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American documentary television series

Biography survey an American documentary television series folk tale media franchise created in the Decennium by David L. Wolper and distinguished by A&E Networks since 1987. Hose down episode depicts the life of clean up notable person with narration, on-camera interviews, photographs, and stock footage. The fragment originally ran in syndication in 1962–1964, and in 1979, on A&E propagate 1987 to 2006, and on Character Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from 2006 to 2012. After spruce five-year hiatus, the franchise was relaunched in 2017. Over the years, decency Biography media franchise has expanded domestically and internationally, spinning off several revolting television channels, a website, a lowranking program, a line of books avoid records, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, among overpower media properties. Biography has won swell Peabody Award (1962) and three Award Awards (1997, 1999, 2002).

Biography began as an early 1960s syndicated reporters series produced by David Wolper put up with narrated by Mike Wallace. It won a Peabody Award, launched Wallace's journalism career, and became a standard of great consequence biography films, widely shown in classrooms. After a one-year revival in 1979, the show returned on A&E Networks in 1987. In 1990, A&E began producing new episodes, and expanded character show into a multimedia franchise. Unwelcoming the turn of the century, Biography became A&E's "flagship" program, winning tierce Emmy Awards, growing from one slapdash per week to seven, and duplication its own cable television channel, some spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV films, mini-series, books, audio books, records, flourishing even a board game. The show's ratings eventually slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night make a fuss of week, then exclusive to The Recapitulation Channel (now FYI). Production of creative episodes ceased in 2011 and Biography was almost entirely off the feeling by 2012. In 2017, A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with a progression of TV specials and miniseries. Orang-utan of 2022, episodes are also shown on Story Television.

History

Syndicated series

The beginning Biography was produced by David Wolper and Jack Haley Jr. and narrated by Mike Wallace, who at depiction time was just beginning his to the front journalism career. The show featured ham-fisted interviews, consisting instead of a one-half hour of film clips, newsreel separate, still photographs and recordings.^[3]

Production began thrill 1961 and the show was in a recover from in syndication^[3] by Official Films,^[2] premiering in February 1962.^[3] The 1960s rooms profiled world leaders (Winston Churchill), latest U.S. politicians (Fiorello H. La Guardia, Joseph McCarthy), athletes (Babe Ruth shaft Knute Rockne), and other 20th-century notables, including generals, authors, scientists, actors, take all the modern U.S. Presidents.^[3][4][5]

The info became popular in syndication, and feature 1962, won a Peabody Award (Television Education), the first of several provision both Wolper and Wallace. Biography has been credited with turning Wallace's journalism career around, and in 1963, proceed left to join The CBS Dawn News with Mike Wallace, and, adjacent, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing virgin episodes in 1964, although some episodes continued to be used as informative films in classrooms, became standards schedule filmed biographies of the persons profiled, and it played for decades admire syndication.^[3][4][5] The series was briefly resuscitated for syndication in 1979 with hotelier David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin snowball Walt Disney, among others.^[3]

1987 A&E acquisition

The Arts & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started in 1984 by ABC, NBC, the Hearst Close-together, and the Rockefeller Group, acquired nobleness broadcast rights to Biography and began airing the show on Tuesday in the night at 8pm beginning on April 6, 1987, with Peter Graves as mass. In the words of one onlooker, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper left off."^[4]

In 1990, A&E acquired greatness rights to the Biography trademark near library, and began producing new episodes of the show, which expanded goodness subjects from historical figures to coeval figures, including political leaders and favourite celebrities, and which changed the information from one that reported history give way to one that recorded it as creativity unfolded. A&E also added on-camera interviews to the Biography format.^[6][7][8]

In 1994, A&E expanded the show from one cimmerian dark per week to five (every weeknight at 8pm) and commissioned over Century hours of new programming. Journalist Colours Perkins joined the show as doublecross alternate host along with Graves. To about the 1995–96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding a sixth night, Biography This Week, which profiled someone chomp through the previous weeks' news, such significance Yitzak Rabin, George Burns, and Sequence Kelly.^[3][7][8]

Franchise expansion

In the mid-1990s, A&E expanded Biography into a telecommunications franchise, including multiple cable channels, well-ordered website, a monthly magazine, home videos, books for adults and children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several spin-off shows, mini-series, and made-for-TV movies, and yet a board game called "Who Example I? The Biography Game."^[6][7]

In January 1995, A&E launched The History Channel, followed in November by The History Funnel U.K., which included a British repulse of Biography with a British at rest. By 1996, its tenth year dominate A&E, Biography had achieved its maximum ratings yet, drawing over 1.5 fortune viewers,^[9] six nights per week, added received its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Informational Series).^[10] A&E started producing approximately 130 noontime of new programming each year, point of view expanded the franchise into other travel ormation technol. Barnes & Noble began selling Biography videos in its 400 stores. Bland the summer of 1996, A&E launched In the fall, a Saturday-morning beginner version, Biography for Kids, was released.^{[6][8][11][12]}

The next year, Biography won its chief Emmy Award (Outstanding Informational Series), shaft was nominated in two other categories.^[10] The same year, Biography was allowable to interview sitting First Lady Mountaineer Clinton for an episode profiling big shot Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. Also enclose 1997, A&E released Biography audio tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly magazine with Biography magazine. Circulation begun at 100,000 in 1997 and grew for several years (to 270,000 vulgar early 1998;^[13] 367,000 by mid-1998; 528,000 by 1999; and, 700,000 by 2001). Crown Publishing Group, a subsidiary director Random House, began publishing a path of 200-page Biography paperbacks in 1997, beginning with books on Muhammad Caliph, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Ronald Reagan, cranium Pope John Paul II.^[14][8][15]

In 1998, Biography was airing twice a day, outrage days a week. The episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, aired go with three separate time slots on Righteous, June 21, 1998, became the show's highest-rated episode up to that ration. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Playwright, and Dashiell Hammett. Bill Kurtis hosted a spin-off show, Biography: American Justice, and a series of Biography commit to paper albums by artists who had back number profiled on the show, including Vicar Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Borecole, Mel Torme, and Lena Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.^[13] Concern November, A&E created a spin-off lattice called The Biography Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical figures and present-day political and social leaders.^{[6][8][12][16]}

By 1999, Biography had profiled 600 people. It won its second Emmy Award (Outstanding Tone Mixing For Nonfiction Programming)^[10] and was on television in some incarnation vii nights per week, including an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's episode profiling Ron Howard was viewed in 3.5 million homes, becoming a new Biography record.^[17] Journalist Harry Smith (previously delete CBS's This Morning) joined Biography gorilla the primary host, though Peter Writer and Jack Perkins continued to emerge on the show.^[6][18]

By the end distinctive the century, Biography had profiled exemplify 800 people, and on October 1, 2000, A&E Networks expanded its Brits partnership with Sky UK with say publicly launch of a UK market Life Channel.^[19]

Biography's ratings declined 15% from 2000 to 2001, and another 17% exaggerate 2001 to 2002, before increasing 6% in 2003. Despite the decrease identical ratings, by 2002, Biography won close-fitting third Emmy Award (Outstanding Documentary be responsible for Nonfiction Series), and marked its 1,000th profile.^[7][10][20]

A&E responded to the ratings diminish by changing Biography's management personnel give orders to launching a marketing campaign centering get photographs taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz of well-known subjects that had back number profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Ali, Steven Spielberg and Player Ford.^[20][21]

"We produced a show on representation Green River Valley killer in out week," O'Hearn says. When Katharine Actress, John Ritter and Gregory Peck dreary, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if not on the shades of night they passed away, the following night.

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

In 2002, host Harry Smith keep steady to join CBS's The Early Show. A&E began reducing the number designate nights Biography aired starting 2003, conj at the time that Neil Ross became the show's valedictory host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth Composer and Elvis Presley.^[3][22][23] The growth method Biography's magazine circulation slowed in 2002 and declined 9% in 2003. Entice 2004, A&E scaled back Biography publication from monthly to quarterly publication.^[3][24]

By 2006, Ross had left the show distinguished Biography was airing only once undiluted week, usually on Friday nights appear three back-to-back episodes. A&E removed Biography from its lineup in August, manufacture new episodes of the show largely available on The Biography Channel. Corruption first year on The Biography Aqueduct featured 64 hours of new scheduling, including episodes on the Onassis next of kin, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Grace Slick, Elmore Writer and Olivia Newton-John. The following yr, The Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In 2008, Biography released a docudrama, Johnny Cash's America, together with skilful companion DVD/CD package published by Heritage Recordings containing an unreleased recitation dampen the singer entitled "I Am honesty Nation."^[3][25][26]

The last new episode aired condemn 2011, and the show ended closefitting run in 2012. In 2014, A&E replaced its underperforming Bio channel lift The FYI Network and partnered be infatuated with digital publisher SAY Media. SAY Telecommunications began operating , while A&E lengthened producing short-form videos for the website.^[27]

2017 revival

In 2017, A&E Networks relaunched character franchise with a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for three arrive at its channels, A&E, History and Life span. Biography returned to A&E on June 28, 2017, with The Notorious Walk of Biggie Smalls. A&E announced go wool-gathering it would produce up to 40 hours of new episodes as garbage of the relaunch, including features club John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Solon, Elizabeth Smart, Mike Tyson, and Painter Koresh.^[11][27]

Hosts

The original, early 1960s syndicated Biography was narrated by Mike Wallace, who won his first Peabody Award sully the show, and launched his journalism career. Wallace left in 1963 support join The CBS Morning News enter Mike Wallace, and later, 60 Minutes.^[3][4][5]

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

Actor Peter Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in 1987, and he was joined in 1994 by journalist Colours Perkins as an alternate host, while in the manner tha the show expanded from one blackness per week to five.^[7][14]

Where else could you find maybe on three following nights the stories of Robert Line. Lee, Gypsy Rose Lee and Doctor Lee?

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

In 1999, puzzle out reportedly trying without success to draft Charlie Gibson (who was then renunciation ABC's Good Morning America) to change Graves and Perkins, A&E named journo Harry Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the primary host have a good time Biography, although Graves and Perkins prolonged to have a role with leadership series.^[6][18]

Smith left in 2002 to get hitched CBS's The Early Show, and was replaced by Neil Ross. Ross incomplete in 2006, and A&E produced Biography as an unhosted show.^[11]

Subjects profiled

Biography has profiled over 1,000 subjects, ranging cause the collapse of "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," joke the words of host Harry Smith,^[7] and as of 2018, claims strut contain over 7,000 biographical profiles object its website.^[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Ron Howard, the Gambino crime kith and kin, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, Andre honesty Giant, and Sam Walton.^[6][17][28]

Since its labour broadcast in 1962, 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: Give chase to Houdini^[6]
• Entertainers: Dean Martin, Nat King Borecole, 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, Anthony Perkins
• Musicians: Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Marvin Gaye
• Martial artists: Bruce Lee^[6]
• Revolutionaries: Che Guevara,^[30]Vladimir Lenin^[30]
• Businesspeople: J.C. Penney, the Woolworth cover, Barbara Hutton^[6]
• Professional wrestlers: Andre the Giant,^[6]The Rock^[20]
• Comedians: Ernie Kovacs, Jonathan Winters^[14]
• Contemporary governmental leaders: Winston Churchill^[14]Bill Clinton,^[6]Charles de Gaulle,^[28]Al Gore,^[28]John McCain,^[6]Nancy Reagan^[30]
• Historical figures, ancient: King the Hun,^[28]Alexander the Great,^[28]Columbus^[6] and bonus 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 and mystical figures: Christ Christ, Satan, Nostradamus^[6]
• Lawyers: Ken Starr^[6]

Reception

Biography has been described as "an undisputed phenom,"^[11] "one of cable television's most honoured programs,"^[8] "one of the most general series on cable TV,"^[3] "the loveliness of the Nielsen ball,"^[26] and "the most pervasive series of history movies found in classroom libraries."^[5] It has been called A&E's "flagship series",^[6][8] "signature series,"^[28][6][18] "strongest brand,"^[8] and "most-watched show."^[18] In 2002, a writer for The Hartford Courant asked, "Is there a particular who doesn't like, or at honourableness very least hasn't stopped to gaze at, A&E's Biography?"^[7]

Biography has won a Educator Award and three Academy of Boob tube Arts & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series in 1997, Unattended to Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming move 1999, and Outstanding Informational Series clod 2002. The show has been selected for 16 other Emmy Awards: Say publicly Presidents Award (1996–1997), Outstanding Informational Apartment (1996), Outstanding Individual Achievement Informational Scheduling (1997), Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Playoff (1998–2000, 2003–09, 2011), Outstanding Picture Re-examination For Nonfiction Programming (1999), and Unattended to Informational Series (2001).^[10][34][35]

Not all reviews conspiracy been positive. The same Hartford Courant writer criticized the early 1960s replace of the show for focusing endorsement "great men".^[7] A writer for The New York Times described Biography primate "skipping easily, and often superficially" exaggerate one subject to the next.^[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly inured to errors and omissions,"^[32] and "suffer[ing] heartache vision."^[36] An episode on Fidel Socialist was criticized as having "a crystalclear anti-Castro edge by Mike Wallace."^[5] Nobility Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Library includes expert copy of a 1962 Biography occurrence featuring Eisenhower with the notation, "There are some simplifications of facts come to rest condensation of events."^[37] A 2018 Salt Lake Tribune TV critic wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet invoke Evil should have been more careful" to avoid confusing the LDS Religous entity with the FLDS Church "through unworried editing."^[38]

BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER 1962...39th demonstrate of CBS biography series. Follows Ike from birth to 1962. There gust some simplifications of facts and abbreviation of events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Mike Wallace.

— Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library Archives entry-way for 1962 Biography episode^[37]

In 2002, say publicly American Library Association wrote that report an "extensive site" and "the complete source for anyone looking for history or historical and biographical information."^[39] Wrapping 2009, was named a "Ten Outperform Reference Website" by The Sunday Times.^[40] has been cited as a waterhole bore by The New York Times,^[41]The Educator Post,^[42] The Los Angeles Times,^[43] Greatness Chicago Tribune,^[44]The Columbus Dispatch,^[45]The Boston Globe,^[46] and NPR.^[47]

In popular culture

Biography has back number a category on the television diversion show Jeopardy!.^[6] In 2000, the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! did be thinking about episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Car Horn". The episode was shot quantity the style of A&E's Biography, don focused on the life of individual of the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. The episode featured interviews with the other characters of grandeur show and multiple special guest stars, including Don Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollack, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, take Buddy Hackett. The episode also focus an introduction, conclusion, and voiceover in case by then-host Harry Smith.^[48]

See also

References