Associated Press | Roger Ebert says he and his wife are going ahead with plans to produce a new movie review television program with the working title “Roger Ebert presents At the Movies.”
The famous movie reviewer wrote Thursday on his Chicago Sun-Times blog that they even know who will host. The Pulitzer Prize-winning reviewer writes he would like to make “occasional appearances” on the air. Ebert lost his ability to speak after cancer surgery.
Ebert also writes: “the Thumbs will return,” referring to the well-known “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” reviews.
Meanwhile, Disney-ABC Domestic Television announced it will cease
producing “At The Movies,” the successor show to the movie review
programs Ebert had with the late Chicago Tribune critic Gene Siskel,
and later Richard Roeper of the Sun-Times.
The last show will air the weekend of Aug. 14.
We know that Roger and the Estate of Gene own the thumbs, but does Roger own the trademark to “At the Movies?” If so, why did he let ABC abuse it for two years, while denying them the thumbs? If not, how is he going to call his new show the same thing?