showbiz

Ben & Ben take over the balcony

Posted on Friday, Aug. 22, 2008
by Cineplex Entertainment

Ebert and Roeper

Whitney Port's ex and the host of Sirius Satellite Radio's "Young Turks" will take the balcony seats recently vacated by Ebert and Roeper when they become the next duo to share hosting duties of "At The Movies", reports 'Variety.'

Ben Lyons, E! Online columnist, blogger and resident film expert for "The Daily 10", will be joined by Ben Mankiewicz, radio personality and Turner Classic Movies host.

The Bens may not be household names but their lineage is pure Hollywood gold.

Lyons co-hosts "Reel Talk" with his father NBC film critic Jeffrey Lyons, himself the son of New York Post columnist Leonard Lyons, and Mankiewicz counts among his kin political figure Frank Mankiewicz, screenwriting bigwig Herman Mankiewicz and director Joseph Mankiewicz.

Even with enviable genes and solid standing in the entertainment world, these newbies will have their work cut out for them as Ebert bids the balcony adieu after 23 years with Disney, 33 on the air in total.

Ebert explained his departure by saying that the show was taking a new direction—one that he wouldn't be following—and he would no longer be associated with it.

Richard Roeper, who was brought in eight years ago as a replacement for the late Gene Siskel, is also leaving the show, with only four tapings left, after being unable to reach an agreement with Disney.

His last appearance on the show will air the weekend of August 16-17.

The new hosts will also be ushering in a new look for the program with tech-savvy segments like a planned "Critics Round-up" where the hosts engage film critics from different cities in a roundtable discussion via satellite.

"At The Movies" will begin its 23rd season on the weekend of September 6.

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