Entourage’s New Season Promo
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, Cable, HBO, Entourage, Video
Entourage fans, the long wait is almost over. Although we’ve grown accustomed to seeing our Boys of Summer sometime in June, last year’s writers strike forced us to endure more reality fare than anyone should be subjected to.
Those of you - like me - who’ve been waiting to renew your HBO subscription, here’s a teaser you’ve missing.
Click to continue reading Entourage’s New Season Promo
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| HBO
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Replacements Named for Ebert & Roeper
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories:

It’s out with the old and in with the new.
Just a day after learning Ebert & Roeper was officially no more, we’re already being introduced to the program’s new reviewers.
For At the Movies’ 23rd season, a pair of Bens will be assuming the critiquing duties. Ben Lyons, best known for his movie work on E!, will be occupying one chair while Ben Mankiewicz, the host for Turner Classic Movies, will be sitting in the other.
Click to continue reading Replacements Named for Ebert & Roeper
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| E! Online
Ebert & Roeper Loses Ebert And Roeper
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Syndication, News

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.
Click to continue reading Ebert & Roeper Loses Ebert And Roeper
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| Associated Press
Top Chef Chicago: Manuel Packs His Knives and Goes
Posted by Jacci Lewis Categories: Food & Home, Prime Time, Reality, Cable, Top Chef, Cable/Satellite, Editorial, News
Episode 4 of Top Chef Chicago on Bravo TV was all about meshing technique with imagination. In the end, gentlemanly chef Manuel paid the price for his partner Spike’s lack of both. Manuel is out and classically trained molecular gastronomist Richard was Top Chef of the night thanks to his team’s whimsical take on a salmon dish inspired by Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory.
This episode began with a rather mundane Quickfire Challenge. Guest judge, French Chef Daniel Boulud, asked them to create a vegetable plate showcasing classic techniques, including three specific techniques designed to impress the reknowned French chef. Boulud says technique is the foundation of any worthy chef.
We learned that front-runner Richard and pretty boy Ryan both worked for Chef Boulud at some point in their careers. But Ryan brushed it off saying his stint with Boulud didn’t last long because it wasn’t his style of cooking. (For a short biography of each chef competing in season 4 click here .)
Most of the chefs seemed intimidated by this challenge. Lisa said “classical” isn’t her style. (I’m getting the feeling that applies to ANYTHING she doesn’t like to do.) In the end Chef Boulud’s least favorites were Nikki’s use of endive as a boat (too simple). Lisa’s plate was deemed too cluttered and unfocused and Manuel’s plate did not express enough technique. Chef Boulud called it “level one”.
Click to continue reading Top Chef Chicago: Manuel Packs His Knives and Goes
A Thumbless Ebert & Roeper?
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Syndication
For nearly 30 years, Roger Ebert has been sealing his movie reviews with a signature Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down. Unfortunately, potentially-heated contract negotiations between Ebert and his distribution company have forced (temporary?) changes to the Ebert & Roeper program. Now both sides are pointing fingers at those allegedly responsible for pulling the digits.
Viewers of the most recent episode may have noticed a slight change in the program. No thumbs! Richard Roeper and his guest co-host made their opinions on such movies as The Nanny Diaries and Resurrecting the Champ as clear as possible without a ‘pointed’ summary. (For the record—they disliked both films).
Disney-ABC Domestic Television claims the renowned critic put the copyrighted move on hold during negotiations (Ebert and the estate of the late Gene Siskel hold the rights to the critiquing method). But through a statement posted on his website, Roger denies making that request. In addition, he says that Disney (as of 8/24) had not gotten back to him after what he feels was an ‘offensively low’ offer.
As most you already know, health problems have kept Roger Ebert from fronting an episode of the show for over a year. But he has been contributing in other ways and still posts through his own site. I just pray that the distribution company isn’t trying to take advantage of his current status during their contract talks. But then again—they wouldn’t do something like that, would they??
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| RogerEbert.com
Leno, Smith Fill Ebert’s Shoes
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Talk Shows, Talent, News
While Roger Ebert recovers, Jay Leno and Kevin Smith will be populating the balcony on Ebert & Roeper in his absence. I’m not sure what credibility Leno has for film reviews, but I bet Kevin Smith will have a thing or two to say about the films being reviewed. Leno, of course, is the host of NBC’s Tonight Show and will serve as the first guest co-host for the review show while Ebert continues recovery after cancer surgery last month. Tune in on the August 5-6 episode to see Leno review Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Miami Vice, Little Miss Sunshine, The Night Listener and Shadowboxer. Says Roeper of Leno’s guest stint, “America knows Jay as the country’s most popular late-night talk show host, but I know him as a guy who loves movies and loves to debate movies with Roger and me—both on camera and backstage at The Tonight Show.”
Kevin Smith takes on the challenge for the August 12-13 episode, but there’s no confirmation of the films he’ll be reviewing yet. I’m just wondering if there’ll be any digs against Joel Siegel, the film critic who recently walked out on Smith’s new feature, Clerks II.
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| CNN Entertainment
Roger Ebert in Stable Condition
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Talent, News
Following an emergency operation to repair complications from a previous cancer surgery, Roger Ebert is in serious but stable condition. Ebert has had several cancer surgeries to remove tumors on his thyroid and salivary glands. This recent surgery was to remove another cancerous growth on his salivary gland, but a blood vessel burst near the site of the operation.
Ebert, 64, of course is best known for his role as The Chicago Sun-Times’ film critic. His pairing with fellow critic Gene Siskel provided the opportunity to review films with their well known “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” rating system. Siskel died in 1999, but the balcony did not close on the review show – instead Richard Roeper joined Ebert to continue critiquing films.
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| People
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