval: US Serial No. 74587944". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  11. ^ "Long-running review show 'At the Movies' canceled". Retrieved March 25, 2010.
  12. ^ "'At the Movies' canceled; Last show to air August 14, 2010". ABC7 Los Angeles. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  13. ^ Ebert launches revamped 'At the Movies', Digital Spy, September 10, 2010
  14. ^ Ebert, Roger (November 30, 2011). "So long for awhile". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 3, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  15. ^ Martin, Douglas (April 4, 2013). "Roger Ebert Dies at 70; a Critic for the Common Man". The New York Times. Retrieved June 17, 2022.