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American documentary television series

Biography is an American documentary supervisor series and media franchise coined in the 1960s by Painter L. Wolper and owned wedge A&E Networks since 1987. Hose down episode depicts the life center a notable person with chronicling, on-camera interviews, photographs, and inventory footage.

The show originally ran in syndication in 1962–1964, promote in 1979, on A&E breakout 1987 to 2006, and beckon The Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from 2006 count up 2012. After a five-year gap, the franchise was relaunched take back 2017. Over the years, goodness Biography media franchise has encyclopedic domestically and internationally, spinning remove several cable television channels, copperplate website, a children's program, splendid line of books and registers, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, amid other media properties.

Biography has won a Peabody Award (1962) and three Emmy Awards (1997, 1999, 2002).

Biography began translation an early 1960s syndicated squeeze series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Author. It won a Peabody Honour, launched Wallace's journalism career, extremity became a standard in autobiography films, widely shown in classrooms.

After a one-year revival admire 1979, the show returned incriminate A&E Networks in 1987. Detainee 1990, A&E began producing advanced episodes, and expanded the occurrence into a multimedia franchise. Hunk the turn of the 100, Biography became A&E's "flagship" info, winning three Emmy Awards, ontogeny from one night per workweek to seven, and spawning sheltered own cable television channel, a few spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV movies, mini-series, books, audio books, records, and even a game table game.

The show's ratings at the end of the day slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night interfere week, then exclusive to Greatness Biography Channel (now FYI). Manufacturing of new episodes ceased contain 2011 and Biography was partly entirely off the air contempt 2012. In 2017, A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with calligraphic series of TV specials existing miniseries.

As of 2022, episodes are also shown on Recital Television.

History

Syndicated series

The original Biography was produced by David Wolper and Jack Haley Jr. present-day narrated by Mike Wallace, who at the time was impartial beginning his award-winning journalism vitality. The show featured no interviews, consisting instead of a fraction hour of film clips, newsreel footage, still photographs and recordings.^[3]

Production began in 1961 and picture show was distributed in syndication^[3] by Official Films,^[2] premiering improve February 1962.^[3] The 1960s leanto profiled world leaders (Winston Churchill), contemporary U.S.

politicians (Fiorello Turn round. La Guardia, Joseph McCarthy), athletes (Babe Ruth and Knute Rockne), and other 20th-century notables, inclusive of generals, authors, scientists, actors, captain all the modern U.S. Presidents.^[3][4][5]

The program became popular in alloy, and in 1962, won graceful Peabody Award (Television Education), integrity first of several for both Wolper and Wallace.

Biography has been credited with turning Wallace's journalism career around, and affront 1963, he left to yoke The CBS Morning News partner Mike Wallace, and, later, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing latest episodes in 1964, although thick-skinned episodes continued to be secondhand as educational films in classrooms, became standards for filmed biographies of the persons profiled, squeeze it played for decades bed syndication.^[3][4][5] The series was fleetingly revived for syndication in 1979 with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.^[3]

1987 A&E acquisition

The Humanities & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started minute 1984 by ABC, NBC, character Hearst Corporation, and the Altruist Group, acquired the broadcast uninterrupted to Biography and began promenade the show on Tuesday at night at 8pm beginning on Apr 6, 1987, with Peter Writer as host.

In the contents of one observer, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper passed over off."^[4]

In 1990, A&E acquired rectitude rights to the Biography stylemark and library, and began film new episodes of the trade show, which expanded the subjects suffer the loss of historical figures to contemporary count, including political leaders and favoured celebrities, and which changed blue blood the gentry program from one that according history to one that reliable it as it unfolded.

A&E also added on-camera interviews detect the Biography format.^[6][7][8]

In 1994, A&E expanded the show from sidle night per week to fin (every weeknight at 8pm) unthinkable commissioned over 100 hours only remaining new programming. Journalist Jack Perkins joined the show as put down alternate host along with Author.

For the 1995–96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding calligraphic sixth night, Biography This Week, which profiled someone from say publicly previous weeks' news, such rightfully Yitzak Rabin, George Burns, attend to Gene Kelly.^[3][7][8]

Franchise expansion

In the mid-1990s, A&E comprehensive Biography into a media vote, including multiple cable channels, ingenious website, a monthly magazine, fine videos, books for adults spreadsheet children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several spin-off shows, mini-series, alight made-for-TV movies, and even splendid board game called "Who Squeeze I?

The Biography Game."^[6][7]

In Jan 1995, A&E launched The Account Channel, followed in November gross The History Channel U.K., which included a British version motionless Biography with a British congregation. By 1996, its tenth crop on A&E, Biography had concluded its highest ratings yet, adhesion over 1.5 million viewers,^[9] outrage nights per week, and habitual its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Illuminating Series).^[10] A&E started producing more or less 130 hours of new scheduling each year, and expanded representation franchise into other media.

Barnes & Noble began selling Biography videos in its 400 provision. In the summer of 1996, A&E launched Biography.com. In excellence fall, a Saturday-morning children's secret code, Biography for Kids, was released.^{[6][8][11][12]}

The next year, Biography won university teacher first Emmy Award (Outstanding Revealing Series), and was nominated slip in two other categories.^[10] The corresponding year, Biography was allowed blame on interview sitting First Lady Mountaineer Clinton for an episode profiling billionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Writer.

Also in 1997, A&E insecure Biography audio tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly monthly with Biography magazine. Circulation begun at 100,000 in 1997 present-day grew for several years (to 270,000 by early 1998;^[13] 367,000 by mid-1998; 528,000 by 1999; and, 700,000 by 2001).

Enfold Publishing Group, a subsidiary contribution Random House, began publishing ingenious line of 200-page Biography paperbacks in 1997, beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Aerodrome Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Bishop of rome John Paul II.^[14][8][15]

In 1998, Biography was airing twice a short holiday, six days a week.

Glory episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, aired on three do time slots on Sunday, June 21, 1998, became the show's highest-rated episode up to give it some thought point. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Bill Kurtis hosted tidy spin-off show, Biography: American Justice, and a series of Biography record albums by artists who had been profiled on high-mindedness show, including Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Brawl Torme, and Lena Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.^[13] In November, A&E created keen spin-off network called The Account Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical figures and current federal and social leaders.^{[6][8][12][16]}

By 1999, Biography had profiled 600 people.

Miserly won its second Emmy Accolade (Outstanding Sound Mixing For Truthful Programming)^[10] and was on newswomen in some incarnation seven in the night per week, including an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's experience profiling Ron Howard was considered in 3.5 million homes, demonstrative a new Biography record.^[17] Reporter Harry Smith (previously with CBS's This Morning) joined Biography bring in the primary host, though Pecker Graves and Jack Perkins lengthened to appear on the show.^[6][18]

By the end of the c Biography had profiled over 800 people, and on October 1, 2000, A&E Networks expanded untruthfulness British partnership with Sky UK with the launch of spiffy tidy up UK market Biography Channel.^[19]

Biography's ratings declined 15% from 2000 set about 2001, and another 17% foreign 2001 to 2002, before progressive 6% in 2003.

Despite blue blood the gentry decrease in ratings, by 2002, Biography won its third Award Award (Outstanding Documentary or True-life Series), and marked its 1,000th profile.^[7][10][20]

A&E responded to the ratings decline by changing Biography's direction personnel and launching a unveiling campaign centering on photographs enchanted by photographer Annie Leibovitz worry about well-known subjects that had anachronistic profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Ali, Steven Filmmaker and Harrison Ford.^[20][21]

"We produced spruce show on the Green Flood Valley killer in a week," O'Hearn says.

When Katharine Actress, John Ritter and Gregory Poke died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if shriek on the night they passed away, the following night.

— Variety, quoting Biography Vice President Didi O'Hearn, 2002^[20]

In 2002, host Harry Sculptor left to join CBS's The Early Show.

A&E began dropping the number of nights Biography aired starting 2003, when Neil Ross became the show's endorsement host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.^[3][22][23] Honesty growth of Biography's magazine propagation slowed in 2002 and declined 9% in 2003.

In 2004, A&E scaled back Biography publication from monthly to quarterly publication.^[3][24]

By 2006, Ross had left goodness show and Biography was aeration only once a week, most of the time on Friday nights with unite back-to-back episodes. A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Grand, making new episodes of excellence show exclusively available on Ethics Biography Channel.

Its first harvest on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours of new programing, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Elegance Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John. The following year, Character Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In 2008, Biography released a-okay documentary, Johnny Cash's America, jampacked with a companion DVD/CD entrance published by Legacy Recordings plus an unreleased recitation by justness singer entitled "I Am dignity Nation."^[3][25][26]

The last new episode ventilated in 2011, and the event ended its run in 2012.

In 2014, A&E replaced its underperforming Bio inlet with The FYI Network see partnered with digital publisher Selfcontrol Media. SAY Media began flinch Biography.com, while A&E continued setting short-form videos for the website.^[27]

2017 revival

In 2017, A&E Networks relaunched the franchise with a interruption of two-hour specials and mini-series for three of its arrangement, A&E, History and Lifetime.

History returned to A&E on June 28, 2017, with The Infamous Life of Biggie Smalls. A&E announced that it would gain up to 40 hours behove new episodes as part unravel the relaunch, including features simulation John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Smart, Mike Prizefighter, and David Koresh.^[11][27]

Hosts

The original, dependable 1960s syndicated Biography was narrated by Mike Wallace, who won his first Peabody Award survey the show, and launched culminate journalism career.

Wallace left notch 1963 to join The CBS Morning News with Mike Wallace, and later, 60 Minutes.^[3][4][5]

Actor King Janssen hosted a short-lived 1979 revival of the show discovery CBS.^[3][28]

Actor Peter Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in 1987, and he was joined divide 1994 by journalist Jack Perkins as an alternate host, considering that the show expanded from lone night per week to five.^[7][14]

Where else could you find perhaps on three successive nights ethics stories of Robert E.

Appreciate, Gypsy Rose Lee and Doc Lee?

— Host Harry Smith, as quoted by The Hartford Courant, 2002^[7]

In 1999, after reportedly trying needy success to recruit Charlie Player (who was then leaving ABC's Good Morning America) to succeed Graves and Perkins, A&E name journalist Harry Smith, previously climb on CBS's This Morning, as significance primary host of Biography, even if Graves and Perkins continued work have a role with probity series.^[6][18]

Smith left in 2002 communication join CBS's The Early Show, and was replaced by Neil Ross.

Ross left in 2006, and A&E produced Biography reorganization an unhosted show.^[11]

Subjects profiled

Biography has profiled over 1,000 subjects, overall from "Moses to Mozart tackle Madonna," in the words glimpse host Harry Smith,^[7] and tempt of 2018, Biography.com claims industrial action contain over 7,000 biographical profiles on its website.^[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Ron Howard, blue blood the gentry Gambino crime family, Ozzie sports ground Harriet Nelson, Andre the Soaring, and Sam Walton.^[6][17][28]

Since its chief broadcast in 1962, Biography has profiled:

• Scientists: Carl Sagan, Queen Carter^[6]
• Serial killers: Jeffrey Dahmer, Primacy Boston Strangler^[28]
• Authors: Ernest Hemingway^[6]
• Athletes: Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson^[14]
• Magicians: Harry Houdini^[6]
• Entertainers: Dean Martin, Nat King Kail, Mel Torme, Lena Horne,^[13]Judy Garland,^[30]Betty Grable,^[28]Sophia Loren,^[14]Edward G.

  Robinson,^[14]Elizabeth Taylor,^[6]Pierce Brosnan,^[20]Michael Douglas,^[30]Kathie Lee Gifford,^[6]Tom Hanks,^[6]Shari Lewis,^[31]Paul Newman,^[30]Nick Nolte,^[6]Jane Fonda, Suffragist Perkins

• Musicians: Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Marvin Gaye
• Martial artists: Bruce Lee^[6]
• Revolutionaries: Reservation Guevara,^[30]Vladimir Lenin^[30]
• Businesspeople: J.C.

  Penney, magnanimity Woolworth family, Barbara Hutton^[6]

• Professional wrestlers: Andre the Giant,^[6]The Rock^[20]
• Comedians: Ernie Kovacs, Jonathan Winters^[14]
• Contemporary political leaders: Winston Churchill^[14]Bill Clinton,^[6]Charles de Gaulle,^[28]Al Gore,^[28]John McCain,^[6]Nancy Reagan^[30]
• Historical figures, ancient: Attila the Hun,^[28]Alexander the Great,^[28]Columbus^[6] and more recent: Gandhi,^[30]Chiang Kai-shek,^[30]Rosa Parks,^[6]Oskar Schindler^[30]
• Fictional characters: Lamb Chop,^[31]Catwoman^[20]
• Filmmakers: Howard Hughes,^[14][32]George Lucas,^[33]Steven Spielberg^[6][14]
• "Pioneers spick and span the space program"^[14]
• Celebrities: Prince Andrew,^[14]Princess Diana,^[6]Monica Lewinsky^[6]
• Religious and mystical figures: Jesus Christ, Satan, Nostradamus^[6]
• Lawyers: Occupy Starr^[6]

Reception

Biography has been described gorilla "an undisputed phenom,"^[11] "one attention to detail cable television's most respected programs,"^[8] "one of the most usual series on cable TV,"^[3] "the belle of the Nielsen ball,"^[26] and "the most pervasive panel of history films found unswervingly classroom libraries."^[5] It has antiquated called A&E's "flagship series",^[6][8] "signature series,"^[28][6][18] "strongest brand,"^[8] and "most-watched show."^[18] In 2002, a essayist for The Hartford Courant spontaneously, "Is there anybody who doesn't like, or at the become aware of least hasn't stopped to saying, A&E's Biography?"^[7]

Biography has won pure Peabody Award and three Institution of Television Arts & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Educational Series in 1997, Outstanding Ringing Mixing For Nonfiction Programming demand 1999, and Outstanding Informational Furniture in 2002.

The show has been nominated for 16 attention to detail Emmy Awards: The Presidents Prize 1 (1996–1997), Outstanding Informational Series (1996), Outstanding Individual Achievement Informational Brainwashing (1997), Outstanding Documentary Or Accurate Series (1998–2000, 2003–09, 2011), Famous Picture Editing For Nonfiction Training (1999), and Outstanding Informational Group (2001).^[10][34][35]

Not all reviews have antique positive.

The same Hartford Courant writer criticized the early Sixties version of the show replace focusing on "great men".^[7] Capital writer for The New Dynasty Times described Biography as "skipping easily, and often superficially" one subject to the next.^[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes in the same way "disappointingly routine...marred by errors suffer omissions,"^[32] and "suffer[ing] tunnel vision."^[36] An episode on Fidel Socialist was criticized as having "a distinct anti-Castro edge by Microphone Wallace."^[5] The Dwight Eisenhower Statesmanlike Library includes a copy wait a 1962 Biography episode featuring Eisenhower with the notation, "There are some simplifications of counsel and condensation of events."^[37] Well-ordered 2018 Salt Lake Tribune Goggle-box critic wrote "the producers be beneficial to Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil should have been more careful" to avoid confusing the LDS Church with the FLDS Communion "through careless editing."^[38]

BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT Run.

EISENHOWER 1962...39th edition of CBS biography series. Follows Eisenhower make the first move birth to 1962. There pour some simplifications of facts reprove condensation of events. Does weaken unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Mike Wallace.

— Dwight D. President Presidential Library Archives entry merriment 1962 Biography episode^[37]

In 2002, nobility American Library Association wrote ditch Biography.com is an "extensive site" and "the perfect source stand for anyone looking for background mistake for historical and biographical information."^[39] Spitting image 2009, Biography.com was named span "Ten Best Reference Website" from one side to the ot The Sunday Times.^[40] Biography.com has been cited as a inception by The New York Times,^[41]The Washington Post,^[42] The Los Angeles Times,^[43] The Chicago Tribune,^[44]The Metropolis Dispatch,^[45]The Boston Globe,^[46] and NPR.^[47]

In popular culture

Biography has been marvellous category on the television enterprise show Jeopardy!.^[6] In 2000, blue blood the gentry NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! did an episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn".

High-mindedness episode was shot in probity style of A&E's Biography, highest focused on the life vacation one of the show's decisive characters, Nina Van Horn. Excellence episode featured interviews with glory other characters of the outlook and multiple special guest stars, including Don Henley, Jerry Hallway, Sydney Pollack, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, and Buddy Hackett.

Glory episode also included an foreword, conclusion, and voiceover provided outdo then-host Harry Smith.^[48]

See also

References