At the Movies sheds some Bens (Ben Mankiewicz and Ben Lyons)

At the Movies sheds some Bens (Ben Mankiewicz and Ben Lyons)

((Cue the closing credits for "At the Movies" co-hosts Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz, who've endured a year of caustic reviews for their performance as film critics.))

I can say that that is a good decision. I never was a huge fan of the series when the two Bens took over the series. They felt too “polished” for me, and I hated the new format.

(("We tried something new last season," said Brian Frons, who heads up the Disney unit that oversees ABC Media Productions. The departing co-hosts "did everything we asked of them, and they have been complete professionals.))

The sad thing is it took them a whole year to figure out the format wasn’t working. Didn’t the old school fans and critics give you an idea that the show wasn’t on the right track?

Fear not, there are replacements for the Bens.

((Replacing them next month on the long-running syndicated series will be film critics A.O. (Tony) Scott of The New York Times and Michael Phillips of The Chicago Tribune, ABC Media Productions announced Wednesday.))

I'm not the type that attacked the Bens, but some just didn't like them.

Perhaps, this is a chance to get back to the retro style of the old show. I fondly remember watching the old At the Movies show with my movie-fan Uncle. He loved watching the show. While I never fully agreed with Roger and Gene, I respected them. And in some ways, I wouldn't be reviewing movies today without their influence.