At the Movies (1986 TV program)


At the Movies is an American movie review television program produced by Disney–ABC Domestic Television in which two film critics share their opinions of newly released films. Its original hosts were Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, the former hosts of Sneak Previews on PBS and a similarly titled syndicated series. After Siskel died in 1999, Ebert worked with various guest critics until choosing Chicago Sun-Times colleague Richard Roeper as his regular partner in 2000.
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. Starting on September 6, 2008, Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz took over as hosts; their partnership lasted only one season. 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.
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. It was widely known for the "thumbs up/thumbs down" review summaries given during Siskel's and Ebert's tenures. 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, and the last episode was aired during the weekend of August 14–15, 2010. The next month, Ebert announced a new version of At the Movies, which launched on public television on January 21, 2011. 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.

Broadcast history

Predecessors

The show's origins and format trace back to Sneak Previews, a PBS series produced by WTTW that originally featured Ebert and Siskel, and At the Movies, a follow-up show that the two created with Tribune Entertainment.

''Siskel & Ebert & the Movies'' (1986–1987)

The series itself began in September 1986 as Siskel & Ebert & the Movies, when Siskel and Ebert signed with Buena Vista Entertainment, the television division of the Walt Disney Company; it was the division's first ever program.

''Siskel & Ebert'' (1987–1999)

The show's title was shortened to simply Siskel and Ebert in mid-1987. The program was originally recorded in the studios of WBBM-TV, Chicago's CBS owned-and-operated station. In August 2001, a few years after Disney's 1996 purchase of Capital Cities/ABC, the show's tapings were moved to ABC's Chicago station, WLS-TV, where it remained for its duration.
Siskel and Ebert often had notably divergent tastes, and as a result, heated arguments and spats that added to the series's popularity. Many viewers considered such "fights" the highlight of the program. In joint appearances on the talk show circuit, especially David Letterman's NBC and CBS shows, the two critics indicated a mutual respect and friendship off screen. Widely circulated outtakes from promo-recording sessions show the two both bickering and joking off-air.
On May 11, 1998, Siskel was hospitalized for treatment of a brain tumor. For a few weeks, the show was taped with Siskel on the telephone and Ebert in the studio. Siskel eventually returned to the studio, but he seemed noticeably more lethargic and mellow. In February 1999, he announced he was taking a leave of absence for further treatment of the tumor, hoping to return. Less than three weeks later, Siskel died from complications of the surgery. The weekend after Siskel's death, Ebert devoted the entire half-hour to a tribute to him. On the show were various clips from shows past as well as their history together as journalists and then on television. Ebert also appeared on ABC's Good Morning America in a tribute to Siskel along with Diane Sawyer, Charles Gibson, Peter Jennings, and Joel Siegel, fellow critic and friend of Siskel.
The last show that Siskel and Ebert hosted together aired during the weekend of January 23–24, 1999. On that show, they reviewed At First Sight, Another Day in Paradise, The Hi-Lo Country, Playing by Heart, and The Theory of Flight. Ebert gave thumbs down to all but Another Day In Paradise, while Siskel gave thumbs up to all but Playing by Heart.

''Roger Ebert & the Movies'' (1999–2000)

Ebert continued the show with a series of guest critics. Originally retaining the Siskel & Ebert title, the program was renamed Roger Ebert & the Movies on the weekend of September 4–5, 1999, after Siskel's death. The guests matched wits with Ebert and tested their chemistry. Ebert and film director Martin Scorsese co-hosted one noteworthy episode about the best films of the 1990s. This format continued through the end of the 1998–99 season and into 2000 before Ebert named fellow Chicago Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper as his permanent co-host. Critics Joyce Kulhawik and Michaela Pereira were the other two finalists for the role before the job ultimately went to Roeper.

Critics substituting for Gene Siskel after his death

The following critics substituted for Siskel after his death:
The addition of Roeper as permanent co-host led to the show's name change on September 9–10, 2000 to Ebert & Roeper and the Movies. The show's name was shortened to Ebert & Roeper in September 2001.

''Ebert & Roeper'' (2001–2007)

With the rebranding to Ebert & Roeper in 2001, the series gained a new set, replacing the one that had been used since its 1986 debut.
In 2002, Ebert was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent radiation treatments for tumors on his thyroid and a salivary gland while continuing to work. Complications led to an emergency operation in 2006, which interrupted his reviewing schedule. For the remainder of the 2006–07 season, the show continued with guest hosts during his recuperation.
By October 2006, Ebert had recovered sufficiently to resume writing published reviews on a limited basis and later he was able to make a few public appearances, but due to his difficulty speaking, he did not return to the show. As Ebert's doctors attempted to reconstruct his jawbone, his face and neck became increasingly malformed with each surgery. Television being a distinctly visual medium, this put the producers on edge. They worried that Ebert's disfigurement would produce a decline in viewership and lower ratings. The show became available online toward the end of 2006, with access to movie reviews on demand. In June 2007, the online program updated its archive, making available all movie reviews since 1986. After the show's cancellation in 2010, the archive and site were shut down.

''At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper'' (2007–2008)

Over the summer of 2007, the show's official name was changed again to At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper, although the show's main title graphics continued to use the shortened name.
As Ebert's absence from the show continued, a handful of critics became frequent guests. Robert Wilonsky of the Dallas Observer and HDnet.com, Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips, and A. O. Scott of The New York Times appeared repeatedly. On April 13, 2008, Scott wrote that his "experiences ... ended when Michael Phillips of The Tribune was made Mr. Roeper's permanent foil". Phillips remained Roeper's cohost until Roeper and Ebert ended their relationship with the series in August 2008. The pair's final appearance together occurred in an episode of Entourage that aired on September 6, 2008, in which they played themselves using their show to lambast the fictional film Medellin.
The iconic balcony sets, which existed for decades, were dismantled and destroyed. Ebert had been under the impression that they would be donated to the Smithsonian.

Critics substituting for Roger Ebert, post-surgery

The following critics acted as substitutes for Ebert after his surgery:

Lyons and Mankiewicz (2008–2009)

On July 21, 2008, Roeper announced that he was leaving the show after he and Disney–ABC Domestic Television did not reach an agreement on a new contract. His last show aired on the weekend of August 16. The same day, Ebert announced on his website that Disney had "decided to take the program... in a new direction" and that he would therefore no longer be associated with the show. Both Ebert and Roeper hinted at returning for a new show that would continue the format Ebert and Siskel devised. The next day, Disney announced that Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz would take over as the new hosts of At the Movies beginning on September 6–7, 2008. The intention was that Lyons and Mankiewicz would take the show in a new direction, hoping to widen the viewership and appeal to younger audiences. The show generally maintained the same format, with one of the two critics presenting a film, leading to a discussion of its merits.
The "See It/Skip It/Rent It" review thumbnails, the DVD recommendations, and the "3 to See" segment were retained. For some films, the show used a new "Critics Roundup" segment. In addition, instead of the traditional "The balcony is closed" sign-off, one of the hosts said, "We'll be at the movies," which echoed the "We'll see you at the movies" sign-off from the first seven seasons of Sneak Previews and the Tribune Entertainment-produced At the Movies. The show also featured a new upbeat theme arrangement and brighter color scheme. An attempt to enliven film clips during reviews by filling clip letterboxes with coloring was discontinued after the first two episodes due to viewer complaints.
During Lyons's tenure on At the Movies, he was criticized for his perceived lack of understanding of films and film history and use of positively phrased quotes that appeared tailored for use in ads, and for conflicts of interest in posing for photographs with actors whose movies he later reviewed. Without mentioning Ben Lyons by name, Ebert wrote a general commentary on ethical standards for film critics that other commentators interpreted as critical of Lyons and responding to comparisons of Ebert and Lyons. Ebert later acknowledged that Lyons was the subject of the commentary.
During the first two months of Lyons & Mankiewicz's first and only season, ratings for the show slumped 23% to 1.7 total million viewers, compared with same period during Roeper's final season as host, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research, with the program off 25% among the crucial category of adults 25 to 34.