Paramount Domestic Television
Roger Ebert, watch out: Leonard Maltin and his friends are coming to weekend syndication to give their take on the latest Hollywood movies. Maltin and company will look to put a new spin on the movie-review show this year, bringing Hot Ticket
to local stations with a 21st century look and feel.
The weekly half-hour series, hosted by E! Entertainment personality Todd Newton, will feature a panel of three celebrities and longtime Entertainment Tonight
film critic Maltin expressing their views on the latest movies, DVDs, and even movie trailers. The show will take an almost Politically Incorrect
approach to reviewing movies.
"As soon as the idea was presented to me, I thought it was a good one," says Maltin, who has been a regular contributor on Paramount's ET
for 19 years. "Everyone likes to talk about movies."
Plans call for Hot Ticket
to review two films and one movie trailer per week, with other features from Hollywood and man-on-the-street opinions interjected. Newton will host the show and moderate the panel of rotating celebrities and Maltin.
"It's the sort of idea that you kind of ask yourself why didn't we do this three or four years ago," notes Paramount Domestic Television co-president Frank Kelly.
Do potential comparisons with Ebert's program concern Maltin? "They staked their claim many years ago to a format. and anybody who would try and copy that would be foolish," he notes. "This show doesn't try to copy that."
Show: Hot Ticket
Studio/Distributor: Paramount Domestic Television
Clearance: N/A
Barter: 3.5/3.5
Debut: Fall 2001
