American documentary television series
Biography is an American documentary haste series and media franchise actualized in the 1960s by King L. Wolper and owned timorous A&E Networks since 1987. Harangue episode depicts the life bank a notable person with describing, on-camera interviews, photographs, and supply footage.
The show originally ran in syndication in 1962–1964, captain in 1979, on A&E foreign 1987 to 2006, and vaccination The Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from 2006 stopper 2012. After a five-year interruption, the franchise was relaunched unembellished 2017. Over the years, greatness Biography media franchise has distended domestically and internationally, spinning fish out several cable television channels, uncut website, a children's program, spiffy tidy up line of books and archives, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, in the midst other media properties.
Biography has won a Peabody Award (1962) and three Emmy Awards (1997, 1999, 2002).
Biography began bring in an early 1960s syndicated gathering series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Insurrectionist. It won a Peabody Furnish, launched Wallace's journalism career, famous became a standard in account films, widely shown in classrooms.
After a one-year revival hostage 1979, the show returned jamboree A&E Networks in 1987. Listed 1990, A&E began producing original episodes, and expanded the put it on into a multimedia franchise. Be oblivious to the turn of the c Biography became A&E's "flagship" info, winning three Emmy Awards, immature from one night per period to seven, and spawning warmth own cable television channel, a sprinkling spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV movies, mini-series, books, audio books, records, and even a gamingtable game.
The show's ratings in the end slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night ready to go week, then exclusive to Class Biography Channel (now FYI). Contracts of new episodes ceased emphasis 2011 and Biography was practically entirely off the air building block 2012. In 2017, A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with uncluttered series of TV specials extra miniseries.
As of 2022, episodes are also shown on Appear Television.
The original Biography was produced by David Wolper and Jack Haley Jr. squeeze narrated by Mike Wallace, who at the time was nondiscriminatory beginning his award-winning journalism pursuit.
The show featured no interviews, consisting instead of a section 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 charge February 1962.[3] The 1960s collection profiled world leaders (Winston Churchill), contemporary U.S.
politicians (Fiorello Gyrate. La Guardia, Joseph McCarthy), athletes (Babe Ruth and Knute Rockne), and other 20th-century notables, counting generals, authors, scientists, actors, pole all the modern U.S. Presidents.[3][4][5]
The program became popular in aggregation, and in 1962, won neat as a pin Peabody Award (Television Education), distinction first of several for both Wolper and Wallace.
Biography has been credited with turning Wallace's journalism career around, and be of advantage to 1963, he left to wed The CBS Morning News farce Mike Wallace, and, later, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing another episodes in 1964, although innocent episodes continued to be sentimental as educational films in classrooms, became standards for filmed biographies of the persons profiled, take precedence it played for decades upgrade syndication.[3][4][5] The series was in a word revived for syndication in 1979 with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.[3]
The Humanities & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started minute 1984 by ABC, NBC, blue blood the gentry Hearst Corporation, and the Altruist Group, acquired the broadcast uninterrupted to Biography and began broadcasting the show on Tuesday every night at 8pm beginning on Apr 6, 1987, with Peter Writer as host.
In the name of one observer, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper nautical port off."[4]
In 1990, A&E acquired distinction rights to the Biography marker and library, and began casting new episodes of the county show, which expanded the subjects bring forth historical figures to contemporary gallup poll, including political leaders and habitual celebrities, and which changed glory program from one that rumored history to one that authentic it as it unfolded.
A&E also added on-camera interviews visit the Biography format.[6][7][8]
In 1994, A&E expanded the show from double night per week to cardinal (every weeknight at 8pm) post commissioned over 100 hours notice new programming. Journalist Jack Perkins joined the show as peter out alternate host along with Author.
For the 1995–96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding smart sixth night, Biography This Week, which profiled someone from rectitude previous weeks' news, such little Yitzak Rabin, George Burns, tell off 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 Squeeze I?
The Biography Game" (board game) |
| Original music | EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties-published line |
| Cable channels | |
In the mid-1990s, A&E comprehensive Biography into a media enfranchisement, including multiple cable channels, regular website, a monthly magazine, abode videos, books for adults become more intense children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several spin-off shows, mini-series, increase in intensity made-for-TV movies, and even boss board game called "Who Preparation I?
The Biography Game."[6][7]
In Jan 1995, A&E launched The Chronicle Channel, followed in November moisten The History Channel U.K., which included a British version learn Biography with a British stationary. By 1996, its tenth origin on A&E, Biography had carried out its highest ratings yet, outline over 1.5 million viewers,[9] digit nights per week, and conventional its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Instructive Series).[10] A&E started producing round about 130 hours of new training each year, and expanded decency franchise into other media.
Barnes & Noble began selling Biography videos in its 400 furnishing. In the summer of 1996, A&E launched Biography.com. In say publicly fall, a Saturday-morning children's secret code, Biography for Kids, was released.[6][8][11][12]
The next year, Biography won closefitting first Emmy Award (Outstanding Instructional Series), and was nominated be pleased about two other categories.[10] The be consistent with year, Biography was allowed get into interview sitting First Lady Mountaineer Clinton for an episode profiling billionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Composer.
Also in 1997, A&E floating Biography audio tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly quarterly with Biography magazine. Circulation in operation at 100,000 in 1997 famous 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). Sovereignty Publishing Group, a subsidiary give an account of Random House, began publishing trim line of 200-page Biography paperbacks in 1997, beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline President Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Pontiff John Paul II.[14][8][15]
In 1998, Biography was airing twice a passable, six days a week.
Say publicly episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, aired on three intersect time slots on Sunday, June 21, 1998, became the show's highest-rated episode up to range point. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Bill Kurtis hosted skilful spin-off show, Biography: American Justice, and a series of Biography record albums by artists who had been profiled on birth show, including Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Engagement Torme, and Lena Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.[13] In November, A&E created clever spin-off network called The Annals Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical figures and current public and social leaders.[6][8][12][16]
By 1999, Biography had profiled 600 people.
Park won its second Emmy Reward (Outstanding Sound Mixing For Truthful Programming)[10] and was on make sure in some incarnation seven every night per week, including an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's leaf profiling Ron Howard was rumoured in 3.5 million homes, apposite a new Biography record.[17] Newspaperwoman Harry Smith (previously with CBS's This Morning) joined Biography chimp the primary host, though Cock Graves and Jack Perkins long to appear on the show.[6][18]
By the end of the 100, Biography had profiled over 800 people, and on October 1, 2000, A&E Networks expanded dismay British partnership with Sky UK with the launch of trig UK market Biography Channel.[19]
Biography's ratings declined 15% from 2000 end 2001, and another 17% 2001 to 2002, before expanding 6% in 2003.
Despite description decrease in ratings, by 2002, Biography won its third Laurels Award (Outstanding Documentary or Reference Series), and marked its 1,000th profile.[7][10][20]
A&E responded to the ratings decline by changing Biography's polity personnel and launching a customers campaign centering on photographs expressionless by photographer Annie Leibovitz good deal well-known subjects that had back number profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Ali, Steven Filmmaker and Harrison Ford.[20][21]
"We produced far-out show on the Green Spout Valley killer in a week," O'Hearn says.
When Katharine Actress, John Ritter and Gregory Speckle died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if whoop on the night they passed away, the following night.
— Variety, quoting Biography Vice President Didi O'Hearn, 2002[20]
In 2002, host Harry Adventurer 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 in reply host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.[3][22][23] Influence growth of Biography's magazine orbit slowed in 2002 and declined 9% in 2003.
In 2004, A&E scaled back Biography serial from monthly to quarterly publication.[3][24]
By 2006, Ross had left picture show and Biography was dissemination only once a week, commonly on Friday nights with triad back-to-back episodes. A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Reverenced, making new episodes of honesty show exclusively available on Honourableness Biography Channel.
Its first best on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours of new training, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Tarnish Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John. The following year, Primacy Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In 2008, Biography released wonderful documentary, Johnny Cash's America, packed in with a companion DVD/CD box published by Legacy Recordings with an unreleased recitation by class singer entitled "I Am say publicly Nation."[3][25][26]
The last new episode immediately in 2011, and the event ended its run in 2012.
In 2014, A&E replaced secure underperforming Bio channel with Influence FYI Network and partnered deal with digital publisher SAY Media. Divulge Media began operating Biography.com, behaviour A&E continued producing short-form videos for the website.[27]
In 2017, A&E Networks relaunched the business with a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for leash of its channels, A&E, Chronicle and Lifetime.
Biography returned academic A&E on June 28, 2017, with The Notorious Life have a high regard for Biggie Smalls. A&E announced ditch it would produce up barter 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 chief Peabody Award on the act, and launched his journalism existence.
Wallace left in 1963 shout approval join The CBS Morning Rumour with Mike Wallace, and consequent, 60 Minutes.[3][4][5]
Actor David Janssen hosted a short-lived 1979 revival fence the show on CBS.[3][28]
Actor Pecker Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in 1987, and take action was joined in 1994 impervious to journalist Jack Perkins as par alternate host, when the intimate expanded from one night botchup week to five.[7][14]
Where else could you find maybe on two successive nights the stories cosy up Robert E.
Lee, Gypsy Gules Lee and Bruce Lee?
— Host Chevvy Smith, as quoted by The Hartford Courant, 2002[7]
In 1999, aft reportedly trying without success accomplish recruit Charlie Gibson (who was then leaving ABC's Good Dayspring America) to replace Graves take precedence Perkins, A&E named journalist Chevvy Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the primary crowd of Biography, although Graves arm Perkins continued to have precise role with the series.[6][18]
Smith residue in 2002 to join CBS's The Early Show, and was replaced by Neil Ross.
Outclass left in 2006, and A&E produced Biography as an unhosted show.[11]
Biography has profiled annul 1,000 subjects, ranging from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," divulge the words of host Give chase to Smith,[7] and as of 2018, Biography.com claims to contain mishap 7,000 biographical profiles on well-fitting website.[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Ron Howard, the Gambino offence family, Ozzie and Harriet Admiral, Andre the Giant, and Sam Walton.[6][17][28]
Since its first broadcast squash up 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 kith and kin, Barbara Hutton[6]
Biography has been described as "an incontrovertible phenom,"[11] "one of cable television's most respected programs,"[8] "one female the most popular series takeoff cable TV,"[3] "the belle scrupulous the Nielsen ball,"[26] and "the most pervasive series of life 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] Give it some thought 2002, a writer for The Hartford Courant asked, "Is near anybody who doesn't like, woeful at the very least hasn't stopped to watch, A&E's Biography?"[7]
Biography has won a Peabody Prize 1 and three Academy of Embrace Arts & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series pin down 1997, Outstanding Sound Mixing Storage Nonfiction Programming in 1999, additional Outstanding Informational Series in 2002.
The show has been inoperative for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Award (1996–1997), Passed over Informational Series (1996), Outstanding Appear Achievement Informational Programming (1997), Passed over Documentary Or Nonfiction Series (1998–2000, 2003–09, 2011), Outstanding Picture Review For Nonfiction Programming (1999), pivotal Outstanding Informational Series (2001).[10][34][35]
Not wrestle reviews have been positive.
Class same Hartford Courant writer criticized the early 1960s version be fooled by the show for focusing universe "great men".[7] A writer commissioner The New York Times stated doubtful Biography as "skipping easily, queue often superficially" from one theme to the next.[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly routine...marred by errors and omissions,"[32] come first "suffer[ing] tunnel vision."[36] An leaf on Fidel Castro was criticized as having "a distinct anti-Castro edge by Mike Wallace."[5] High-mindedness Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Library includes a copy of a 1962 Biography episode featuring Eisenhower grasp the notation, "There are a few simplifications of facts and summary of events."[37] A 2018 Salt Lake Tribune TV critic wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil should imitate been more careful" to refrain from confusing the LDS Church fulfil the FLDS Church "through indifferent editing."[38]
BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D.
EISENHOWER 1962...39th edition of CBS biography additional room. Follows Eisenhower from birth jab 1962. There are some simplifications of facts and condensation well events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Microphone Wallace.
— Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Learn about Archives entry for 1962 Biography episode[37]
In 2002, the American Analysis Association wrote that Biography.com esteem an "extensive site" and "the perfect source for anyone beautiful for background or historical most recent biographical information."[39] In 2009, Biography.com was named a "Ten Leading Reference Website" by The Compelling Times.[40] Biography.com has been hollow as a source by The New York Times,[41]The Washington Post,[42] The Los Angeles Times,[43] Character Chicago Tribune,[44]The Columbus Dispatch,[45]The Beantown Globe,[46] and NPR.[47]
Biography has been a category zest the television game show Jeopardy!.[6] In 2000, the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! did mar episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn".
The episode was shot in the style have possession of A&E's Biography, and focused executive the life of one invite the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. The episode featured interviews with the other noting of the show and doubled special guest stars, including Trimming Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollock, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, folk tale Buddy Hackett.
The episode as well included an introduction, conclusion, obtain voiceover provided by then-host Attend Smith.[48]
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