‘At the Movies’ Canceled
Distributor Disney-ABC Domestic TV announced earlier today that the long running review show “At the Movies†will end its run after 24 seasons on August 14 of this year. Disney-ABC sites business reasons as the cause of the cancellation. It seems that keeping a weekly, televised review show is no longer sustainable when review aggregate websites such as Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes have completely reshaped the way film criticism is received making “At the Movies†appear antiquated.
The first incarnation of the show was called “Sneak Previews†and premiered in 1975. The show’s heyday started in 1986 when Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel renamed it “Ebert & Siskel,†a version of the show that lasted until Siskel passed away at the age of 53 in 1999. Ebert continued to host from then on with a variety of co-hosts until Richard Roeper was made a permanent co-host in 2000. “Ebert & Roeper†only held on until 2006 when Ebert was forced to leave the program due to his own battles with cancer. Roeper continued to host with a slew of hosts ranging from film critics to movie directors until 2008 when the show faced its worst downturn.
Ebert and Roeper both chose to cut their ties with Disney due to the production company’s plans to take thing in a new direction. Turner Classic Movies presenter Ben Mankiewicz and Ben Lyons were named as successors to the series much to the dismay of the public for Lyons’ namedropping and inability to contribute at the same level of rumination the show had been known for. Fans became hopeful when A.O. Scott from The New York Times and Michael Phillips from The Chicago Tribune replaced the previous hosts last season but alas it seems that even a return to “serious criticism†was not enough to save the series.
In the words of Roger Ebert, “RIP ‘At the Movies.†You will be missed.
