At the Movies

At the Movies is a movie review television program produced by Disney-ABC Domestic Television in which two film critics shared their opinions of newly released films. The program aired under various names. Its original hosts were Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times and WLS-TV and Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune and WBBM-TV. Richard Roeper of the Sun-Times became Ebert's regular partner in 2000 after Siskel died in 1999. Ebert suspended his appearances in 2006 for treatment of thyroid cancer, with various guest hosts substituting for him. From April to August 2008, Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune cohosted. Starting on September 6, 2008, E! Entertainment Television film critic and reporter Ben Lyons and Sirius Satellite Radio host and former co-host of The Young Turks and current Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz took over as hosts. On August 5, 2009, it was announced that Michael Phillips would return to the show along with New York Times film critic A. O. Scott on September 5, 2009. During its run with Siskel and Ebert as hosts, the series was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards seven times and also for Outstanding Information Series, the last nomination occurring in 1997. It was widely known for the "thumbs up/thumbs down" review summaries given during Siskel's and Ebert's tenures. The show aired in syndication in the United States and on CTV in Canada; the show also aired throughout the week on the cable network ReelzChannel.