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Gene Siskel's Sabbatical
The all-thumbs critic announced today that, on the advice of his doctor, he will take an indefinite leave of absence from his numerous gigs--including the hit TV show, Siskel & Ebert, with Roger Ebert.
It's expected he'll be out for at least six months.
Last May, Siskel, 53, underwent brain surgery to remove an unspecified "growth." He almost immediately returned to work, or works--the syndicated show with Ebert, the columns in TV Guide and the Chicago Tribune, the CBS This Morning appearances.
"I think Gene's a very energetic guy," says Gerry Kern, the Tribune's deputy managing editor for features. "I think he loves what he does."
But enough apparently was enough. In a statement today from his TV syndicator, it was noted that "Siskel has decided to yield to the advise of his doctor and will take a much-needed break from his demanding schedule."
He'll rehab at his Chicago home, where he lives with his wife and three children.
Ebert acknowledges the absence of his long-time aisle partner on a new episode to air this weekend. He wishes Siskel well--and then goes about the business of dissecting movies.
Studios take note: For the immediate future, Ebert's thumb will be the only one available for a good review--temporarily mothballing the familiar "Two thumbs up!" blurb. (Last year during his brief down time, Siskel maintained his presence by phoning in reviews.) More concrete plans for the future of the show reportedly will be discussed in a few weeks.
Siskel, for one, has an idea of what he wants. "I'm in a hurry to get well because I don't want Roger to get more screen time than I," he said in the statement.
Siskel and Ebert have been an on-air team since 1975, when a local Windy City PBS producer had the bright idea to pit the film critic for the Tribune (Siskel) against the film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times (Ebert).
Following his surgery, Siskel proved he'd lost little of his knack to inflame viewers with opinions--perhaps best illustrated by his pick of notorious flop Babe: Pig in the City as 1998's best film.
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