Ebert & Roeper bid farewell.

Richard Roeper has made it official: He’s leaving At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper after eight years.

It really never was the same without Roger Ebert. For that mater, it was never the same without Gene Siskel. There was something about the way the two grated on each other. It was easy to choose sides. Siskel was too mean; Ebert was too soft. But they were the guys whose opinions about movies were both entertaining and realistic. We could trust their opinions to be consistent. That counts for a lot.

Roeper seemingly knew he was a pale replacement for the late Siskel. Now with Roeper gone and Ebert likely never to return to the screen after prolonged illnesses and surgeries, it’s time to face facts. The show is dead.

Thanks, guys, for all the fun.

This article appears in July 18 • 2008.

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