R.I.P. "At the Movies"

[anonymous1980]

The Rotten Tomatoes Show is still on the air. That show is actually kind of good.

[Big Magilla]

The show belongs to another era regardless of how good or how bad the resident critics may be.

First there were the print critics, then the on-air TV critics, then the battling "thumbs" guys. Then came the on-line critics who for better or worse are the go-to guys for today's audiences.

[Mister Tee]

Scott and Phillips were indeed a huge improvement, but the year of Lyons/Mankiewicz damaged the brand beyond repair.

[Sabin]

Are you serious?

A.O. Scott and Michael Philips were excellent.

[Damien]

Good riddance.

[Big Magilla]

Long-running review show 'At the Movies' canceled

Rotten Tomatoes has claimed another victim.

This is the last season of "At the Movies," the long-running syndicated review show made into a hit in the 1980s by dueling Chicago critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert.

The show's roots go back to 1975's "Sneak Previews."

Here's a statement from distributor Disney-ABC Domestic TV:

After 24 seasons with us in national syndication, the highly regarded movie review show "At the Movies" (formerly known as "Siskel & Ebert" and "Ebert & Roeper") will air its last original broadcast the weekend of August 14, 2010. This was a very difficult decision, especially considering the program's rich history and iconic status within the entertainment industry, but from a business perspective it became clear this weekly, half-hour, broadcast syndication series was no longer sustainable. We gratefully acknowledge the outstanding work of the program's current co-hosts A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips and top-notch production staff, and it is with heartfelt appreciation that we extend very special thanks to the two brilliant, visionary and incomparable critics that started it all, Roger Ebert and the late Gene Siskel.

Tweeted Ebert: "RIP At the Movies."