Jeffrey Lyons

Last updated
Jeffrey Lyons
Born (1944-11-05) November 5, 1944 (age 80)
Manhattan, New York City, United States
Occupation Author, Journalist, Film historian, Film critic,
Subject Film
SpouseJudy Lyons
Children2, including Ben Lyons
RelativesMargaret Lyons (niece)

Jeffrey Lyons (born November 5, 1944) is an American television and film critic based in the New York metropolitan area.

Contents

Early life

Lyons was born in Manhattan, one of the four sons of Sylvia R. (Schoenberger) and Leonard Lyons, a newspaper columnist. [1] His godfather was the playwright Sidney Kingsley and his godmother was the actress Madge Evans. As a teenager, he trained as a field goal kicker with the New York Giants for three seasons (1961–63) and studied bullfighting for seven summers in Spain with Antonio Ordonez, characterized by Ernest Hemingway (a mutual friend) as "the greatest matador of them all" in The Dangerous Summer .

He received his undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Pennsylvania before earning a J.D. from the Syracuse University School of Law in 1969. [2] During this period, he studied acting with Lee Strasberg at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute. He later received two honorary degrees, from Hofstra University in 2000 and St. Mary's college in 2002. [2]

Career

Lyons began his professional career working on the city desk of The Jersey Journal , writing sports and obituaries. After publishing a story as an intern on the Metropolitan desk of The New York Times , he covered the two national political conventions of 1968 for WINS.

From 1970 to 1991, Lyons was the film critic for WPIX. Following the departure of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, he co-hosted the PBS movie review show Sneak Previews from 1982 to 1996. He also appeared on MSNBC's At the Movies from 2004 to 2006 with his son, fellow critic and television personality Ben Lyons. On American AM radio, he hosted a show, "The Lyons Den," on WCBS (AM) from 1975 to 1993; the title is taken from the New York Post column that his father wrote for 40 years. He joined WNBC in 1996 as the station's film and theatre critic. His last report on WNBC was on June 26, 2009. He reported during Live at Five and NewsChannel 4 newscasts. Lyons created and co-hosted the NBC syndicated movie review TV show Lyons & Bailes Reel Talk from 2005-09. He currently hosts a syndicated radio program called "LYONS DEN RADIO" and appears on several national TV shows talking movies. In addition to his work as a critic, he has appeared as himself in Deathtrap , [3] and the TV series Wiseguy .

Lyons is the author or co-author of eight books, including Jeffrey Lyons' 101 Great Movies for Kids. He and his brother Douglas have written several baseball trivia books, Out of Left Field, Curveballs and Screwballs, and Short Hops and Foul Tips. He's recently had two books published, Stories My Father Told Me: Notes From 'The Lyons Den', about his father's iconic Broadway column, and Catching Heat, co-authored with his brother Douglas and former Yankee Jim Leyritz, whose biography it is. Jeffrey and Douglas Lyons have lectured at the Smithsonian Institution and at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. Lyons has been a guest announcer, both as play-by-play and analyst, for the Boston Red Sox radio network and Red Sox games in Spanish. [4]

In January 2012, he returned to WCBS radio and national syndication with another iteration of "LYONS DEN RADIO", reviewing five movies a week. In April 2013, he hosted "The Lineup: Best Sports Movies" on Madison Square Garden TV, choosing the five best movies in eight sports over eight programs on a panel with Spike Lee, actors Robert Wuhl and Chazz Palminteri, hosted by former Yankee Fran Healy. In March 2014, he hosted another series of shows on the best movies about New York entitled The Lineup: Best New York Movies again with Spike Lee, and actors John Leguziamo and Ed Burns, followed by another series of shows about boxing entitled The Lineup: Boxing's Greatest in 2016.

In February 2014, he signed a contract with Abbeville Press to write a sequel to "Stories My Father Told Me, Notes From The Lyons Den," called "What A Time It Was! More Notes From The Lyons Den," also about his father's era as a New York Broadway columnist. The book was published in September 2015.

Since 2015, Lyons has hosted, co-hosted or keynoted international film festivals in San Diego; Sedona, Arizona; Vero Beach, Florida; Aiken, South Carolina and The Bahamas. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Personal life

Jeffrey is married to his wife, Judy. [10] He has two children, television personality Ben Lyons [11] and Hannah Lyons. [12] His niece, Margaret Lyons, is a television critic for The New York Times . [13]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981ApplevisionHimself
1982-1996 Sneak Previews Host
1982 Deathtrap Himself
1990 Wiseguy HimselfEpisode: "Hello Buckwheat"
1993 In Living Color HimselfEpisode: "Duke and Cornbread Turner"
1994Humphrey Bogart: Behind the LegendHimself
1995 Late Night with Conan O'Brien GuestEpisode: "Will Smith/Jeffrey Lyons/Robert Schimmel"
The Feminine Touch Himself
1997Sports on the Silver ScreenHimselfUncredited
2001 Headliners & Legends with Matt Lauer HimselfEpisode: "Halle Berry"
ESPN SportsCentury HimselfEpisode: "Brian Piccolo"
Arliss HimselfEpisode: "Like No Business I Know"
2003The Curse of the BambinoHimself
2005-2009 Reel Talk Himself
2009 Yankeeography HimselfEpisode: "George Steinbrenner"
2010Halloween: The Inside StoryHimself
The Wendy Williams Show Himself1 episode
Biography Film Critic/Television Critic2 episodes
2012 Today Himself1 episode
2013Rethink 50+ Town HallPanelist
The Lineup: Best Sports MoviesPanelist
2014The Lineup: Best New York MoviesHimself
2016The Garden's Defining MomentsHimselfEpisode: "Marilyn Monroe Sings Happy Birthday to JFK"
Theater Talk CriticEpisode: "James Shapiro and Jeffrey Lyons"
The Lineup: Boxing's GreatestPanelistEpisode: "Best Puncher of All Time"
2018The History of Everything Circa 1993: F/K/A A Kissy Cousins Monster BabiesHimself
Kissy Cousins Monster Babies and Morphing ElvisHimself
2021 The Rich Eisen Show HimselfEpisode: "Jeffrey Lyons/Renee Montgomery"

Awards and honors

In April 2014, Lyons won five New York Emmys for his work on The Lineup: Best Sports Movies in 2013.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Allen</span> American sports announcer (1913–1996)

Mel Allen was an American sportscaster, best known for his long tenure as the primary play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees. During the peak of his career in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, Allen was arguably the most prominent member of his profession, his voice familiar to millions. Years after his death, he is still promoted as having been "The Voice of the Yankees."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sterling (sportscaster)</span> American sportscaster (born 1938)

John Sterling is an American retired sportscaster, best known as the radio play-by-play announcer of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball from 1989 to 2024. Sterling called 5,060 consecutive Yankees games from 1989 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Damon</span> American baseball player (born 1973)

Johnny David Damon is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1995 to 2012. During his MLB career, Damon played for the Kansas City Royals (1995–2000), Oakland Athletics (2001), Boston Red Sox (2002–2005), New York Yankees (2006–2009), Detroit Tigers (2010), Tampa Bay Rays (2011) and Cleveland Indians (2012). He also played for the Thailand national baseball team and was a member of the squad for the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifiers.

<i>At the Movies</i> (1986 TV program) Movie review television program

At the Movies 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. 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). 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMCA (AM)</span> Radio station in New York City

WMCA is a radio station licensed to New York, New York. Owned by Salem Media Group, the station programs a Christian radio format consisting of teaching and talk programs. The station's studios are in Lower Manhattan and are shared with co-owned WNYM. WMCA's transmitter is located along Belleville Turnpike in Kearny, New Jersey. WMCA's programming is simulcast on a 250-watt translator, W272DX, from a tower in Clifton, New Jersey.

WABC is a commercial radio station licensed to New York, New York, carrying a conservative talk radio format known as "Talkradio 77". Owned by John Catsimatidis' Red Apple Media, the station's studios are located in Red Apple Media headquarters on Third Avenue in Midtown Manhattan and its transmitter is in Lodi, New Jersey. Its 50,000-watt non-directional clear channel signal can be heard at night throughout much of the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada. It is the primary entry point for the Emergency Alert System in the New York metropolitan area and New Jersey. WABC simulcasts on WLIR-FM in Hampton Bays, New York, on eastern Long Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WNYW</span> TV station in New York City

WNYW is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the Fox network. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division alongside Secaucus, New Jersey–licensed MyNetworkTV flagship WWOR-TV. The two stations share studios at the Fox Television Center on East 67th Street in Manhattan's Lenox Hill neighborhood; WNYW's transmitter is located at One World Trade Center.

WFAN is a commercial radio station licensed to New York, New York, with a sports radio format, branded "Sports Radio 66 AM and 101.9 FM" or "The Fan". Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves the New York metropolitan area, while its 50,000-watt clear channel signal can be heard at night throughout much of the eastern United States and Canada. WFAN's studios are located in the Hudson Square neighborhood of lower Manhattan and its transmitter is located on High Island in the Bronx.

WCBS-TV, branded CBS New York, is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside Riverhead, New York–licensed independent station WLNY-TV. The two stations share studios within the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street in Midtown Manhattan; WCBS-TV's transmitter is located at One World Trade Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLIR-FM</span> Talk radio station in Hampton Bays, New York

WLIR-FM is a radio station licensed to Hampton Bays, New York, and serving eastern Long Island. The station's studios and offices are located on Third Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, with additional offices on Long Island in Bay Shore, and transmitting facilities located in Northampton in Suffolk County. The station is owned by businessman John Catsimatidis through his Red Apple Media company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Leyritz</span> American baseball player (born 1963)

James Joseph Leyritz is an American former professional baseball catcher and infielder. In his 11-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, Leyritz played for the New York Yankees, Anaheim Angels, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, and Los Angeles Dodgers. With the Yankees, Leyritz was a member of the 1996 and 1999 World Series championships, both over the Atlanta Braves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Lewin</span> American sportscaster

Josh Lewin is an American sportscaster who works as a play-by-play announcer for the UCLA Bruins football and basketball teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Johnstone</span> American baseball player (1945–2020)

John William Johnstone Jr. was an American professional baseball player and television sports announcer. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1966 to 1985 for the California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs.

David Sims is an American sportscaster. He is the radio play-by-play commentator for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was previously the television play-by play commentator for MLB's Seattle Mariners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Lyons</span> American entertainment reporter and sportscaster

Benjamin Lyons is an American entertainment reporter and sportscaster. He is the co-host of Bonjour Sports Talk on Amazon Prime Video's sports channel Sports Talk.

Reel Talk is a syndicated weekend movie review series hosted by film critics Jeffrey Lyons and Alison Bailes. It was produced by, and originally ran exclusively on, WNBC, a New York City NBC affiliate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellie Dylan</span> Executive

Ellie Dylan is the president and founder of The Skyshapers Foundation and the CEO, president and founder of SKY U, LLC.

Neil Rosen is an American entertainment critic/journalist based in New York City. Currently, he is the entertainment critic for CUNY TV and PBS, is a frequent on-air contributor to The Today Show and can be heard regularly on Sirius XM Radio. He is the host, creator, and producer of the popular, Emmy-nominated national TV roundtable movie critic show “Talking Pictures With Neil Rosen.”

<i>Tab Hunter Confidential</i> 2015 film directed by Jeffrey Schwarz

Tab Hunter Confidential is a 2015 American documentary film focusing on the American actor, singer, and author Tab Hunter. It is inspired by his autobiography of the same name. The film was produced by Allan Glaser and directed by Jeffrey Schwarz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Mantz</span> American film critic, writer, and producer

Scott Alan Mantz, is an American film critic, writer, producer and event moderator. In 2014, Mantz was the recipient of the Press Award from the ICG Publicists Guild.

References

  1. ↑ "Paid Death Notices: Sylvia R. Lyons" . The New York Times . January 23, 2001. p. B7. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Jeffrey Lyons". Octavian Report. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  3. ↑ Maslin, Janet (March 19, 1982). "Movie Review: Deathtrap with Michael Caine" . The New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
  4. ↑ Koeppel, David (May 21, 2003). "Clashing With Pinstripes; Red Sox Fans Recoil in Yankees' Backyard" . The New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
  5. ↑ Johns, Nikara (August 6, 2014). "Jeffrey Lyons to Host San Diego Film Festival". Variety . Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Danny Glover receives Career Achievement Award at BIFF (Photos)". The Bahamas Weekly. December 13, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  7. ↑ "21st Sedona International Film Festival: 9 Days, 160 Films, Tribute to Orson Welles". Sedona.biz. 24 December 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Southern City Film Festival 2019 AG3_5567". Aiken Standard . 20 February 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  9. ↑ Heussenstamm, Bron (January 19, 2018). "Vero Beach Wine and Film festival sets 2018 dates". The Stuart News . Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  10. ↑ Smith, Bryan (November 10, 2016). "Thief grabs film critic Jeffrey Lyons' wife's purse at Midtown subway stop". New York Daily News . Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Jeffrey Lyons Named Host of the 13th Annual San Diego Film Festival". San Diego International Film Festival. Retrieved August 1, 2024.[ dead link ]
  12. ↑ Lyons, Jeffrey (host); Medved, Michael (host) (December 30, 1994). "The Madness of King George/Nobody's Fool/Safe Passage/A Man Of No Importance/Death and the Maiden". Sneak Previews . Season 20. WTTW . Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  13. ↑ Morano, Frank (May 22, 2024). "Jeffrey Lyons". Frank Morano Interviews & More (Podcast). WABC (AM) . Retrieved August 1, 2024.
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.