Very First Siskel & Ebert Show – November 1975
Very first show of Roger and Gene! They have definitely changed over the years in their style of delivery and appearance!
Gradepoint found this show at the Library of Congress back in 2011.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Bruno Bozzetto Self Service, Mr. Quilp, Conduct Unbecoming
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That is one majestic pornstar stache! And yeah, glad they worked out the format cuz this is pretty bad.
The ingredients are all here, Roger’s flippant comebacks, Gene’s moralistic hubris — they’re two strong personalities right out of the gate, but they’re terribly languid and awkward in this first episode.
You can watch Roger’s 1999 tribute to Gene for his overview on the show’s history. He admitted they were both a bit ill at ease in their first few TV appearances, and it was the idea of WTTW Chicago to place them on TV together. “Sneak Previews” producer Thea Flaum got a big taste of their competitiveness while interviewing them. Each critic always wanted to get the last word in. It seems that it took a few seasons for them to finally fully display their competitiveness on the show. Thankfully, filming them from the back was quickly done away with.
I think it was around Fall 1980 when I started watching. Their controversial “Women in Danger” special was one of the first shows I watched.
Actually, the overview of the show’s history was first seen in the 1989 500th Anniversary Special. The Gene Siskel Tribute episode was a recap of that recollection.
So nervous, and monotone! Very cool to see, I only started in 1979 when they had the 2nd opening theme/Sneak Previews.
One of the first movies they ever reviewed together, here’s my opinion of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest:”
To me, this is one of the best movies ever made. It leaves an impact on society, giving the message that no matter how you are as a person you still deserve to go out into the world and live life. I remember everybody in the movie and was never bored with the movie regardless of the setting that may first come across as boring. Wonderfully acted and scripted, the actors came as a surprise to me and everybody does a fantastic job. The emotional moments in the characters come off very strong due to the understanding of the situation. Everything that happens to the members of the ward describes the ward itself in many ways and how it functions. Many surprises come out of the movie, they come into the movie at perfect timing. I love watching everyone interact with each other and how everyone both loves and hates each other at the same time, which is a good summary of life right there. Nurse Ratched’s perspective is just as understandable as McMurphy’s, she has her reasons for how she operates the ward. Everything is clear about the movie, and it’s an enjoyable work from beginning to end.
It’s an incredible movie (and book).
4/4
As others have said, kind of a low-energy, nervous beginning, but all the ingredients are there from the beginning. One can see that Gene is the more natural of the two, but if you watch the shows in order you see it really doesn’t take long for Roger to start working at his level. I love how they were even critiquing their own show (“I suppose at some point we should get down to hammer and tongs”). I’m thrilled that all of these episodes are available, thank you so much to everyone who put this website together!
WTTW channel 11, Wednesday, November 26th, 1975.
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