Gene Shalit, the "Today" show's movie critic and celebrity interviewer of four decades, is leaving the show, NBC announced Tuesday.
Shalit, the bushy mustached, bespectacled face of the show's entertainment coverage since 1970, will leave the show Nov. 11. His final episode will include a salute to his decades on the show.
“Gene is not just a ‘Today’ show treasure but a television legend and an American icon," said the show's executive producer, Jim Bell. "We salute him for his unprecedented 40-year run on a single television program, a feat unlikely to ever be matched.”
Shalit served as a regular contributor for three years until replacing replacing Joe Garagiola on the "Today" desk.
