As Libby mentioned yesterday, Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper have decided to walk away from their movie review show. Now, in what may be the fastest replacement in Hollywood history, Ben Lyons, a Hollywood reporter and film critic for “E! News” and Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz have just been named as Ebert and Roeper’s successors.
According to show execs, Ben and Ben will take over “At the Movies” when its new season begins in September. The format will reportedly be similar to the one used by Ebert and Roeper, though the program’s popular “thumbs up-thumbs down” gesture will no longer be used. Ebert shares a trademark lock on it with the widow of his late co-host, Gene Siskel, and says he doesn’t plan to let go of it anytime soon.
That makes no difference to 41-year-old Mankiewicz, who says he’s just thrilled to have landed the gig.
“It’s an awesome responsibility,” Mankiewicz told reporters today.
As for his new sidekick, 26-year-old Lyons says he is still in shock that he has been given the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of his movie critic idols.
“This is the pinnacle of being a film critic,” said Lyons. “Being here in L.A. on studio lots and meeting with executives, I sort of have inside information that will make the show grow and continue its legacy.”
While the names Lyons and Mankiewicz may not be that familiar to you, both men have roots in Hollywood. Lyons’ father is film critic Jeffrey Lyons, and his grandfather was New York Post columnist Leonard Lyons. Meanwhile, Mankiewicz’s grandfather, Herman Mankiewicz, won an Academy Award for the screenplay for “Citizen Kane” (with Orson Welles); his great-uncle, writer-director Joseph Mankiewicz, won Oscars for “All About Eve and “A Letter to Three Wives,” and cousin Tom Mankiewicz wrote several James Bond movies including “The Man with the Golden Gun” and “Diamonds are Forever.”
Who knows whether their respective pedigrees will help attract viewers, if they don’t show producers say they have a few more ideas that might draw people to the program, including adding a new segment to the series called “critics roundup” in which the hosts are joined via satellite by reviewers from around the country.
Related Articles:
Roger Ebert On The Road To Recovery
Popular Film Critic Suffers Medical Emergency
Celebrity News-The Good and The Funny