Sneak Previews

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Sneak Previews was an American film review show that ran for two decades. It first aired on WTTW, a PBS television station in Chicago, Illinois, and found national airing as other PBS affiliates added the program to their schedules.

The show first aired in 1975 with the name Opening Soon at a Theater Near You, and after two successful seasons, was renamed to Sneak Previews.^[1] The show originally featured Roger Ebert, a film critic from the Chicago Sun-Times, and Gene Siskel, a film critic from the Chicago Tribune. The format of the program had the two critics review recently released films. The review would end with the each critic providing a simple positive or negative rating for the film. The Dog of the Week, was a segment shown near the end of the program having Siskel and Ebert reviewing their choice for the week's worst movie. The Dog of the Week was generally a humorous review of a B-Movie that otherwise would garner little public attention, but on occasion would be a major studio release.

Some episodes were known as Take 2 shows which replaced the review of recently released films with themed topics such as "Women in Danger", and slasher films of the 1970s and early 1980s. On one occasion, Siskel and Ebert invited the viewer into a day in their lives as they screened films.

Siskel and Ebert left Sneak Previews in 1983, citing contractual differences with the PBS station. They indicated that they were offered a contract and asked to "take it or leave it", and they chose the latter option. WTTW quickly searched for replacements, and signed Neal Gabler and Jeffrey Lyons. Neal Gabler left Sneak Previews in 1985, citing philosophical differences with the direction of the show,^{[citation needed]} and was replaced by Michael Medved.

Sneak Previews was unable to sustain its popularity after the departure of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. PBS continued to air the show until the 1995-1996 season, and then cancelled it.