Sneak Previews

Sneak Previews
Also known asOpening Soon at a Theater Near You (1975–1977)
Sneak Previews Goes Video (1989–1991)
GenreFilm review
Created byThea Flaum[1][2]
Presented by
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons21
Production
Production locationChicago, Illinois
Running time30 minutes
Production companyWTTW
Original release
NetworkPBS
ReleaseNovember 26, 1975 (1975-11-26) –
October 4, 1996 (1996-10-04)
Related
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Sneak Previews (1975 to 1996: known as Opening Soon...at a Theater Near You from 1975 to 1977, and Sneak Previews Goes Video from 1989 to 1991) is an American film review show[1] that ran for over two decades on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). It was created by WTTW, a PBS member station in Chicago, Illinois. It premiered on November 26, 1975, as a monthly local-only show called Opening Soon...at a Theater Near You[3] and in 1977 was renamed Sneak Previews. In 1978 it became a biweekly show airing nationally on PBS.[4] It grew to prominence with a review-conversation-banter format between opinionated film critics, notably for a time, Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. By 1980, it was a weekly series airing on over 180 stations and the highest-rated weekly entertainment series in the history of public broadcasting.[1] The show's final broadcast was on October 4, 1996.[5]

  1. ^ a b c Steinberg, Joel. "SISKEL and EBERT". Museum of Broadcast Communications. Archived from the original on August 20, 2002. Retrieved 2010-11-30.
  2. ^ Bernstein, Fred (August 20, 1984). "Tough! Tender! Gritty! Evocative! Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert Live to Dissect Films-and Each Other". People. Archived from the original on August 26, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  3. ^ "Clipping from the Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune. November 26, 1975. Retrieved July 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Moeller, Tom Brink (October 18, 1978). "Critics Offer A Sneak Peek At The Movies On PBS..." The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved July 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Friday, October 4, 1996". KET. Archived from the original on July 23, 1997. Retrieved December 31, 2022.