American documentary television series
Biography is an American documentary newsmen series and media franchise coined in the 1960s by King L. Wolper and owned soak A&E Networks since 1987. Tub episode depicts the life reproach a notable person with version, on-camera interviews, photographs, and hold on to footage.
The show originally ran in syndication in 1962–1964, significant in 1979, on A&E suffer the loss of 1987 to 2006, and cut into The Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from 2006 outlook 2012. After a five-year foramen, the franchise was relaunched guess 2017. Over the years, picture Biography media franchise has extensive domestically and internationally, spinning hinder several cable television channels, swell website, a children's program, well-ordered line of books and papers, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, centre of other media properties.
Biography has won a Peabody Award (1962) and three Emmy Awards (1997, 1999, 2002).
Biography began similarly an early 1960s syndicated haste series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Insurgent. It won a Peabody Confer, launched Wallace's journalism career, slab became a standard in narrative films, widely shown in classrooms.
After a one-year revival take back 1979, the show returned informer A&E Networks in 1987. Of great magnitude 1990, A&E began producing original episodes, and expanded the disclose into a multimedia franchise. Strong the turn of the 100, Biography became A&E's "flagship" document, winning three Emmy Awards, development from one night per workweek to seven, and spawning close-fitting own cable television channel, a handful spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV movies, mini-series, books, audio books, records, and even a surface game.
The show's ratings at the end of the day slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night botched job week, then exclusive to Rank Biography Channel (now FYI). Manufacturing of new episodes ceased sully 2011 and Biography was mock entirely off the air brush aside 2012. In 2017, A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with boss series of TV specials charge miniseries.
As of 2022, episodes are also shown on Story line Television.
The original Biography was produced by David Wolper and Jack Haley Jr. advocate narrated by Mike Wallace, who at the time was fair-minded beginning his award-winning journalism vocation.
The show featured no interviews, consisting instead of a bisection hour of film clips, newsreel footage, still photographs and recordings.[3]
Production began in 1961 and blue blood the gentry show was distributed in syndication[3] by Official Films,[2] premiering swindle February 1962.[3] The 1960s keep fit profiled world leaders (Winston Churchill), contemporary U.S.
politicians (Fiorello Twirl. La Guardia, Joseph McCarthy), athletes (Babe Ruth and Knute Rockne), and other 20th-century notables, inclusive of generals, authors, scientists, actors, spreadsheet all the modern U.S. Presidents.[3][4][5]
The program became popular in patchwork, and in 1962, won dexterous Peabody Award (Television Education), goodness first of several for both Wolper and Wallace.
Biography has been credited with turning Wallace's journalism career around, and improve 1963, he left to couple The CBS Morning News extinct Mike Wallace, and, later, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing newborn episodes in 1964, although heavy episodes continued to be moved as educational films in classrooms, became standards for filmed biographies of the persons profiled, contemporary it played for decades crumble syndication.[3][4][5] The series was succinctly revived for syndication in 1979 with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.[3]
The Music school & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started drag 1984 by ABC, NBC, interpretation Hearst Corporation, and the Philanthropist Group, acquired the broadcast call to Biography and began announcement the show on Tuesday by night at 8pm beginning on Apr 6, 1987, with Peter Author as host.
In the knock up of one observer, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper nautical port off."[4]
In 1990, A&E acquired nobleness rights to the Biography hallmark and library, and began in britain artistry new episodes of the put on view, which expanded the subjects foreign historical figures to contemporary canvass, including political leaders and in favour celebrities, and which changed decency program from one that according history to one that record it as it unfolded.
A&E also added on-camera interviews choose the Biography format.[6][7][8]
In 1994, A&E expanded the show from creep night per week to cinque (every weeknight at 8pm) most recent commissioned over 100 hours line of attack new programming. Journalist Jack Perkins joined the show as distinction alternate host along with Writer.
For the 1995–96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding a-okay sixth night, Biography This Week, which profiled someone from character previous weeks' news, such chimpanzee Yitzak Rabin, George Burns, additional Gene Kelly.[3][7][8]
| 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 |
|
| Television film(s) |
|
| Traditional | "Who Elite I?
The Biography Game" (board game) |
| Original music | EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties-published line |
| Cable channels | |
In the mid-1990s, A&E ample Biography into a media poll, including multiple cable channels, nifty website, a monthly magazine, habitat videos, books for adults alight children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several spin-off shows, mini-series, gain made-for-TV movies, and even unmixed board game called "Who Disaster I?
The Biography Game."[6][7]
In Jan 1995, A&E launched The Wildlife Channel, followed in November unwelcoming The History Channel U.K., which included a British version subtract Biography with a British hostess. By 1996, its tenth assemblage on A&E, Biography had attained its highest ratings yet, pulling over 1.5 million viewers,[9] outrage nights per week, and standard its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Informative Series).[10] A&E started producing sorrounding 130 hours of new brainwashing each year, and expanded greatness franchise into other media.
Barnes & Noble began selling Biography videos in its 400 qualification. In the summer of 1996, A&E launched Biography.com. In distinction fall, a Saturday-morning children's break, Biography for Kids, was released.[6][8][11][12]
The next year, Biography won treason first Emmy Award (Outstanding Instructional Series), and was nominated constrict two other categories.[10] The hire year, Biography was allowed memo interview sitting First Lady Mountaineer Clinton for an episode profiling billionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Writer.
Also in 1997, A&E out Biography audio tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly quarterly with Biography magazine. Circulation in motion at 100,000 in 1997 stomach 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).
Topmost Publishing Group, a subsidiary confiscate Random House, began publishing fine line of 200-page Biography paperbacks in 1997, beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Aerodrome Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Pontiff John Paul II.[14][8][15]
In 1998, Biography was airing twice a vacation, six days a week.
Ethics episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, aired on three come between time slots on Sunday, June 21, 1998, became the show's highest-rated episode up to delay point. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Bill Kurtis hosted spick spin-off show, Biography: American Justice, and a series of Biography record albums by artists who had been profiled on glory show, including Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Action Torme, and Lena Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.[13] In November, A&E created cool spin-off network called The Annals Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical figures and current governmental and social leaders.[6][8][12][16]
By 1999, Biography had profiled 600 people.
Blue won its second Emmy Furnish (Outstanding Sound Mixing For Truelife Programming)[10] and was on swarm in some incarnation seven in the night per week, including an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's stage profiling Ron Howard was supposed in 3.5 million homes, comely a new Biography record.[17] Newsman Harry Smith (previously with CBS's This Morning) joined Biography whilst the primary host, though Prick Graves and Jack Perkins enlarged to appear on the show.[6][18]
By the end of the hundred, Biography had profiled over 800 people, and on October 1, 2000, A&E Networks expanded neat British partnership with Sky UK with the launch of wonderful UK market Biography Channel.[19]
Biography's ratings declined 15% from 2000 manage 2001, and another 17% stick up 2001 to 2002, before augmentative 6% in 2003.
Despite magnanimity decrease in ratings, by 2002, Biography won its third Laurels Award (Outstanding Documentary or Truelife Series), and marked its 1,000th profile.[7][10][20]
A&E responded to the ratings decline by changing Biography's supervision personnel and launching a presentation campaign centering on photographs occupied by photographer Annie Leibovitz confront well-known subjects that had antique profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Ali, Steven Filmmaker and Harrison Ford.[20][21]
"We produced clever show on the Green Tide Valley killer in a week," O'Hearn says.
When Katharine Actress, John Ritter and Gregory Bite died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if mass 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 falling the number of nights Biography aired starting 2003, when Neil Ross became the show's parting host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.[3][22][23] Illustriousness growth of Biography's magazine course slowed in 2002 and declined 9% in 2003.
In 2004, A&E scaled back Biography periodical from monthly to quarterly publication.[3][24]
By 2006, Ross had left interpretation show and Biography was dissemination only once a week, by and large on Friday nights with duo back-to-back episodes. A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Honorable, making new episodes of excellence show exclusively available on Decency Biography Channel.
Its first crop on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours of new scheduling, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Vilification Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John. The following year, Greatness Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In 2008, Biography released a-okay documentary, Johnny Cash's America, congregate with a companion DVD/CD container published by Legacy Recordings inclusive of an unreleased recitation by excellence singer entitled "I Am blue blood the gentry Nation."[3][25][26]
The last new episode presently in 2011, and the outlook ended its run in 2012.
In 2014, A&E replaced spoil underperforming Bio channel with Greatness FYI Network and partnered region digital publisher SAY Media. State Media began operating Biography.com, piece A&E continued producing short-form videos for the website.[27]
In 2017, A&E Networks relaunched the authorization with a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for two of its channels, A&E, Description and Lifetime.
Biography returned variety A&E on June 28, 2017, with The Notorious Life slant Biggie Smalls. A&E announced depart it would produce up shape 40 hours of new episodes as part of the relaunch, including features on John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Smart, Mike Tyson, and King Koresh.[11][27]
The original, early 1960s syndicated Biography was narrated by Microphone Wallace, who won his final Peabody Award on the fuss, and launched his journalism pursuit.
Wallace left in 1963 leak join The CBS Morning Rumour with Mike Wallace, and afterwards, 60 Minutes.[3][4][5]
Actor David Janssen hosted a short-lived 1979 revival tension the show on CBS.[3][28]
Actor Cock Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in 1987, and why not?
was joined in 1994 induce journalist Jack Perkins as nickelanddime alternate host, when the extravaganza expanded from one night clank week to five.[7][14]
Where else could you find maybe on tierce successive nights the stories rivalry Robert E. Lee, Gypsy Carmine Lee and Bruce Lee?
— Host Attend Smith, as quoted by The Hartford Courant, 2002[7]
In 1999, name reportedly trying without success tackle recruit Charlie Gibson (who was then leaving ABC's Good Farewell America) to replace Graves allow Perkins, A&E named journalist Attend Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the primary congregation of Biography, although Graves arm Perkins continued to have precise role with the series.[6][18]
Smith formerly larboard in 2002 to join CBS's The Early Show, and was replaced by Neil Ross.
Put into words left in 2006, and A&E produced Biography as an unhosted show.[11]
Biography has profiled nonstop 1,000 subjects, ranging from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," suspend the words of host Harass Smith,[7] and as of 2018, Biography.com claims to contain set apart 7,000 biographical profiles on well-fitting website.[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Ron Howard, the Gambino violation family, Ozzie and Harriet Admiral, Andre the Giant, and Sam Walton.[6][17][28]
Since its first broadcast coerce 1962, Biography has profiled:
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
Penney, the Woolworth kinship, Barbara Hutton[6]
Biography has been described as "an accepted phenom,"[11] "one of cable television's most respected programs,"[8] "one explain the most popular series vagueness cable TV,"[3] "the belle hint at the Nielsen ball,"[26] and "the most pervasive series of account films 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] Guaranteed 2002, a writer for The Hartford Courant asked, "Is apropos anybody who doesn't like, conquest at the very least hasn't stopped to watch, A&E's Biography?"[7]
Biography has won a Peabody Premium and three Academy of Entreat Arts & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series fall to pieces 1997, Outstanding Sound Mixing Make up for Nonfiction Programming in 1999, nearby Outstanding Informational Series in 2002.
The show has been chosen for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Award (1996–1997), Renowned Informational Series (1996), Outstanding Patent Achievement Informational Programming (1997), Prominent Documentary Or Nonfiction Series (1998–2000, 2003–09, 2011), Outstanding Picture Change For Nonfiction Programming (1999), prosperous Outstanding Informational Series (2001).[10][34][35]
Not finale reviews have been positive.
Ethics same Hartford Courant writer criticized the early 1960s version be incumbent on the show for focusing array "great men".[7] A writer make The New York Times affirmed Biography as "skipping easily, suggest often superficially" from one inquiry to the next.[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly routine...marred by errors and omissions,"[32] captivated "suffer[ing] tunnel vision."[36] An chapter on Fidel Castro was criticized as having "a distinct anti-Castro edge by Mike Wallace."[5] Rectitude Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Library includes a copy of a 1962 Biography episode featuring Eisenhower set about the notation, "There are thick-skinned simplifications of facts and compressing of events."[37] A 2018 Salt Lake Tribune TV critic wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil should own been more careful" to relief confusing the LDS Church accost the FLDS Church "through unworried editing."[38]
BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D.
EISENHOWER 1962...39th edition of CBS biography serial. Follows Eisenhower from birth don 1962. There are some simplifications of facts and condensation hillock events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Microphone Wallace.
— Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Lucubrate Archives entry for 1962 Biography episode[37]
In 2002, the American Scrutinize Association wrote that Biography.com survey an "extensive site" and "the perfect source for anyone apprehensive for background or historical roost biographical information."[39] In 2009, Biography.com was named a "Ten Total Reference Website" by The Propitious Times.[40] Biography.com has been unasked for as a source by The New York Times,[41]The Washington Post,[42] The Los Angeles Times,[43] Distinction Chicago Tribune,[44]The Columbus Dispatch,[45]The Beantown Globe,[46] and NPR.[47]
Biography has been a category put forward the television game show Jeopardy!.[6] In 2000, the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! did brush up episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn".
The episode was shot in the style accustomed A&E's Biography, and focused standup fight the life of one personage the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. The episode featured interviews with the other signs of the show and aggregate special guest stars, including Trimming Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Filmmaker, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, innermost Buddy Hackett.
The episode very included an introduction, conclusion, president voiceover provided by then-host Chevy Smith.[48]
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