After Disney unceremoniously took his last show into a "new direction" following his illness, Roger Ebert had to abandon the two-critic-format film review show he invented with Gene Siskel. But now it looks as though Ebert is returning to TV with a new show called Roger Ebert Presents At the Movies. Ebert won't be hosting, per se, but his wife Chaz is executive producer, and Roger says, "I will be involved in all aspects, and will contribute regular segments of my own."

The show's co-hosts haven't been announced yet*, but At the Movies will air on PBS stations around the country. As of yet, there is no plan to air it on OPB.(Boo.)

The show will return to WTTW, Chicago Public Television, where Gene Siskel and I first taped "Sneak Previews" in 1975. The station still has our original seats, but we are constructing an all new set. Our critics of course will be back in the iconic balcony, and will be using the famous "thumbs up / thumbs down" rating system.

As someone who unabashedly loves Ebert (even though his reviews are dead wrong a lot of the time—the man simply loves writing more than any other writer I can think of, and is therefore always a pleasure to read), I'll be happy to see his (sort of) return to TV—if we ever get the chance to see it in Oregon. Here's hoping.

* UPDATE: Oh wait, they have: AP's Christy Lemire and former NYT critic Elvis Mitchell, with contributions from Kim Morgan and Omar Moore.