It’s nice to see Roger Ebert’s name in the headlines for something not related to his health problems.
This time it’s good news for the 65-year-old film critic. According to Hollywood insiders, Ebert will be honored at the 17th annual Gotham Awards for his contributions to independent cinema. (An official announcement about the Ebert tribute is planned for tomorrow.)
The Gotham Awards celebrate independent movies and films set in New York and Ebert is reportedly only the second film critic to receive the honor. (Pauline Kael was the first.) The honor will be presented to the famous newspaper and TV critic in Brooklyn next month.
And even more good news, event organizers say Ebert plans to attend the event. It will be a rare public appearance for the Illinois native who underwent a series of cancer surgeries, including one last year where a growth on his salivary gland and part of his right jaw removed. Those were followed by an emergency surgery after a blood vessel burst near the site of the operation. Since the procedures Ebert has been unable to speak, but his doctors say he is cancer free.
Also making headlines for his contributions to society is “The Daily Show’s” Jon Stewart. His contributions may be questionable at times… does making people laugh count? Regardless, Stewart apparently has impressed his bosses at Comedy Central who just asked the comedian to stay on the air for at least three more years.
Network execs say Stewart recently agreed to sign a two-year contract extension that keeps him in the anchor chair of his Comedy Central “faux news” show through 2010. (Stewart’s contract had been set to expire at the end of next year.)
What’s more, the network also announced that fans can now go online to see Stewart’s funniest moments from past episodes stretching back to 1999 (that’s when he succeeded original host Craig Kilborn). Comedy Central’s new stand-alone “Daily Show” website features video clips from the most recent “Daily Show,” and some 13,000 other clips spanning the entire Stewart era.