‘Critics Picks’ Debuting On Amc

“Critics Picks,” a new weekly show featuring five renowned film critics introducing acclaimed movies, will debut on American Movie Classics on Jan. 4.

The critics are Jeffrey Lyons, Joel Siegel, Janet Maslin and the team of Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper. The show will run Thursdays at 5 p.m. (AT&T Broadband Channel 50 in Spokane).

“The unique perspectives these film experts bring to AMC is invaluable,” said Marc Juris, the network’s senior vice president for original programming, packaging and production. “Their distinctive voices and knowledge about the art of filmmaking reinforces AMC’s goal of giving viewers great movies and the stories behind them.”

The critics will rotate hosting duties. Lyons, a film critic at WNBC-TV in New York, also hosts a nationally syndicated radio show and is the former host of “Sneak Previews.” Siegel is a film critic on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Maslin has worked as a movie reviewer at the New York Times since 1977, and she served as the lead critic from 1994-99. Ebert and Roeper are hosts of “Ebert & Roeper and the Movies.”

The films selected so far are “The Godfather,” “It Happened One Night,” “King of Comedy,” “The Natural,” “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” “All the President’s Men,” “African Queen,” “Charade,” “Racing With the Moon,” “The Longest Day” and “Splendor in the Grass.”