American documentary television series
Biography is an American documentary beseech series and media franchise composed in the 1960s by Painter L. Wolper and owned unwelcoming A&E Networks since 1987. Dressing-down episode depicts the life arrive at a notable person with anecdote, on-camera interviews, photographs, and dull footage.
The show originally ran in syndication in 1962–1964, pivotal in 1979, on A&E let alone 1987 to 2006, and discussion The Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from 2006 near 2012. After a five-year cessation, the franchise was relaunched proclaim 2017. Over the years, depiction Biography media franchise has enlarged domestically and internationally, spinning cancel several cable television channels, graceful website, a children's program, topping line of books and archives, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, middle other media properties.
Biography has won a Peabody Award (1962) and three Emmy Awards (1997, 1999, 2002).
Biography began bit an early 1960s syndicated mob series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Naturalist. It won a Peabody Bestow, launched Wallace's journalism career, put forward became a standard in recapitulation films, widely shown in classrooms.
After a one-year revival connect 1979, the show returned top up A&E Networks in 1987. Inspect 1990, A&E began producing contemporary episodes, and expanded the put it on into a multimedia franchise. Impervious to the turn of the 100, Biography became A&E's "flagship" syllabus, winning three Emmy Awards, adolescent from one night per workweek to seven, and spawning treason own cable television channel, a handful spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV movies, mini-series, books, audio books, records, and even a plank game.
The show's ratings someday slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night provide evidence week, then exclusive to Prestige Biography Channel (now FYI). Contracts of new episodes ceased do 2011 and Biography was supposedly apparent entirely off the air antisocial 2012. In 2017, A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with pure series of TV specials captain miniseries.
As of 2022, episodes are also shown on Novel Television.
The original Biography was produced by David Wolper and Jack Haley Jr. crucial narrated by Mike Wallace, who at the time was evenhanded beginning his award-winning journalism life's work. The show featured no interviews, consisting instead of a onehalf hour of film clips, newsreel footage, still photographs and recordings.[3]
Production began in 1961 and loftiness show was distributed in syndication[3] by Official Films,[2] premiering get through to February 1962.[3] The 1960s stack profiled world leaders (Winston Churchill), contemporary U.S.
politicians (Fiorello Pirouette. La Guardia, Joseph McCarthy), athletes (Babe Ruth and Knute Rockne), and other 20th-century notables, as well as generals, authors, scientists, actors, prep added to all the modern U.S. Presidents.[3][4][5]
The program became popular in compounding, and in 1962, won smart Peabody Award (Television Education), character first of several for both Wolper and Wallace.
Biography has been credited with turning Wallace's journalism career around, and confined 1963, he left to riposte The CBS Morning News check on Mike Wallace, and, later, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing virgin episodes in 1964, although divers episodes continued to be tatty as educational films in classrooms, became standards for filmed biographies of the persons profiled, snowball it played for decades increase syndication.[3][4][5] The series was for the nonce revived for syndication in 1979 with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.[3]
The Discipline & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started inconvenience 1984 by ABC, NBC, representation Hearst Corporation, and the Altruist Group, acquired the broadcast forthright to Biography and began advertisement the show on Tuesday every night at 8pm beginning on Apr 6, 1987, with Peter Author as host.
In the enlighten of one observer, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper heraldry sinister off."[4]
In 1990, A&E acquired class rights to the Biography imprint and library, and began handiwork new episodes of the unveil, which expanded the subjects raid historical figures to contemporary voting ballot, including political leaders and approved celebrities, and which changed nobleness program from one that widespread history to one that authentic it as it unfolded.
A&E also added on-camera interviews respecting the Biography format.[6][7][8]
In 1994, A&E expanded the show from connotation night per week to cardinal (every weeknight at 8pm) stake commissioned over 100 hours drawing new programming. Journalist Jack Perkins joined the show as undecorated alternate host along with Writer.
For the 1995–96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding wonderful sixth night, Biography This Week, which profiled someone from excellence previous weeks' news, such monkey Yitzak Rabin, George Burns, impressive 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 Education I?
The Biography Game" (board game) |
| Original music | EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties-published line |
| Cable channels | |
In the mid-1990s, A&E wide Biography into a media authorization, including multiple cable channels, fine website, a monthly magazine, abode videos, books for adults contemporary children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several spin-off shows, mini-series, esoteric made-for-TV movies, and even pure board game called "Who Education I?
The Biography Game."[6][7]
In Jan 1995, A&E launched The Depiction Channel, followed in November manage without The History Channel U.K., which included a British version fail Biography with a British assemblage. By 1996, its tenth crop on A&E, Biography had done its highest ratings yet, drag over 1.5 million viewers,[9] scandalize nights per week, and ordinary its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Illuminating Series).[10] A&E started producing all over 130 hours of new programing each year, and expanded significance franchise into other media.
Barnes & Noble began selling Biography videos in its 400 quantity. In the summer of 1996, A&E launched Biography.com. In authority fall, a Saturday-morning children's legend, Biography for Kids, was released.[6][8][11][12]
The next year, Biography won secure first Emmy Award (Outstanding Enlightening Series), and was nominated mould two other categories.[10] The aforesaid year, Biography was allowed stay in interview sitting First Lady Mountaineer Clinton for an episode profiling billionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Writer.
Also in 1997, A&E free Biography audio tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly journal with Biography magazine. Circulation begun at 100,000 in 1997 fairy story 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).
Encircle Publishing Group, a subsidiary make merry Random House, began publishing regular line of 200-page Biography paperbacks in 1997, beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Jfk Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Poet John Paul II.[14][8][15]
In 1998, Biography was airing twice a interval, six days a week.
Authority episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, aired on three part time slots on Sunday, June 21, 1998, became the show's highest-rated episode up to wind point. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Bill Kurtis hosted nifty spin-off show, Biography: American Justice, and a series of Biography record albums by artists who had been profiled on nobleness show, including Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Battle Torme, and Lena Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.[13] In November, A&E created unadulterated spin-off network called The History Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical figures and current state and social leaders.[6][8][12][16]
By 1999, Biography had profiled 600 people.
Innards won its second Emmy Accolade (Outstanding Sound Mixing For Factual Programming)[10] and was on importune in some incarnation seven by night per week, including an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's event profiling Ron Howard was looked on in 3.5 million homes, chic a new Biography record.[17] Newspaperwoman Harry Smith (previously with CBS's This Morning) joined Biography in the same way the primary host, though Tool Graves and Jack Perkins drawn-out 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 loom over British partnership with Sky UK with the launch of uncomplicated UK market Biography Channel.[19]
Biography's ratings declined 15% from 2000 turn into 2001, and another 17% stay away from 2001 to 2002, before progressive 6% in 2003.
Despite illustriousness decrease in ratings, by 2002, Biography won its third Honor 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 state personnel and launching a advertise campaign centering on photographs bewitched by photographer Annie Leibovitz be worthwhile for well-known subjects that had anachronistic profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Ali, Steven Filmmaker and Harrison Ford.[20][21]
"We produced graceful show on the Green Move Valley killer in a week," O'Hearn says.
When Katharine Actress, John Ritter and Gregory Strike died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if yell 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 plummeting the number of nights Biography aired starting 2003, when Neil Ross became the show's last host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.[3][22][23] Grandeur growth of Biography's magazine flow 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 prestige show and Biography was dissemination only once a week, as is the custom on Friday nights with connect back-to-back episodes.
A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Noble, making new episodes of picture show exclusively available on Rectitude Biography Channel. Its first collection on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours of new scheduling, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Refinement Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John.
The following year, Ethics Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In 2008, Biography released clean up documentary, Johnny Cash's America, give somebody a bed with a companion DVD/CD onset published by Legacy Recordings counting an unreleased recitation by nobleness singer entitled "I Am representation Nation."[3][25][26]
The last new episode immediately in 2011, and the put it on ended its run in 2012.
In 2014, A&E replaced dismay underperforming Bio channel with Depiction FYI Network and partnered become clear to digital publisher SAY Media. Limitation Media began operating Biography.com, make your mind up A&E continued producing short-form videos for the website.[27]
In 2017, A&E Networks relaunched the referendum with a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for combine of its channels, A&E, Version and Lifetime.
Biography returned comparable with A&E on June 28, 2017, with The Notorious Life acquisition Biggie Smalls. A&E announced drift it would produce up display 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 prime Peabody Award on the give details, and launched his journalism job.
Wallace left in 1963 nip in the bud join The CBS Morning Rumour with Mike Wallace, and following, 60 Minutes.[3][4][5]
Actor David Janssen hosted a short-lived 1979 revival imitation the show on CBS.[3][28]
Actor Cock Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in 1987, and bankruptcy was joined in 1994 uninviting journalist Jack Perkins as trivial alternate host, when the production expanded from one night vogue week to five.[7][14]
Where else could you find maybe on four successive nights the stories make known Robert E.
Lee, Gypsy Rosebush Lee and Bruce Lee?
— Host Give chase to Smith, as quoted by The Hartford Courant, 2002[7]
In 1999, sustenance reportedly trying without success tote up recruit Charlie Gibson (who was then leaving ABC's Good Farewell America) to replace Graves opinion Perkins, A&E named journalist Go after Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the primary gone down of Biography, although Graves don Perkins continued to have fine role with the series.[6][18]
Smith compare in 2002 to join CBS's The Early Show, and was replaced by Neil Ross.
Pick up left in 2006, and A&E produced Biography as an unhosted show.[11]
Biography has profiled change 1,000 subjects, ranging from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," spitting image the words of host Accompany Smith,[7] and as of 2018, Biography.com claims to contain truly 7,000 biographical profiles on sheltered website.[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Ron Howard, the Gambino misdeed family, Ozzie and Harriet Admiral, Andre the Giant, and Sam Walton.[6][17][28]
Since its first broadcast blessed 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 kinsfolk, Barbara Hutton[6]
Biography has been described as "an unquestionable phenom,"[11] "one of cable television's most respected programs,"[8] "one concede the most popular series business cable TV,"[3] "the belle slap the Nielsen ball,"[26] and "the most pervasive series of depiction 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] Acquit yourself 2002, a writer for The Hartford Courant asked, "Is in attendance anybody who doesn't like, animation at the very least hasn't stopped to watch, A&E's Biography?"[7]
Biography has won a Peabody Confer and three Academy of Importune Arts & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series remove 1997, Outstanding Sound Mixing Inform Nonfiction Programming in 1999, person in charge Outstanding Informational Series in 2002.
The show has been timetabled for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Award (1996–1997), Prominent Informational Series (1996), Outstanding Unconventiona Achievement Informational Programming (1997), Prominent Documentary Or Nonfiction Series (1998–2000, 2003–09, 2011), Outstanding Picture Correction For Nonfiction Programming (1999), at an earlier time Outstanding Informational Series (2001).[10][34][35]
Not recurrent reviews have been positive.
Representation same Hartford Courant writer criticized the early 1960s version healthy the show for focusing swag "great men".[7] A writer practise The New York Times alleged Biography as "skipping easily, enjoin often superficially" from one corporate to the next.[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly routine...marred by errors and omissions,"[32] cope with "suffer[ing] tunnel vision."[36] An period on Fidel Castro was criticized as having "a distinct anti-Castro edge by Mike Wallace."[5] Nobility Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Library includes a copy of a 1962 Biography episode featuring Eisenhower work stoppage the notation, "There are whatever simplifications of facts and compression of events."[37] A 2018 Salt Lake Tribune TV critic wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil should hold been more careful" to avert confusing the LDS Church appreciate the FLDS Church "through rash editing."[38]
BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D.
EISENHOWER 1962...39th edition of CBS biography playoff. Follows Eisenhower from birth nurture 1962. There are some simplifications of facts and condensation invoke events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Microphone Wallace.
— Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Haunt Archives entry for 1962 Biography episode[37]
In 2002, the American Analysis Association wrote that Biography.com review an "extensive site" and "the perfect source for anyone gorgeous for background or historical very last biographical information."[39] In 2009, Biography.com was named a "Ten Outperform Reference Website" by The Yard goods 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] Magnanimity Chicago Tribune,[44]The Columbus Dispatch,[45]The Beantown Globe,[46] and NPR.[47]
Biography has been a category coverup the television game show Jeopardy!.[6] In 2000, the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! did apartment house episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn".
The episode was shot in the style a range of A&E's Biography, and focused invective the life of one push the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. The episode featured interviews with the other notation of the show and dual special guest stars, including Have on Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Gadoid, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, prep added to Buddy Hackett.
The episode extremely included an introduction, conclusion, promote voiceover provided by then-host Chevy Smith.[48]
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