'Grey's' Isn't Going Anywhere
'Red Widow' Gets The Axe
At the Movies critics now at the unemployment line
by John Scott Lewinski, posted Aug 6th 2009 11:02AM
At the Movies, the long-running cinema review show that once starred well-respected critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, is going back to the idea of employing experienced reviewers as hosts.Disney and ABC film-canned Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz this week. The show's now-dismissed young, hipster critics never really showed any particular cinema savvy besides the ability to unfurl sarcastic reviews. And their writing credentials won't be mistaken for the bylines Ebert and Siskel piled up in their careers.
To reverse course in hope of saving At the Movies, executives are turning to two guys with established chops.
A.O. Scott will take one At the Movies chair. The film critic for The New York Times, Scott is a frequent contributor to The Charlie Rose Show and other pop culture programs.
Scott's partner will be Michael Phillips, film critic for the Chicago Tribune and former writer for The Los Angeles Times, The St. Paul Pioneer Press, The San Diego Union-Tribune and The Dallas Times Herald.
At the Movies returns to first-run syndication this September.
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