"Siskel & Ebert" (1986) "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies" (original title), TV series 1986-2010

Seasons:

unknown

Release Date:

13 September 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Talk-Show

Plot:

Chicago critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert rate new movies with a thumbs up, or a thumbs down.

Plot Keywords:

Critic | Video | Film Critic | Discussion | Name In Title

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Roger Ebert	...	Himself - Host / ... (257 episodes, 1986-2006)
Gene Siskel	...	Himself - Host / ... (187 episodes, 1986-1999)

Series Directed by
Michael B. Wall		(9 episodes, 2008)
Don DuPree		(5 episodes, 1996-1999)

Series Produced by
David Plummer	....	supervising producer / assistant producer / ... (143 episodes, 1999-2008)
Annie Porter	....	coordinating producer (10 episodes, 2008-2009)
Pamela Wessmann	....	associate producer (9 episodes, 2008)
Stuart Cleland	....	associate producer / executive producer (4 episodes, 1996-1999)
Andrea Gronvall	....	producer (4 episodes, 1996-1999)
Carie Lovstad	....	associate producer (3 episodes, 1996-1998)
Larry Dieckhaus	....	executive producer (2 episodes, 1996)
Janet LaMonica	....	assistant producer (2 episodes, 1996)
David Kodeski	....	assistant producer (1 episode, 1999-2007)
Don DuPree	....	executive producer (unknown episodes, 2003)

Series Original Music by
JJ Lee		(50 episodes, 2008-2009)
Chris Lord		(50 episodes, 2008-2009)
David Feldestein		(unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Greg Connors	....	colorist (unknown episodes, 1986)

Series Other crew
Sara Martin	....	production assistant (9 episodes, 2008)
Katie Muren	....	production assistant (9 episodes, 2008)
Lauren Willems	....	production assistant (4 episodes, 2005-2006)
Janet LaMonica	....	production coordinator (2 episodes, 1998-1999)
Barbara Warren	....	publicist (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Buena Vista Television (1986-2007)
• Disney-ABC Domestic Television (2007-)

Distributors

• Buena Vista Television (1986-2007) (USA) (TV)
• Disney-ABC Domestic Television (2007-) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Media Visions Inc.  Two Thumbs Up registered service mark
• WLS  taping location

Also Known As:

"Siskel & Ebert & the Movies" - USA (original title)
"At the Movies" - USA (new title)
"Ebert & Roeper" - International (English title) (new title)
"Ebert & Roeper and the Movies" - USA (new title)
"Roger Ebert & the Movies" - USA (new title)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

WBBM-TV - 630 N. McClurg Court, Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Buena Vista Television

Trivia:

In the history of the program, no Pixar movie ever received a rating of less than Two Thumbs Up (or its equivalent).

Quotes:

Gene Siskel:[reviewing "Stargate"] Do you know that the budget, supposedly, of this picture was fifty-five million dollars?
Roger Ebert:Boy, they must've had some great lunches.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Get Bruce (1999)

Gene, you will be missed

I write this two days after the death of co-host Gene Siskel, and somehow, it doesn't quite seem real yet. I've been watching the show religiously since 1990. In addition to getting to see clips from a movie, and being able to check my opinion next to two critics I respected, it also made good television. Gene was well-known as a basketball fan (the Chicago Bulls in particular), and watching the show was like watching a half-hour one-on-one game every week, though since the movies always changed, it rarely got boring, and while they probably agreed more than they disagreed, the creative tension between them was healthy and made for a dynamic show, considering it's just two guys talking about movies.

Although I probably agreed with Roger more, I identified with Gene more, because he always let you know where he stood, whereas Roger was more objective. And while some may have sniped about him and Roger making appearances on talk shows like Jay Leno and David Letterman, I always thought it was good that he understood that while movies were worth taking seriously, as well as writing about them, there was nothing wrong with having fun with yourself. I'm sure Gene would want people to still watch the show, so I will, but I will certainly miss him.