For the last few years Roger Ebert has not been a prominent figure on the television program that made him famous. In 2002 Ebert underwent surgery to remove a cancerous growth in his salivary gland. The surgery was a success and he was able to continue the show, but the cancer returned in June 2006 and part of his jaw bone had to be removed. While recovering from surgery in the hospital, Ebert's reconstructed jaw collapsed and he had to be rushed into emergency surgery. Since then, Ebert has been in a constant state of recovery, running in and out of the hospital and unable to maintain appearances on At The Movies because of how the surgeries have affected his speech patterns. For two years the show has run with Roeper and a variety of guest hosts. Though still surprisingly insightful when featuring a strong guest host, the show has floundered with the consistently boring Roeper in charge. He is to film criticism what Al Gore is to politics.

Last August, ABC put Ebert through the ringer when it came time to renegotiate his contract and the critic responded by threatening to take away his trademarked "thumps up/thumbs down" rating system. Since then, things have been understandably tense between both parties and the end always seemed near. The news that both critics will be leaving the show wasn't so much a surprise as it was an inevitability. Both Ebert and Roeper have announced plans to continue working in television, but have not been specific about their intentions. Roeper told the press that he would "proceed elsewhere ... as the co-host of a movie review show that honors the standards established by Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert more than 30 years ago." Hopefully he won't be as snore-inducing in a solo venture.