Balcony Closed for Good? Apparently yes: Roeper leaves Movie Review Show

Apparently the movie theater balcony will be closed for some time to come: “At the Movies” lead host Richard Roeper has decided not to renew his contract with Disney-ABC Domestic Television at the end of the 2007-2008 season according to AP.

The final curtain call comes from the man himself Roger Ebert the surviving original host of “At the Movies”. In a statement on his website, Ebert confirms that he will not be involved in the new direction ABC has planned for the show. Ebert made his last appearance on the show in 2006 just before complications from cancer treatment robbed him of his voice and thus is ability to appear on air.

In a statement, Roeper says that he was unable to come to an agreement on a new contract with the studio and would be exiting the show. His final appearance on the show will air the weekend of August 16-17.

Ebert notes that the “thumbs will return” since the “Thumbs up/down” catch phrase is still owned by him and Marlene Iglitzen, his late screen partner Gene Siskel’s widow.

I’ll save my thoughts on the show until the final airing but I will say things have been going down downhill for some time so a refresh has been desperately needed. I just wish Ebert and Roeper were still along for the ride. For now, we’ll just get ready for the beginning of the end.