Thanks to some seriously questionable moves on behalf of Disney-ABC Domestic Television, fans of Ebert & Roeper are throwing their two thumbs down…way down.

Both hosts of the film review show (formerly known as Siskel & Ebert) have just announced that they are parting ways with the long-running institution. Why? Well, it appears that the cheap owners are now opting to change things up.

Yesterday, Richard Roeper said he was leaving the weekly program because negotiations to extend his current contract failed. The critic, who permanently joined Roger Ebert back in 2000, will last be seen during the weekend of Aug. 16-17. This contract dispute comes almost a year after regular viewers saw the ‘Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down’ mentions removed from the show. An “offensively low” offer with Ebert (who has the copyright on the gestures), forced the producers to come up with new ways to review films.

Now, just one day later, Roger Ebert has said that he too will be officially disassociating himself with the program that made him famous. Although the beloved critic has not been seen in his theater chair since 2006, it was always hoped that Roeper could hold down the fort until he returned. Followers of Ebert’s reviews could still, though, read his opinions in print.

In an email to the Associated Press, Roger said that Disney-ABC Domestic Television wanted to take things “in a new direction.”

But those who have grown accustomed to Richard Roeper’s style should not fret. Although Disney-ABC Domestic Television is going to have build a new audience with new hosts and a new name, the host assures us that he will continue with what he has been doing…just somewhere else.

Now I say ‘Thumbs Up’ to that!