Kvikmyndagagnrýnandinn Roeper hættir með þátt sinn og Leno Hættir hjá NBC

Veteran Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert says leaving the television show that he and late movie pundit Gene Siskel made famous more than thirty years ago.

In an e-mail to The Associated Press on Monday, Ebert said Disney-ABC Domestic Television had decided to take At the Movies With Ebert & Roeper “in a new direction” and he won’t apart of it.

The announcement comes hours after fellow Chicago Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper announced he was leaving the nationally syndicated series over a contract dispute.

“Several months ago, Disney offered to extend my contract, which expires at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season. I opted to wait. Much transpired after that behind the scenes, but an agreement was never reached, and we are all moving on.”

His last appearance on the show will air the weekend of August 16th-17th.

PC

Jay Leno Officially "Done" With NBC; Kimmel Unoffically "OK" With Time Move

What a weird venue for Jay Leno to make this announcement: in an unreadable USA Today article about his massive car collection. Needless to say, the paper didn't even know it had a scoop and buried the news in the middle of its story. Anyway, here's what Leno stated: " 'I am definitely done next year — with NBC,' he says, sitting in a huge recliner in his poster-strewn shop office. Would he go to another network? Leno just smiles. 'I'm not a beach guy, and the last time I was in my pool was to fix a light. Don't worry, I'll find a job somewhere.' " I've been saying for some time that, judging from Leno's animus towards Jeff Zucker who brutally threw him under a bus for Conan O'Brien in 2009 even though Jay is still No. 1 in late night, there was no way Leno would stick with NBC. So, I say it's clear that Jay is ABC-bound and on the air there in 2010. I also hear from sources that Kimmel is "OK" with having his time slot moved.

Meanwhile, ABC just extended its option with current late night host Jimmy Kimmel to keep him at the network through at least 2010. At the Television Critics Association briefing last Wednesday, ABC Entertainment topper Steve McPherson stated "there's absolutely room for both" Kimmel and Leno, and pledged that Jimmy would be fully consulted every step of the Jay negotiation -- something Zucker failed to do with Leno. "I can't believe they're going to let this guy go at the top of his game," McPherson said. "If that happens, I guess we'll look at it at the time, and Jimmy will be involved in those discussions, and that will be that." Meanwhile, about that cameo appearance which Kimmel made during McPherson's TCA session during which Jimmy played reporter asking the bigwig from the audience, "There are rumors that ABC is actively courting Jay Leno for 11:30. Is there any truth to the rumors? If you were even to talk to Jay Leno, wouldn't that be like contract tampering? Wouldn't that be illegal? Couldn't you go to jail for that? Are you at all afraid that if you do replace Jimmy Kimmel, he might do something crazy to you or your car?" I understand this punking was McPherson's idea.

So much for the behind-the-scenes drama everyone expected. There won't be a need for a Late Shift sequel.

Nikkie