Show goes on for Margaret
hen seasoned film critic Margaret Pomeranz closed the chapter on her iconic TV partnership with David Stratton last year, little did she know that another door would open so soon.
Less than two months after the final episode of At the Movies aired on the ABC, Pomeranz was presented with another exciting opportunity.
Foxtel approached the 70-year-old to front two new shows that would involve critiquing its extensive film archive.
On Foxtel’s new ARTS channel Pomeranz will share the screen with respected actor/producer/ journalist Graeme Blundell as the host of the weekly series SCREEN, while on Foxtel Movies Masterpiece she will review a movie of her choice on her eponymous show Margaret Pomeranz Presents.
“To tell you the truth, I was completely taken aback when Foxtel approached me,” Pomeranz explained in Sydney ahead of pay-TV’s ASTRA Awards earlier this month. “I thought I was very lucky because it would have been easy to go and put my feet up and not do anything. But at the same time, my children were terrified of that and they’re really happy that I’m out of their hair and working. But I think it’s good to be engaged and challenged.”
Pomeranz laments that the new venture meant she has had to shelve her retirement plans — at least for now.
“I would have liked a longer break,” she said. “I had grand plans, because my son is shooting a film with Ridley Scott in Budapest and I was going to visit him and then visit my old stamping ground in Vienna and visit some friends in London then maybe a trip over to New York. But that’s all out the window.”
As for closing the curtain on her partnership with Stratton after 28 years on air (they moved to the ABC from SBS in 2004), Pomeranz found she was staggered by the public’s response.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the reaction to our leaving the ABC,” she said.
“Truly, people just rush up to me in the street almost in tears. It’s been terribly affecting in a lot of ways.
“But I hope people are interested in this new show enough to join us.”
