Comments on PIDGEONBLOG: Roger Ebert Retires From Television

Sad. He's been without the ability to speak since...

2008-04-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

Sad. He's been without the ability to speak since the hemorrhage. I hoped he would come back to the show but, alas, it's not to be.

Wow! I LOVE youtube! Thanks Jeff!

2008-04-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

Wow! I LOVE youtube! Thanks Jeff!

You mean... this opening?:http://youtube.com/watch...

2008-04-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

You mean... this opening?:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vGIQ31AVLNk

I remember it, too - I loved that show growing up! I still remember the excitement of seeing the "Death Star Escape" sequence with Roger & Gene before I actually saw Star Wars!

I can even remember a younger Siskel and Ebert tha...

2008-04-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

I can even remember a younger Siskel and Ebert than that! Ebert was much bigger and had darker hair-and the show had rinky-dink intro music and was called "Sneak Previews".
My husband and I loved watching them back in the day-both of them were so sarcastic-Gene could really toss in a last-second zinger in there before the cuts to clips leaving Roger with an open mouth or just glaring at Gene, and Roger could be counted on to embarrassingly overpraise any especially nubile actress's performance no matter how good or bad the film was, lol.
It wasn't the same when Siskel died and we stopped watching what had been a weekly ritual--but we loved seeing Ebert uncorked every year at the Cannes closing ceremony coverage Bravo(or someone)did, where Ebert was a gushing fanboy-and a great leavening influence on the relative snootiness of Annette Insdorf.
I'd wondered what was up with his slurred speech some time ago, and assumed it was some sort of cancer/tongue surgery(didn't Siskel suffer from the same--oh, wait, that was a brain tumor IIRC. Good God). So tragic. At least Roger is kicking and fighting it and writing, which is terrific for him and us.