Ebert Presents: At the Movies

Last updated

Ebert Presents: At the Movies
Ebert Presents At The Movies logo.png
GenreTalk show
Presented by Christy Lemire
Ignatiy Vishnevetsky
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
Production
Executive producers Roger Ebert
Chaz Ebert
Production locations WTTW Studios in Chicago, Illinois
Running time30 minutes
Production companyEbert Productions
Original release
Network Syndication
ReleaseJanuary 21 (2011-01-21) –
December 30, 2011 (2011-12-30)
Related

Ebert Presents: At the Movies is a weekly, nationally syndicated movie review television program produced by film critic Roger Ebert and his wife, Chaz Ebert. The program aired on public television stations in the United States through American Public Television from January 21 to December 30, 2011.

Contents

The show continued the format originated by Ebert and Gene Siskel on their first show, Sneak Previews , and continued on At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert and At the Movies , [1] in which two film critics discuss the week's new releases. Occasionally, the program aired special theme episodes, such as one listing the hosts' favorite films of 2011.

Ebert Presents: At the Movies was hosted by Christy Lemire of The Associated Press and Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The Chicago Reader and MUBI. The program premiered on January 21, 2011 but went into permanent hiatus at the end of the year after Ebert reported that the show had difficulties finding new sources of financial underwriting.

Development

A pilot was shot in the summer of 2010 featuring critics Christy Lemire and Elvis Mitchell of National Public Radio. [1] Though it was assumed that the two would co-host the show, [2] in December 2010 it was later announced that Mitchell would not be taking part in the program. [3] [4] Lemire remained as one of the two principal critics, alongside Ignatiy Vishnevetsky. [5]

The show marked Ebert's return to television for the first time since his emergency operation in 2006. Since his surgery cost him the ability to speak, he continued to review movies from his office set, using famed Chicago journalist and anchor Bill Kurtis and others to read his reviews. [1]

Production

Ebert Presents: At the Movies was filmed at the studios of WTTW in Chicago, where Siskel and Ebert's version of the program (originally titled Opening Soon at a Theater Near You) began filming 36 years earlier. [1] Though the show used a newly constructed set made to resemble a balcony, hosts Lemire and Vishnevetsky sat in the seats originally used by Siskel and Ebert on the show Sneak Previews . [6]

The show regularly featured guest contributors such as Kim Morgan, Omar Moore, and producer Chaz Ebert.

Cancellation

On November 6, 2011, Ebert announced in a post on his blog that he and Chaz had paid for the first season themselves and had hoped to find new sources of underwriting for subsequent seasons. He also stated that the program would have to be canceled if that funding could not be arranged. [7] [8]

In a subsequent blog entry posted on November 30, 2011, Ebert stated that the show would go on hiatus at the end of the year, and the last episode aired in late December. [9] No further announcements were made about the show prior to Ebert's death in 2013. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Ebert</span> American film critic and author (1942–2013)

Roger Joseph Ebert was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013.

WTTW is a PBS member television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Owned by not-for-profit broadcaster Window to the World Communications, Inc., it is sister to commercial classical music radio station WFMT. The two stations share studios in the Renée Crown Public Media Center, located at 5400 North Saint Louis Avenue in the city's North Park neighborhood; its transmitter facility is atop the Willis Tower on South Wacker Drive in the Chicago Loop. WTTW also owns and operates The Chicago Production Center, a video production and editing facility that is operated alongside the two stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Siskel</span> American film critic (1946–1999)

Eugene Kal Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. He is best known for co-hosting various movie review television series with colleague Roger Ebert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Roeper</span> American writer and film critic (born 1959)

Richard E. Roeper is an American columnist and film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times. He co-hosted the television series At the Movies with Roger Ebert from 2000 to 2008, serving as the late Gene Siskel's successor. From 2010 to 2014, he co-hosted The Roe and Roeper Show with Roe Conn on WLS-AM. From October 2015 to October 2017, Roeper served as the host of the FOX 32 morning show Good Day Chicago.

<i>At the Movies</i> (1986 TV program) Movie review television 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 (1975–1982) and a similarly titled syndicated series (1982–1986). Following Siskel's death in 1999, Ebert worked with various guest critics until choosing Chicago Sun-Times colleague Richard Roeper as his regular partner in 2000.

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, collectively known as Siskel & Ebert, were American film critics known for their partnership on television lasting from 1975 to Siskel's death in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elvis Mitchell</span> American film critic and radio host (born 1958)

Elvis Mitchell is an American film critic, host of the public radio show The Treatment, and visiting lecturer at Harvard University. He has served as a film critic for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the LA Weekly, The Detroit Free Press, and The New York Times. He had also been an interviewer for Interview Magazine. In the summer of 2011, he was appointed as curator of LACMA's new film series, Film Independent at LACMA. He is also currently a Film Scholar and lecturer at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

<i>Americathon</i> 1979 film

Americathon is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Neal Israel and starring John Ritter, Fred Willard, Peter Riegert, Harvey Korman, and Nancy Morgan, with narration by George Carlin. It is based on a play by Firesign Theatre members Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman. The movie includes appearances by Jay Leno, Meat Loaf, Tommy Lasorda, and Chief Dan George, with a musical performance by Elvis Costello.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. O. Scott</span> American journalist and film critic

Anthony Oliver Scott is an American journalist and cultural critic, known for his film and literary criticism. After starting his career at The New York Review of Books, Variety, and Slate, he began writing film reviews for The New York Times in 2000, and became the paper's chief film critic in 2004, a title he shared with Manohla Dargis. In 2023, he moved to The New York Times Book Review.

<i>Sneak Previews</i> American film review television series

Sneak Previews was an American film review show that ran for over two decades on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). It was created by WTTW, a PBS affiliate in Chicago, Illinois. It premiered on November 26, 1975 as a monthly local-only show called Opening Soon...at a Theater Near You and was renamed in 1977 to Sneak Previews and it became a biweekly show in 1978 airing nationally on PBS. 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 it was the highest rated weekly entertainment series in the history of public broadcasting. The show's final broadcast was on October 4, 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alonso Duralde</span> American film critic, author, and podcaster

Alonso Duralde is an American film critic, author, and podcaster. He has been a writer and editor for The Film Verdict, The Wrap, The Advocate and MSNBC.com.

Michael Phillips is an American film critic for the Chicago Tribune newspaper.

Annabel Jankel, also known as AJ Jankel, is a British film and TV director who first came to prominence as a music video director and the co-creator of the pioneering cyber-character Max Headroom and as co-director of the film adaptation of Super Mario Bros. She is the sister of musician and songwriter Chaz Jankel, who is best known as a member of new wave band Ian Dury & The Blockheads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christy Lemire</span> American journalist

Christy A. Lemire is an American film critic and host of the movie review podcast Breakfast All Day. She previously wrote for the Associated Press from 1999 to 2013, was a co-host of Ebert Presents at the Movies in 2011 and co-hosted the weekly online movie review show What The Flick?! until 2018. She currently reviews under the Breakfast All Day brand, on YouTube and Patreon, with Alonso Duralde.

<i>At the Movies</i> (1982 TV program) American film review television series

At the Movies is an American movie review television program that aired from 1982 to 1990. It was produced by Tribune Entertainment and was created by Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert when they left their show Sneak Previews, which they began on Chicago's PBS station, WTTW, in 1975.

<i>Cold Weather</i> 2010 American film

Cold Weather is a 2010 American mystery film directed by Aaron Katz and written by Katz, Brendan McFadden, and Ben Stambler. The film stars Cris Lankenau as a former forensic science student investigating the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend. The film was shot and set in Portland, Oregon. Cold Weather premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2010 and was released in the United States by IFC Films in February 2011.

Ignatiy Igorevich Vishnevetsky is a Russian-American film critic, essayist, and columnist. He has worked as a staff film critic for The A.V. Club and written for Mubi.com and the Chicago Reader.

<i>RogerEbert.com</i> American film review website

RogerEbert.com is an American film review website that archives reviews written by film critic Roger Ebert for the Chicago Sun-Times and also shares other critics' reviews and essays. The website, underwritten by the Chicago Sun-Times, was launched in 2002. Ebert handpicked writers from around the world to contribute to the website. After Ebert died in 2013, the website was relaunched under Ebert Digital, a partnership founded between Ebert, his wife Chaz, and friend Josh Golden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaz Ebert</span> American businesswoman

Chaz Ebert is an American businesswoman. She is best known as the wife and widow of film critic Roger Ebert, having been married to him from 1992 until his death in 2013.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ebert, Roger (September 10, 2010). "Roger Ebert presents At the Movies". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on September 12, 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  2. ↑ Miller, Ross (September 13, 2010). "Roger Ebert Officially Debuting New 'At the Movies' Show". Screen Rant .
  3. ↑ Rosenthal, Phil (December 14, 2010). "Elvis Mitchell gets the thumbs' rush, no longer part of 'Roger Ebert Presents'". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  4. ↑ O'Neal, Sean (December 15, 2010). "Roger Ebert announces details on return of At The Movies". The A.V. Club .
  5. ↑ "Ebert's new show names Vishnevetsky as co-host". Associated Press. January 4, 2011. Archived from the original on January 8, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  6. ↑ "The Mechanic, another year, The Rite, Barney's Version, Biutiful, The Illusionist - 2011". Siskel And Ebert Movie Reviews. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  7. ↑ Ebert, Roger (November 6, 2011). "The chimes at midnight". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on November 8, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  8. ↑ Channick, Robert (November 8, 2011). "Roger Ebert may cancel 'At the Movies' due to lack of funding". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  9. ↑ Ebert, Roger (November 30, 2011). "So long for awhile". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on December 3, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  10. ↑ Martin, Douglas (April 4, 2013). "Roger Ebert Dies at 70; a Critic for the Common Man". The New York Times. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.