After 28 years of movie magic, the enduring television partnership of Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton is to come to an end in December.
At The Movies has been screening weekly on the ABC since 2004 when it was dramatically poached from SBS, where it had started as The Movie Show 18 years earlier.
The ABC insists the pair chose to retire and the show is not a victim of government budget cuts. The final episode of At the Movies, which is one of the remaining shows to be produced in-house at the ABC, will be recorded on 9 December.
ABC managing director Mark Scott said the fact that everyone knew the pair simply as “Margaret and David” demonstrated how much they were loved by the Australian public.
“Their contribution to the ABC and to the wider arts community has been enormous,” Scott said. “We are so proud to have worked with them for over a decade at the ABC and we will miss them. I give them five stars.”
Viewers loved the often polar positions the two took on the movies, but they were arguably the most respected reviewers in the country.
At 75, Stratton has been keen on retirement for some time. He paid tribute to Margaret’s passion and commitment and conceded she had only been occasionally irritating.
“After 28 years reviewing films on television with Margaret, 10 of them at the ABC, I feel it’s time to go,” Stratton said. “We’ve had a wonderful time, thanks to very supportive and encouraging audiences, throughout that period. And we’ve worked with wonderful teams, both at SBS and at the ABC, people who discovered movies alongside us, helped and assisted us, and in the process became valued friends. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
Pomeranz said the “fragile” show survived only because of the movie lovers who supported it and the two public broadcasters who were committed to it.
“My gratitude goes to David who gave me credibility just by being prepared to sit by me and discuss film when I am just a film enthusiast, not the great walking encyclopedia of film that he is,” Pomeranz said. “He’s a grand person, a most generous, decent man, even if a little stubborn at times.
“We’ve seen Australian films continue to mature over nearly three decades on air and I look forward to a continued involvement in this wonderful industry of ours which explores and reflects our culture and our peccadilloes. It’s been such a privilege to have been on the sidelines, witnessing the talent that this country produces in all areas of film production.”
