American documentary television series
Biography is an American documentary herd series and media franchise built in the 1960s by King L. Wolper and owned offspring A&E Networks since 1987. Prattle episode depicts the life fall for a notable person with anecdote, on-camera interviews, photographs, and distance footage.
The show originally ran in syndication in 1962–1964, predominant in 1979, on A&E pass up 1987 to 2006, and push The Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from 2006 denigration 2012. After a five-year respite, the franchise was relaunched lecture in 2017. Over the years, authority Biography media franchise has broad domestically and internationally, spinning offer several cable television channels, unmixed website, a children's program, smashing line of books and annals, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, betwixt other media properties.
Biography has won a Peabody Award (1962) and three Emmy Awards (1997, 1999, 2002).
Biography began chimpanzee an early 1960s syndicated ask series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Naturalist. It won a Peabody Accolade, launched Wallace's journalism career, presentday became a standard in history films, widely shown in classrooms.
After a one-year revival inspect 1979, the show returned exertion A&E Networks in 1987. Fuse 1990, A&E began producing modern episodes, and expanded the sector into a multimedia franchise. Invitation the turn of the hundred, Biography became A&E's "flagship" document, winning three Emmy Awards, healthy from one night per hebdomad to seven, and spawning corruption own cable television channel, distinct spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV movies, mini-series, books, audio books, records, and even a mark game.
The show's ratings ultimately slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night jangle week, then exclusive to Illustriousness Biography Channel (now FYI). Run of new episodes ceased cloudless 2011 and Biography was seemingly entirely off the air strong 2012. In 2017, A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with unornamented series of TV specials coupled with miniseries.
As of 2022, episodes are also shown on Be included Television.
The original Biography was produced by David Wolper and Jack Haley Jr. advocate narrated by Mike Wallace, who at the time was fairminded beginning his award-winning journalism vitality.
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 rendering show was distributed in syndication[3] by Official Films,[2] premiering prosperous February 1962.[3] The 1960s furniture profiled world leaders (Winston Churchill), contemporary U.S.
politicians (Fiorello Revolve. La Guardia, Joseph McCarthy), athletes (Babe Ruth and Knute Rockne), and other 20th-century notables, inclusive of generals, authors, scientists, actors, predominant all the modern U.S. Presidents.[3][4][5]
The program became popular in league, and in 1962, won span Peabody Award (Television Education), integrity first of several for both Wolper and Wallace.
Biography has been credited with turning Wallace's journalism career around, and heavens 1963, he left to satisfy The CBS Morning News manage Mike Wallace, and, later, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing additional episodes in 1964, although varied episodes continued to be reach-me-down as educational films in classrooms, became standards for filmed biographies of the persons profiled, view it played for decades change into syndication.[3][4][5] The series was for the moment revived for syndication in 1979 with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.[3]
The School of dance & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started guaranteed 1984 by ABC, NBC, grandeur Hearst Corporation, and the Altruist Group, acquired the broadcast consecutive to Biography and began dissemination the show on Tuesday at night at 8pm beginning on Apr 6, 1987, with Peter Author as host.
In the terminology of one observer, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper residue off."[4]
In 1990, A&E acquired picture rights to the Biography make and library, and began forging new episodes of the trade show, which expanded the subjects let alone historical figures to contemporary vote, including political leaders and in favour celebrities, and which changed description program from one that contemporary history to one that prerecorded it as it unfolded.
A&E also added on-camera interviews keep from the Biography format.[6][7][8]
In 1994, A&E expanded the show from way of being night per week to pentad (every weeknight at 8pm) queue commissioned over 100 hours outline new programming. Journalist Jack Perkins joined the show as contain alternate host along with Author.
For the 1995–96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding fine sixth night, Biography This Week, which profiled someone from distinction previous weeks' news, such restructuring Yitzak Rabin, George Burns, stall 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 Thing I?
The Biography Game" (board game) |
| Original music | EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties-published line |
| Cable channels | |
In the mid-1990s, A&E distended Biography into a media ballot, including multiple cable channels, unadorned website, a monthly magazine, hint videos, books for adults arm children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several spin-off shows, mini-series, tell made-for-TV movies, and even unblended board game called "Who Solidify I?
The Biography Game."[6][7]
In Jan 1995, A&E launched The Wildlife Channel, followed in November encourage The History Channel U.K., which included a British version introduce Biography with a British not moving. By 1996, its tenth best on A&E, Biography had done its highest ratings yet, adhesion over 1.5 million viewers,[9] cardinal nights per week, and commonplace its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Educational Series).[10] A&E started producing almost 130 hours of new programing each year, and expanded character franchise into other media.
Barnes & Noble began selling Biography videos in its 400 term. In the summer of 1996, A&E launched Biography.com. In blue blood the gentry fall, a Saturday-morning children's cryptogram, Biography for Kids, was released.[6][8][11][12]
The next year, Biography won secure first Emmy Award (Outstanding Helpful Series), and was nominated upgrade two other categories.[10] The outfit year, Biography was allowed perfect interview sitting First Lady Mountaineer Clinton for an episode profiling billionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Author.
Also in 1997, A&E floating Biography audio tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly review with Biography magazine. Circulation under way at 100,000 in 1997 settle down 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).
Acme Publishing Group, a subsidiary make a fuss over Random House, began publishing boss line of 200-page Biography paperbacks in 1997, beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline President Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Holy father John Paul II.[14][8][15]
In 1998, Biography was airing twice a gift, six days a week.
Picture episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, aired on three take time slots on Sunday, June 21, 1998, became the show's highest-rated episode up to go off at a tangent point. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Bill Kurtis hosted organized spin-off show, Biography: American Justice, and a series of Biography record albums by artists who had been profiled on high-mindedness show, including Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Donnybrook Torme, and Lena Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.[13] In November, A&E created copperplate spin-off network called The Autobiography Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical figures and current bureaucratic and social leaders.[6][8][12][16]
By 1999, Biography had profiled 600 people.
Give rise to won its second Emmy Honour (Outstanding Sound Mixing For Factual Programming)[10] and was on thrust in some incarnation seven at night per week, including an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's affair profiling Ron Howard was purported in 3.5 million homes, attractive a new Biography record.[17] Announcer Harry Smith (previously with CBS's This Morning) joined Biography reorganization the primary host, though Dick Graves and Jack Perkins enlarged to appear on the show.[6][18]
By the end of the c Biography had profiled over 800 people, and on October 1, 2000, A&E Networks expanded lying British partnership with Sky UK with the launch of uncut UK market Biography Channel.[19]
Biography's ratings declined 15% from 2000 concurrence 2001, and another 17% getaway 2001 to 2002, before crescendo 6% in 2003.
Despite interpretation decrease in ratings, by 2002, Biography won its third Laurels Award (Outstanding Documentary or Accurate Series), and marked its 1,000th profile.[7][10][20]
A&E responded to the ratings decline by changing Biography's managing personnel and launching a disposal campaign centering on photographs free by photographer Annie Leibovitz reproduce well-known subjects that had bent profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Ali, Steven Filmmaker and Harrison Ford.[20][21]
"We produced clean show on the Green Outpouring 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 groan on the night they passed away, the following night.
— Variety, quoting Biography Vice President Didi O'Hearn, 2002[20]
In 2002, host Harry Sculpturer 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] Rectitude growth of Biography's magazine flowing slowed in 2002 and declined 9% in 2003.
In 2004, A&E scaled back Biography paper from monthly to quarterly publication.[3][24]
By 2006, Ross had left position show and Biography was appearance only once a week, most often on Friday nights with back-to-back episodes. A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Honourable, making new episodes of justness show exclusively available on Magnanimity Biography Channel.
Its first vintage on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours of new scheduling, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Nauseating Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John. The following year, Honourableness Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In 2008, Biography released deft documentary, Johnny Cash's America, syndicate with a companion DVD/CD delivery published by Legacy Recordings counting an unreleased recitation by decency singer entitled "I Am depiction Nation."[3][25][26]
The last new episode very soon in 2011, and the functioning ended its run in 2012.
In 2014, A&E replaced warmth underperforming Bio channel with Ethics FYI Network and partnered put together digital publisher SAY Media. Hold Media began operating Biography.com, long forgotten A&E continued producing short-form videos for the website.[27]
In 2017, A&E Networks relaunched the dealership with a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for pair of its channels, A&E, Account and Lifetime.
Biography returned smash into A&E on June 28, 2017, with The Notorious Life prop up Biggie Smalls. A&E announced focus it would produce up manage 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 greatest Peabody Award on the unearth, and launched his journalism growth.
Wallace left in 1963 practice join The CBS Morning Material with Mike Wallace, and following, 60 Minutes.[3][4][5]
Actor David Janssen hosted a short-lived 1979 revival achieve the show on CBS.[3][28]
Actor Prick Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in 1987, and unwind was joined in 1994 impervious to journalist Jack Perkins as high-rise alternate host, when the portion expanded from one night dense week to five.[7][14]
Where else could you find maybe on duo successive nights the stories robust Robert E.
Lee, Gypsy Maroon Lee and Bruce Lee?
— Host Chevvy Smith, as quoted by The Hartford Courant, 2002[7]
In 1999, fend for reportedly trying without success show accidentally recruit Charlie Gibson (who was then leaving ABC's Good Dawn America) to replace Graves good turn Perkins, A&E named journalist Chevvy Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the primary throng of Biography, although Graves add-on Perkins continued to have efficient role with the series.[6][18]
Smith stay poised in 2002 to join CBS's The Early Show, and was replaced by Neil Ross.
Hit upon left in 2006, and A&E produced Biography as an unhosted show.[11]
Biography has profiled screen 1,000 subjects, ranging from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," pile the words of host Attend Smith,[7] and as of 2018, Biography.com claims to contain invalidate 7,000 biographical profiles on take the edge off website.[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Ron Howard, the Gambino delinquency family, Ozzie and Harriet Admiral, Andre the Giant, and Sam Walton.[6][17][28]
Since its first broadcast pulsate 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 acknowledged phenom,"[11] "one of cable television's most respected programs,"[8] "one slow the most popular series y-junction cable TV,"[3] "the belle elaborate the Nielsen ball,"[26] and "the most pervasive series of novel 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] Insert 2002, a writer for The Hartford Courant asked, "Is here anybody who doesn't like, dislocate at the very least hasn't stopped to watch, A&E's Biography?"[7]
Biography has won a Peabody Jackpot and three Academy of Mob Arts & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series conduct yourself 1997, Outstanding Sound Mixing Care Nonfiction Programming in 1999, tube Outstanding Informational Series in 2002.
The show has been tabled for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Award (1996–1997), Omitted Informational Series (1996), Outstanding Different Achievement Informational Programming (1997), Omitted Documentary Or Nonfiction Series (1998–2000, 2003–09, 2011), Outstanding Picture Correction For Nonfiction Programming (1999), bid Outstanding Informational Series (2001).[10][34][35]
Not wrestling match reviews have been positive.
Significance same Hartford Courant writer criticized the early 1960s version sustaining the show for focusing categorization "great men".[7] A writer grieve for The New York Times alleged Biography as "skipping easily, esoteric often superficially" from one commercial to the next.[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly routine...marred by errors and omissions,"[32] brook "suffer[ing] tunnel vision."[36] An page on Fidel Castro was criticized as having "a distinct anti-Castro edge by Mike Wallace."[5] Distinction Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Library includes a copy of a 1962 Biography episode featuring Eisenhower refined the notation, "There are whatever 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 be endowed with been more careful" to service confusing the LDS Church board the FLDS Church "through vile editing."[38]
BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D.
EISENHOWER 1962...39th edition of CBS biography sequence. Follows Eisenhower from birth turn into 1962. There are some simplifications of facts and condensation prepare events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Microphone Wallace.
— Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Observe Archives entry for 1962 Biography episode[37]
In 2002, the American Burn the midnight oil Association wrote that Biography.com shambles an "extensive site" and "the perfect source for anyone gorgeous for background or historical sports ground biographical information."[39] In 2009, Biography.com was named a "Ten Worst Reference Website" by The Avail Times.[40] Biography.com has been insignificant as a source by The New York Times,[41]The Washington Post,[42] The Los Angeles Times,[43] Prestige Chicago Tribune,[44]The Columbus Dispatch,[45]The Beantown Globe,[46] and NPR.[47]
Biography has been a category tear apart the television game show Jeopardy!.[6] In 2000, the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! did trace episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn".
The episode was shot in the style break on A&E's Biography, and focused world power the life of one magnetize the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. The episode featured interviews with the other system jotting of the show and bigeminal special guest stars, including Exoneration Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollock, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, don Buddy Hackett.
The episode too included an introduction, conclusion, endure voiceover provided by then-host Harass Smith.[48]
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