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by Vested Id 08/06/2009, 1:06am PDT |
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Lewis Lazare, Chicago Sun-Times Media & Marketing Columnist wrote:
With Lyons and Mankiewicz at the helm for the past year, “At the Movies” had suffered a ratings decline that apparently became irreversible and unacceptable to executives at Disney-ABC Television, which produces and distributes the show nationally. The version of “At the Movies” with Mankiewicz and Lyons also was a hokier, jazzed-up version of the original concept, which originally featured Siskel and Ebert simply debating with each other the merits of new movie releases.
After Siskel’s death in 1999, Ebert then teamed with Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper. But starting in 2006, when Ebert began treatment for thyroid cancer and subsequently lost his voice, Roeper worked for a couple of years with a rotating series of co-hosts that at various times included both Scott and Phillips. Last year, just before the host change to Lyons and Mankiewicz, the Chicago-based Phillips had become the de facto “At the Movies” co-host with Roeper.
The switch to Phillips and Scott appears to be part of an effort to return the show to its beginnings, featuring two movie critics with substantive credentials, though it’s unclear yet whether the new duo will bring enough presence and punch to the proceedings to significantly boost the show’s ratings.
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