Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
Episode guide
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Sneak Previews

  • TV Series
  • 1975–1996
  • 30m
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
711
YOUR RATING
Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel in Sneak Previews (1975)
Talk Show

Two critics review films both old and new.Two critics review films both old and new.Two critics review films both old and new.

  • Stars
    • Gene Siskel
    • Roger Ebert
    • Jeffrey Lyons
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.5/10
    711
    YOUR RATING
    • Stars
      • Gene Siskel
      • Roger Ebert
      • Jeffrey Lyons
    • 8User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Episodes155

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated

    Photos43

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 39
    View Poster

    Top cast6

    Edit
    Gene Siskel
    Gene Siskel
    • Self - Host
    • 1975–1982
    Roger Ebert
    Roger Ebert
    • Self - Host
    • 1975–1982
    Jeffrey Lyons
    Jeffrey Lyons
    • Self - Host
    • 1983–1992
    Neal Gabler
    Neal Gabler
    • Self - Host
    • 1983–1985
    Michael Medved
    Michael Medved
    • Self - Guest…
    • 1985–1992
    John Iltis
    • Self - Publicist
    • 1980
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews8

    8.5711
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    10AlsExGal

    A confusing history

    First off, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert premiered their movie review show in November 1975 on Chicago Public TV and it was entitled "Coming Soon To a Theater Near You", not "Sneak Previews". It was called this at least into 1977. By 1978 it had a less cerebral tone and the name had changed to "Sneak Previews" with the familiar intro music, and the great chemistry between Roger and Gene that persisted until Siskel's death in 1999. In 1982 the show went commercial and was renamed "At The Movies". In 1986 their show became "Siskel and Ebert and The Movies" and went under the umbrella of the Walt Disney Corporation. The show changed names again in 1999 after the death of Gene Siskel, but that would be expected. Apparently all of these name changes have confused archivists.

    The bottom line is that although Siskel and Ebert had a regular movie review show from 1975 until 1999, it was not named "Sneak Previews" from the beginning in1975 for 21 years as this entry would have you believe. I'm giving 10/10 stars for the show, regardless of name, because almost from the beginning, as soon as these two worked through the dynamics of the situation, they were a joy to watch.
    9Moonbeam_87

    Before the Thumbs

    Before the Thumbs, There was Yes and No. Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert Were both on the Fence of Annie 1982, but gave it a Yes. Gene Siskel Roger Ebert two Men that knew how to do a Review This gets My TM S for Satisfactory.
    donmccullen-1

    Where "Siskel & Ebert" got their start

    In the mid 1970's, public television station WTTW/Chicago wanted to do a movie review program which was unheard of at the time. This show was called "Coming Soon to a Theater near You" and it paired two movie critics from two rival newspapers in Chicago. Gene Siskel from the Tribune and Roger Ebert of the Sun-Times.

    Coming Soon... started out as a local show for WTTW, but the show's popularity caught the attention of PBS, who wanted to distribute the show nationally. Coming Soon... changed its name to "Sneak Previews" and the rest is history.

    Siskel and Ebert would discuss the current movies that were playing and one of the best parts of their show is where they disagree on film in which one liked and the other lumped it. Keep in mind however that their trademark "Thumbs Up/Down" was not used here. Rather they used a basic Yes/No regarding their take on the movies. For example when recapping the movies you would see a Yes or No on screen and who said. Something like, Ebert: Yes, Siskel: Yes. Not as great as "Two Thumbs Up" but you get the drift.

    Siskel and Ebert had a very strong following. A little too strong however and the two had to grow and to do that they had to move to commercial TV. WTTW remained committed to the show and brought in Neal Gabler and Jeffery Lyons to review the movies. In 1985 Gabler was replaced by Michael Medved who brought a conservative slant on the movies.

    Sneak Previews had difficulties trying to reclaim its popularity without Siskel & Ebert. It switched to cable and back to PBS in mid 80's. In the late 80's/early 90's Sneak Previews switched its focus on movies on home video rather than at the theater, and then going back to the original format more/less before Sneak Previews ended its run for good in 1996.

    Lyons and Medved were critics in their own right, and conservative thinking people that wanted a different slant on the movies had Medved on their side. However that was not enough to keep the show going.

    If anything Sneak Previews brought the ideal of movie review shows to the little screen. Without Sneak Previews their would not be a "Siskel & Ebert."
    9justin-fencsak

    thank god for youtube to revisit this show....

    When this first aired on a local PBS station in Chicago along with many PBS stations in 1975, it became a huge hit and coined the prhase Two Thumbs up!!! The show would go on into syndication on network TV under Disney and became the most popular movie review show of all time, paving the way for rivals and even Youtube critics and a cartoon parody starring Jon Lovitz.
    10happipuppi13

    Sneak Previews : There from the start.

    "Sneak Previews" debuted in the fall of 1978 on PBS and I'm happy to say I was pretty much there from the beginning. I didn't see its debut show but I do recall watching them preview,"Concorde:Airport '79". Boy did they skewer that one! I went and saw it just the same.

    Roger Ebert and the now,late Gene Siskel were a perfect team up. They could get into slightly heated discussions about the movies they reviewed but never let it become a blow to their egos.

    I could make a list of all the movies I watched them review together,both on this and "At The Movies" (which was later just "Siskel & Ebert")but it would be too long. I will say that recently I rented a documentary movie that they championed & campaigned for in 1994 (on "At the Movies". That of course is,"Hoop Dreams". Which as we know The Academy Awards did not bestow an Oscar on.

    Roger & Gene's various discussions of that movie are on that DVD as extras. I can honestly say,that was truly their finest moments together. Not just as movie critics but as experts,who were more in touch with movie goers than the Oscar Academy. Hard to watch and realize that,this was 12 years ago and how much of an absence is really felt with Gene Siskel being gone.

    Here's to the professionalism of Roger Ebert & Gene Siskel and Sneak Previews,that made it safe to go to the movies again and not waste one's money.

    Which is the most important lesson I learned watching Snaek Prviews and their later shows. (END)

    More like this

    Siskel & Ebert
    8.6
    Siskel & Ebert
    At the Movies
    8.5
    At the Movies
    Life Itself
    7.8
    Life Itself
    Late Night with Conan O'Brien
    8.2
    Late Night with Conan O'Brien
    Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
    6.1
    Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
    Stevie
    7.8
    Stevie
    Godzilla
    7.6
    Godzilla
    About Schmidt
    7.2
    About Schmidt
    A Trip to the Moon
    8.1
    A Trip to the Moon
    Nebraska
    7.7
    Nebraska
    Crash
    6.4
    Crash
    The Tree of Life
    6.8
    The Tree of Life

    Related interests

    Graham Norton in The Graham Norton Show (2007)
    Talk Show

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Originally, this public television series was intended to be produced in various cities with local newspaper film critics featured for their reviews. However, the Chicago film critics of the first incarnation of this intended TV franchise, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, proved so popular that it was decided that their show would be distributed nationally instead.
    • Connections
      Featured in CBS Mornings: Episode dated 8 December 1995 (1995)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ16

    • How many seasons does Sneak Previews have?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 26, 1975 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Opening Soon at a Theater Near You
    • Filming locations
      • Illinois, USA
    • Production company
      • WTTW National Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 30m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit pageAdd episode

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.