Originally Posted by Roger Ebert

"Roger Ebert Presents At the Movies," a weekly half-hour film review program, was announced today by its producers, Chaz and Roger Ebert. The program continues the 35-year-old run of a reviewing format first introduced by Gene Siskel and Ebert and later by Ebert and Richard Roeper.

It will return to its birthplace, launching nationally on public television with presenting station WTTW Chicago, where it began in 1975 as "Opening Soon at a Theater Near You" and then in 1976 as "Sneak Previews," became the highest rated entertainment show in PBS history. The original format moved into syndication as "At the Movies" in 1982 with Tribune Entertainment and a quarter-century with Buena Vista Television.

The Eberts said the new program will air in January 2011, and in addition to reviewing new movies will expand into coverage of New Media, special segments on classics, on-demand viewing and genres, and an extended website. It will use the copyrighted "Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down"® format made famous by Siskel & Ebert.

The program's principal co-hosts will be Christy Lemire, film critic of The Associated Press, and Elvis Mitchell of National Public Radio. Lemire began reviewing for AP in 1999 and was named its first full-time film critic in 2004. She is a Los Angeles native with a mother who loved Fellini and a father who loved Bogart. Mitchell is a former film critic for The New York Times and a contributor to NPR. He hosted the highly-regarded "Black List" series on TCM, a series of living portraits with prominent African Americans of many backgrounds.

Regular contributors and occasional co-hosts will be Kim Morgan of Los Angeles and Omar Moore of San Francisco, both respected and popular film bloggers. Morgan celebrates her love for film noir and classic film at her website www.sunsetgun.com and writes for MSN Movies and the Huffington Post. Moore, an attorney, publishes reviews, essays and video essays on his website, www.popcornreel.com. He is a member of the San Francisco Film Critics Circle. Lemire, Mitchell and Morgan were guest co-hosts after the death of Siskel in 1999.

"This is the rebirth of a dream," said Ebert, who partnered in recent years with Richard Roeper before cancer robbed him of the ability to speak. He said he will act as co-producer and employ a computer voice to appear on every episode with segments titled Roger's Office devoted to classic, overlooked and new films. He will not debate with the two co-hosts, he said: "They'll be awarding the Thumbs, and you can't have three Thumbs."

A pilot of the new program featuring all the critics was taped in early summer, under the aegis of the Tribeca Flashpoint Academy of Chicago, a school specializing in new technology. Its director was Scott Dummler of Chicago's Luminair, a full-service video production house. "In addition to reviews of new movies, debated by Christy and Elvis," Ebert said, "the pilot included a segment with Kim discussing a classic film noir, Omar discussing the growing role of the internet in the success of indie films, a segment with Christy and Kim discussing new women directors, and a segment where I review a new indie documentary." A sampler from the pilot is linked below.

"The pilot won a warm reception," Chaz Ebert said. "Marlene Iglitzen, Gene Siskel's widow and our dear friend, was on the set when the pilot was taped, and said Gene would be proud that the format he helped create is still working as one of the longest-running in television history."

Although distributed nationally, the show will be shot in Chicago. "Mayor Daley and the City Council recognized the show over the years, and Governor Quinn formally recognized Roger for his film efforts in Illinois," Chaz said. "Gene and Roger had it in their contracts that the show would be taped here, and we're happy to continue that tradition." She said her production team is scouting for a full service Chicago studio with a professional staff.

With a salute to Michael Phillips and A. O. Scott, co-hosts for the final season of the Disney-produced show and another to Richard Roeper, his co-host for six years, Ebert said, "I believe that by returning to its public roots, our new show will win better and more consistent time slots in more markets. American television is swamped by mindless gossip about celebrities, and I'm happy this show will continue to tell viewers honestly if the critics think a new movie is worth seeing."

Ebert said that with the content of the show's multimedia website, its reach will extend its content reviews and features to a global audience His current site with the Chicago Sun-Times, www.rogerebert.com, makes him the web's most-read movie critic, with more than 100 million hits a year.

Originally Posted by Numanoid

A woman?

Originally Posted by Numanoid

A woman?

Originally Posted by KillerCannibal

This sounds like something I might enjoy. I'll watch.

Originally Posted by Hokeyboy

Women don't respirate like normal humans do; instead, their pulmonary system has been replaced by a rudimentary process in which they secrete a viscuous ammonia-like substance from their anus. GROSS!

Originally Posted by rabbit77

Originally Posted by Numanoid

A woman?

Originally Posted by William Fuld

How is Kim Morgan going to find time to do this and constantly take pouty/vacant photos of herself?

Originally Posted by Osiris3657

I'm wondering why Ebert didn't use the software that was able to recreate his voice.

Originally Posted by calhoun07

I hope Phillips and Scott end up back together in their own review show, as I would watch that.

Originally Posted by Osiris3657

Also, Kim Morgan is so flat she doesn't need to wear a bra. Milla Jovovich looks like Pam Anderson compared to her. She needs breast implants bad.

Originally Posted by calhoun07

I am really torn on this. Instead of supporting the previous incarnation of At the Movies Ebert forced them to stop using the thumbs rating system (which wasn't so bad...I liked the see it/skip it/rent it system they came up with...much more inline with how people choose to view movies in this day and age) and I have no doubt in my mind that this move forced the previous incarnation of the show off the air. Sorry, but he put Phillips and Scott out of a job for this? I hope Phillips and Scott end up back together in their own review show, as I would watch that. Part of me wants to give this new version a chance, but there's blood on Ebert's hands. I guess I don't understand why he didn't get behind the previous incarnation of the show...why didn't he try supporting it when Roeper was on there?

Maybe this will grow on me...perhaps the new hosts don't seem too comfortable yet, but they may just need a chance. Siskel and Ebert didn't really develop that chemistry between them right off the bat either.

I do think it's cool this will be on PBS again. Geez, at least it has a chance at being shown at a decent time slot now. And hopefully in HD.