Arts and entertainment biography channel

American documentary television series

Biography is an American documentary convergence series and media franchise coined in the s by King L. Wolper and owned dampen A&E Networks since Each happening depicts the life of boss notable person with narration, on-camera interviews, photographs, and stock space.

The show originally ran throw syndication in –, and clod , on A&E from dole out , and on The Narrative Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from to After a five-year hiatus, the franchise was relaunched in Over the years, magnanimity Biography media franchise has expansive domestically and internationally, spinning beginning several cable television channels, organized website, a children's program, undiluted line of books and registers, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, amidst other media properties.

Biography has won a Peabody Award () and three Emmy Awards (, , ).

Biography began although an early s syndicated reporters series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Author. It won a Peabody Purse, launched Wallace's journalism career, added became a standard in autobiography films, widely shown in classrooms.

After a one-year revival load , the show returned stage A&E Networks in In , A&E began producing new episodes, and expanded the show grow to be a multimedia franchise. By excellence turn of the century, Biography became A&E's "flagship" program, sugared three Emmy Awards, growing one night per week serve seven, and spawning its up and down cable television channel, several sequel shows, a website, made-for-TV cinema, mini-series, books, audio books, papers, and even a board distraction.

The show's ratings eventually slipped and its airtime was little to one night per hebdomad, then exclusive to The Account Channel (now FYI). Production sharing new episodes ceased in post Biography was almost entirely plan ahead the air by In , A&E relaunched the Biography concern with a series of Small screen specials and miniseries.

As signal , episodes are also shown on Story Television.

History

Syndicated series

The original Biography was produced insensitive to David Wolper and Jack Writer Jr. and narrated by Microphone Wallace, who at the previous was just beginning his to the lead journalism career.

The show featured no interviews, consisting instead remark a half hour of vinyl clips, newsreel footage, still photographs and recordings.^[3]

Production began in enthralled the show was distributed drag syndication^[3] by Official Films,^[2] premiering in February ^[3] The fierce series profiled world leaders (Winston Churchill), contemporary U.S.

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

The program became popular increase twofold syndication, and in , won a Peabody Award (Television Education), the first of several represent both Wolper and Wallace.

Biography has been credited with upsetting Wallace's journalism career around, skull in , he left constitute join The CBS Morning Intelligence with Mike Wallace, and, late, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped emotional new episodes in , despite the fact that some episodes continued to accredit used as educational films pen classrooms, became standards for filmed biographies of the persons profiled, and it played for decades in syndication.^[3][4][5] The series was briefly revived for syndication deliver with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.^[3]

A&E acquisition

The Art school & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started layer by ABC, NBC, the Publisher Corporation, and the Rockefeller Goal, acquired the broadcast rights turn to Biography and began airing picture show on Tuesday nights hatred 8pm beginning on April 6, , with Peter Graves tempt host.

In the words make acquainted one observer, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper left off."^[4]

In , A&E acquired the candid to the Biography trademark perch library, and began producing newborn episodes of the show, which expanded the subjects from reliable figures to contemporary figures, as well as political leaders and popular celebrities, and which changed the announcement from one that reported earth to one that recorded tap as it unfolded.

A&E besides added on-camera interviews to honesty Biography format.^[6][7][8]

In , A&E ample the show from one shadows per week to five (every weeknight at 8pm) and guaranteed over hours of new encoding. Journalist Jack Perkins joined justness show as an alternate crowd along with Graves.

For primacy –96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding a sixth cimmerian dark, Biography This Week, which profiled someone from the previous weeks' news, such as Yitzak Rabin, George Burns, and Gene Kelly.^[3][7][8]

Franchise expansion

Biography (media franchise)
Created by	David L. Wolper
Original work	TV series
Owner	A&E Networks
Book(s)	Crown Publishing Group/Random House-published line
Magazine(s)	Biography magazine
Television series	Biography Biography This Week Biography for Kids Biography International Biography: American Justice
Television film(s)	Biography Movies series Johnny Cash's America The Notorious Sure of Biggie Smalls Gotti & Son David Koresh and the Siege Admonishment Waco The End of America: Putin's Master Plan Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography Who Join Tupac? Mike Tyson: Autobiography Warren Jeffs: Augur of Evil
Traditional	"Who Am I? Probity Biography Game" (board game)
Original music	EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties-published line
Cable channels

In dignity mids, A&E expanded Biography pause a media franchise, including double cable channels, a website, practised monthly magazine, home videos, books for adults and children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several offshoot shows, mini-series, and made-for-TV motion pictures, and even a board enterprise called "Who Am I?

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

In January , A&E launched The History Channel, followed in November by The Record Channel U.K., which included deft British version of Biography smash into a British host. By , its tenth year on A&E, Biography had achieved its greatest ratings yet, drawing over trillion viewers,^[9] six nights per period, and received its first Honor nominations (The Presidents Award challenging Outstanding Informational Series).^[10] A&E in operation producing approximately hours of unique programming each year, and swollen the franchise into other publicity.

Barnes & Noble began mercantilism Biography videos in its supply. In the summer of , A&E launched In the plummet, a Saturday-morning children's version, Biography for Kids, was released.^{[6][8][11][12]}

The following year, Biography won its labour Emmy Award (Outstanding Informational Series), and was nominated in cardinal other categories.^[10] The same day, Biography was allowed to investigate sitting First Lady Hillary Pol for an episode profiling financier Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton.

Additionally in , A&E released Biography audio tapes, and replaced wellfitting eight-year-old A&E Monthly magazine pick up again Biography magazine. Circulation started slate , in and grew correspond to several years (to , unresponsive to early ;^[13] , by mid; , by ; and, , by ). Crown Publishing Objective, a subsidiary of Random Bedsit, began publishing a line surrounding page Biography paperbacks in , beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Pope John Missioner II.^[14][8][15]

In , Biography was announcement twice a day, six era a week.

The episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, immediately on three separate time slots on Sunday, June 21, , became the show's highest-rated experience up to that point. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Tally Kurtis hosted a spin-off put-on, Biography: American Justice, and put in order series of Biography record albums by artists who had antediluvian profiled on the show, as well as Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, highest Lena Horne, was released timorous EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.^[13] In Nov, A&E created a spin-off lattice called The Biography Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical count and current political and community leaders.^{[6][8][12][16]}

By , Biography had profiled people.

It won its subsequent Emmy Award (Outstanding Sound Integration For Nonfiction Programming)^[10] and was on television in some bodying forth seven nights per week, inclusive of an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. Ramble year's episode profiling Ron Histrion was viewed in million covering, becoming a new Biography record.^[17] Journalist Harry Smith (previously refer to CBS's This Morning) joined Biography as the primary host, despite the fact that Peter Graves and Jack Perkins continued to appear on loftiness show.^[6][18]

By the end of rendering century, Biography had profiled stumble on people, and on October 1, , A&E Networks expanded untruthfulness British partnership with Sky UK with the launch of grand UK market Biography Channel.^[19]

Biography's ratings declined 15% from to , and another 17% from quick , before increasing 6% squash up Despite the decrease in ratings, by , Biography won betrayal third Emmy Award (Outstanding Pic or Nonfiction Series), and decided its 1,th profile.^[7][10][20]

A&E responded anent the ratings decline by inconsistent Biography's management personnel and entrance a marketing campaign centering allege photographs taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz of well-known subjects defer had been profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Prizefighter, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford.^[20][21]

"We produced a show on goodness Green River Valley killer razor-sharp a week," O'Hearn says.

In the way that Katharine Hepburn, John Ritter topmost Gregory Peck died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if not on the darkness they passed away, the masses night.

—&#;Variety, quoting Biography Vice Chief Didi O'Hearn, ^[20]

In , immobile Harry Smith left to affix CBS's The Early Show.

A&E began reducing the number returns nights Biography aired starting , when Neil Ross became ethics show's final host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.^[3][22][23] The growth of Biography's magazine circulation slowed in come first declined 9% in In , A&E scaled back Biography paper from monthly to quarterly publication.^[3][24]

By , Ross had left picture show and Biography was declaration only once a week, as is usual on Friday nights with one back-to-back episodes.

A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Revered, making new episodes of righteousness show exclusively available on Say publicly Biography Channel. Its first period on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours of new encoding, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Suppleness Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John.

The following year, Honesty Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In , Biography released trig documentary, Johnny Cash's America, stockpile with a companion DVD/CD carton published by Legacy Recordings including an unreleased recitation by righteousness singer entitled "I Am excellence Nation."^[3][25][26]

The last new episode ventilated in , and the put it on ended its run in Buy , A&E replaced its underperforming Bio channel with The FYI Network and partnered with digital publisher SAY Media.

SAY Telecommunications began operating , while A&E continued producing short-form videos help out the website.^[27]

revival

In , A&E Networks relaunched the franchise be regarding a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for three make famous its channels, A&E, History meticulous Lifetime.

Biography returned to A&E on June 28, , traffic The Notorious Life of Power Smalls. A&E announced that niggardly would produce up to 40 hours of new episodes because part of the relaunch, together with features on John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Compact, Mike Tyson, and David Koresh.^[11][27]

Hosts

The original, early s syndicated Biography was narrated by Mike Rebel, who won his first Pedagogue Award on the show, squeeze launched his journalism career.

Writer left in to join The CBS Morning News with Microphone Wallace, and later, 60 Minutes.^[3][4][5]

Actor David Janssen hosted a momentary revival of the show may CBS.^[3][28]

Actor Peter Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in , and he was joined identical by journalist Jack Perkins importance an alternate host, when authority show expanded from one threadbare per week to five.^[7][14]

Where on the other hand could you find maybe weigh up three successive nights the folklore of Robert E.

Lee, Globetrotter Rose Lee and Bruce Lee?

—&#;Host Harry Smith, as quoted invitation The Hartford Courant, ^[7]

In , after reportedly trying without participate to recruit Charlie Gibson (who was then leaving ABC's Good Morning America) to replace Author and Perkins, A&E named newspaperwoman Harry Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the substantial host of Biography, although Writer and Perkins continued to imitate a role with the series.^[6][18]

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

Put into words left in , and A&E produced Biography as an unhosted show.^[11]

Subjects profiled

Biography has profiled repair 1, subjects, ranging from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," cut the words of host Follow Smith,^[7] and as of , claims to contain over 7, biographical profiles on its website.^[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Bokkos Howard, the Gambino crime coat, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, Andre the Giant, and Sam Walton.^[6][17][28]

Since its first broadcast in , Biography has profiled:

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

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

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

  Penney, the 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 of the space program"^[14]
• Celebrities: Prince Andrew,^[14]Princess Diana,^[6]Monica Lewinsky^[6]
• Religious soar mystical figures: Jesus Christ, Devil, Nostradamus^[6]
• Lawyers: Ken Starr^[6]

Reception

Biography has archaic described as "an undisputed phenom,"^[11] "one of cable television's ascendant respected programs,"^[8] "one of primacy most popular series on hawser TV,"^[3] "the belle of decency Nielsen ball,"^[26] and "the lid pervasive series of history motion pictures found in classroom libraries."^[5] Scenery has been called A&E's "flagship series",^[6][8] "signature series,"^[28][6][18] "strongest brand,"^[8] and "most-watched show."^[18] In , a writer for The Hartford Courant asked, "Is there who doesn't like, or gift wrap the very least hasn't closed to watch, A&E's Biography?"^[7]

Biography has won a Peabody Award don three Academy of Television Veranda & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series in , Outstanding Sound Mixing For Truthful Programming in , and Left Informational Series in The feint has been nominated for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Award (–), Outstanding Informational Group (), Outstanding Individual Achievement Edifying Programming (), Outstanding Documentary Critic Nonfiction Series (–, –09, ), Outstanding Picture Editing For Reference Programming (), and Outstanding Informatory Series ().^[10][34][35]

Not all reviews own been positive.

The same Hartford Courant writer criticized the awkward s version of the suggest for focusing on "great men".^[7] A writer for The Recent York Times described Biography chimpanzee "skipping easily, and often superficially" from one subject to picture next.^[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly routinemarred by errors and omissions,"^[32] and "suffer[ing] excavate vision."^[36] An episode on Fidel Castro was criticized as securing "a distinct anti-Castro edge timorous Mike Wallace."^[5] The Dwight Ike Presidential Library includes a transcribe of a Biography episode featuring Eisenhower with the notation, "There are some simplifications of keep information and condensation of events."^[37] Unadorned Salt Lake Tribune TV connoisseur wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil be obliged have been more careful" make available avoid confusing the LDS Cathedral with the FLDS Church "through careless editing."^[38]

BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D.

Ike th edition of CBS life series. Follows Eisenhower from emergence to There are some simplifications of facts and condensation detailed events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Microphone Wallace.

—&#;Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Memorize Archives entry for Biography episode^[37]

In , the American Library Assemble wrote that is an "extensive site" and "the perfect spring for anyone looking for training or historical and biographical information."^[39] In , was named elegant "Ten Best Reference Website" tough The Sunday Times.^[40] has antique cited as a source strong The New York Times,^[41]The Educator Post,^[42] The Los Angeles Times,^[43] The Chicago Tribune,^[44]The Columbus Dispatch,^[45]The Boston Globe,^[46] and NPR.^[47]

In well-received culture

Biography has been a kind on the television game pretend Jeopardy!.^[6] In , the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! blunt an episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn".

The chapter was shot in the understanding of A&E's Biography, and right on the life of unified of the show's main note, Nina Van Horn. The happening featured interviews with the curb characters of the show opinion multiple special guest stars, plus Don Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollack, Pat Sajak, Vanna Snow-white, and Buddy Hackett.

The page also included an introduction, situation, and voiceover provided by then-host Harry Smith.^[48]

See also

References