Sneak Previews

I first saw this show in late 1980 when Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert were reviewing the worst movies of 1980. I was immediately impressed by their chemistry and charm and by their approach to reviewing films. I grew up reading Pauline Kael's reviews, and I'm certain that she hated every movie she ever saw. However, Siskel and Ebert were willing to watch and review movies in a different light and even though they often disagreed, they were always entertaining and refreshing. The team sadly came to an end with Gene Siskel's untimely death in 1999, but Roger Ebert continued with his insightful reviews until his passing about 12 years later. In retrospect, I took this show and its charming leads for granted back in the 1980s and 1990s, since no film review show since has even come close.

Before the Thumbs, There was Yes and No. Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert Were both on the Fence of Annie 1982, but gave it a Yes. Gene Siskel Roger Ebert two Men that knew how to do a Review This gets My TM S for Satisfactory.

In the mid 1970's, public television station WTTW/Chicago wanted to do a movie review program which was unheard of at the time. This show was called "Coming Soon to a Theater near You" and it paired two movie critics from two rival newspapers in Chicago. Gene Siskel from the Tribune and Roger Ebert of the Sun-Times.

Coming Soon... started out as a local show for WTTW, but the show's popularity caught the attention of PBS, who wanted to distribute the show nationally. Coming Soon... changed its name to "Sneak Previews" and the rest is history.

Siskel and Ebert would discuss the current movies that were playing and one of the best parts of their show is where they disagree on film in which one liked and the other lumped it. Keep in mind however that their trademark "Thumbs Up/Down" was not used here. Rather they used a basic Yes/No regarding their take on the movies. For example when recapping the movies you would see a Yes or No on screen and who said. Something like, Ebert: Yes, Siskel: Yes. Not as great as "Two Thumbs Up" but you get the drift.

Siskel and Ebert had a very strong following. A little too strong however and the two had to grow and to do that they had to move to commercial TV. WTTW remained committed to the show and brought in Neal Gabler and Jeffery Lyons to review the movies. In 1985 Gabler was replaced by Michael Medved who brought a conservative slant on the movies.

Sneak Previews had difficulties trying to reclaim its popularity without Siskel & Ebert. It switched to cable and back to PBS in mid 80's. In the late 80's/early 90's Sneak Previews switched its focus on movies on home video rather than at the theater, and then going back to the original format more/less before Sneak Previews ended its run for good in 1996.

Lyons and Medved were critics in their own right, and conservative thinking people that wanted a different slant on the movies had Medved on their side. However that was not enough to keep the show going.

If anything Sneak Previews brought the ideal of movie review shows to the little screen. Without Sneak Previews their would not be a "Siskel & Ebert."

First off, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert premiered their movie review show in November 1975 on Chicago Public TV and it was entitled "Coming Soon To a Theater Near You", not "Sneak Previews". It was called this at least into 1977. By 1978 it had a less cerebral tone and the name had changed to "Sneak Previews" with the familiar intro music, and the great chemistry between Roger and Gene that persisted until Siskel's death in 1999. In 1982 the show went commercial and was renamed "At The Movies". In 1986 their show became "Siskel and Ebert and The Movies" and went under the umbrella of the Walt Disney Corporation. The show changed names again in 1999 after the death of Gene Siskel, but that would be expected. Apparently all of these name changes have confused archivists.

The bottom line is that although Siskel and Ebert had a regular movie review show from 1975 until 1999, it was not named "Sneak Previews" from the beginning in1975 for 21 years as this entry would have you believe. I'm giving 10/10 stars for the show, regardless of name, because almost from the beginning, as soon as these two worked through the dynamics of the situation, they were a joy to watch.

Gene Siskel died this weekend and it brought back memories of the early show when it was on pbs. He and Ebert shattered the image of critics as uptight prigs in dated tuxes and helped explain what made a movie good or bad in ways we could all relate too. I have no idea how many hours of my life were spent with Gene Siskel but they were enjoyable and enlightening ones. Thank you Gene Siskel.