On July 21, 2008, Roger Ebert announced that he would no longer be a part of the movie review talk show At The Movies with Ebert & Roeper. Following surgery due to thyroid cancer in 2006, Ebert was unable to speak and no longer appeared on the show. Instead, he contributed his expertise behind-the-scenes and Richard Roeper continued on-the-air with various co-hosts. The studio decided to take the show "in a new direction" and hired Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz to co-host the series beginning in September 2008.RogerEbert.com: Statement from Roger Ebert (July 21, 2008)Gawker: Roger Ebert Replaced By 26-Year-Old (July 23, 2008)

After 33 years of movie reviews, the final episode with Ebert and Roeper aired on August 16, 2008.

For the final episode Michael Phillips co-hosts and discusses with Richard Roeper the pros and cons of the films Fly Me to the Moon, Henry Poole Is Here, The Rocker, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Tropic Thunder.TV Guide: At the Movies Final Episode

in 1986, Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel developed a following as they reviewed films and argued with one another over which movies were good or bad. Siskel died suddenly in 1999, due to cancer surgery complications. Martin Scorsese, Joel Siegel, Richard Roeper and others joined Ebert as substitute co-hosts until 2000, when Roeper was chosen as Siskel's replacement. In 2004, Ebert was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, but continued on-the-air until a surgery in 2006 left him speechless. Jay Leno, John Mellencamp and Fred Willard are just a few of the critics that co-hosted the show during its final two years. Siskel and Ebert developed the trademark thumbs-up thumbs-down viewing recommendation.

"Over the last two seasons, as Roger has bravely coped with his medical issues, I've continued the show with a number of guest co-hosts. It's never been the same without Roger, but I'm proud of the work we've done and I'm grateful to all the co-hosts who stepped in — and to the viewers that stayed loyal to the show."USAToday: Ebert & Roeper Leaving... (July 21, 2008)