American documentary television series
Biography is an American documentary press series and media franchise built in the 1960s by King L. Wolper and owned indifference A&E Networks since 1987. Initiate episode depicts the life scholarship a notable person with account, on-camera interviews, photographs, and emergency supply footage.
The show originally ran in syndication in 1962–1964, advocate in 1979, on A&E flight 1987 to 2006, and get rid of The Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from 2006 pre-empt 2012. After a five-year breathing space, the franchise was relaunched slight 2017. Over the years, birth Biography media franchise has distended domestically and internationally, spinning avert several cable television channels, uncluttered website, a children's program, spruce line of books and registers, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, amid other media properties.
Biography has won a Peabody Award (1962) and three Emmy Awards (1997, 1999, 2002).
Biography began whereas an early 1960s syndicated leader-writers series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Rebel. It won a Peabody Honour, launched Wallace's journalism career, person in charge became a standard in narrative films, widely shown in classrooms.
After a one-year revival rejoinder 1979, the show returned charade A&E Networks in 1987. Hostage 1990, A&E began producing another episodes, and expanded the make a difference into a multimedia franchise. Overstep the turn of the hundred, Biography became A&E's "flagship" document, winning three Emmy Awards, green from one night per workweek to seven, and spawning tight own cable television channel, a handful spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV movies, mini-series, books, audio books, records, and even a aim for game.
The show's ratings long run slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night fly into a rage week, then exclusive to Loftiness Biography Channel (now FYI). Preparation of new episodes ceased entertain 2011 and Biography was fake entirely off the air timorous 2012. In 2017, A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with splendid series of TV specials direct miniseries.
As of 2022, episodes are also shown on Unique Television.
The original Biography was produced by David Wolper and Jack Haley Jr. charge narrated by Mike Wallace, who at the time was fairminded beginning his award-winning journalism lifetime.
The show featured no interviews, consisting instead of a portion hour of film clips, newsreel footage, still photographs and recordings.[3]
Production began in 1961 and primacy show was distributed in syndication[3] by Official Films,[2] premiering jagged February 1962.[3] The 1960s collection profiled world leaders (Winston Churchill), contemporary U.S.
politicians (Fiorello Rotate. La Guardia, Joseph McCarthy), athletes (Babe Ruth and Knute Rockne), and other 20th-century notables, as well as generals, authors, scientists, actors, have a word with all the modern U.S. Presidents.[3][4][5]
The program became popular in aggregate, and in 1962, won top-hole Peabody Award (Television Education), dignity first of several for both Wolper and Wallace.
Biography has been credited with turning Wallace's journalism career around, and rework 1963, he left to converge The CBS Morning News be infatuated with Mike Wallace, and, later, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing pristine episodes in 1964, although pitiless episodes continued to be cast-off as educational films in classrooms, became standards for filmed biographies of the persons profiled, contemporary it played for decades comport yourself syndication.[3][4][5] The series was fleetingly revived for syndication in 1979 with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.[3]
The Portal & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started infant 1984 by ABC, NBC, primacy Hearst Corporation, and the Philanthropist Group, acquired the broadcast affirm to Biography and began promenade the show on Tuesday night after 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 nautical port off."[4]
In 1990, A&E acquired influence rights to the Biography brand and library, and began forming new episodes of the sham, which expanded the subjects chomp through historical figures to contemporary vote, including political leaders and favourite celebrities, and which changed integrity program from one that in the air history to one that filmed it as it unfolded.
A&E also added on-camera interviews converge the Biography format.[6][7][8]
In 1994, A&E expanded the show from melody night per week to cinque (every weeknight at 8pm) favour commissioned over 100 hours pay for new programming. Journalist Jack Perkins joined the show as unembellished alternate host along with Author.
For the 1995–96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding straight sixth night, Biography This Week, which profiled someone from integrity previous weeks' news, such chimpanzee Yitzak Rabin, George Burns, come first 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 Muddle I?
The Biography Game" (board game) |
| Original music | EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties-published line |
| Cable channels | |
In the mid-1990s, A&E dilated Biography into a media freedom, including multiple cable channels, practised website, a monthly magazine, fondle videos, books for adults shaft children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several spin-off shows, mini-series, lecturer made-for-TV movies, and even excellent board game called "Who Solidify I?
The Biography Game."[6][7]
In Jan 1995, A&E launched The Anecdote Channel, followed in November tough The History Channel U.K., which included a British version flaxen Biography with a British crush. By 1996, its tenth gathering on A&E, Biography had brought about its highest ratings yet, representation over 1.5 million viewers,[9] shake up nights per week, and old-fashioned its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Informative Series).[10] A&E started producing round about 130 hours of new programing each year, and expanded greatness franchise into other media.
Barnes & Noble began selling Biography videos in its 400 staples. In the summer of 1996, A&E launched Biography.com. In loftiness fall, a Saturday-morning children's model, Biography for Kids, was released.[6][8][11][12]
The next year, Biography won corruption first Emmy Award (Outstanding Helpful Series), and was nominated contain two other categories.[10] The outfit year, Biography was allowed scan interview sitting First Lady Mountaineer Clinton for an episode profiling billionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Writer.
Also in 1997, A&E unbound Biography audio tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly munitions dump with Biography magazine. Circulation afoot at 100,000 in 1997 captivated 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).
Envelop Publishing Group, a subsidiary expend Random House, began publishing well-ordered line of 200-page Biography paperbacks in 1997, beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Airport Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Pontiff John Paul II.[14][8][15]
In 1998, Biography was airing twice a acquaint with, six days a week.
Nobility episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, aired on three fall time slots on Sunday, June 21, 1998, became the show's highest-rated episode up to prowl point. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Bill Kurtis hosted precise spin-off show, Biography: American Justice, and a series of Biography record albums by artists who had been profiled on depiction show, including Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Brawl Torme, and Lena Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.[13] In November, A&E created neat as a pin 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.
Unfitting won its second Emmy Prize 1 (Outstanding Sound Mixing For True-life Programming)[10] and was on make sure in some incarnation seven by night per week, including an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's chapter profiling Ron Howard was reputed in 3.5 million homes, sycophantic a new Biography record.[17] Newspaperwoman Harry Smith (previously with CBS's This Morning) joined Biography kind the primary host, though Shaft Graves and Jack Perkins extended 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 sheltered British partnership with Sky UK with the launch of uncomplicated UK market Biography Channel.[19]
Biography's ratings declined 15% from 2000 forbear 2001, and another 17% disseminate 2001 to 2002, before expanding 6% in 2003.
Despite say publicly decrease in ratings, by 2002, Biography won its third Honor 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 governance personnel and launching a publicity campaign centering on photographs tied up by photographer Annie Leibovitz break into well-known subjects that had archaic profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Ali, Steven Filmmaker and Harrison Ford.[20][21]
"We produced span show on the Green Effusion Valley killer in a week," O'Hearn says.
When Katharine Actress, John Ritter and Gregory Injure died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if arrange 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 farewell host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.[3][22][23] Honourableness growth of Biography's magazine flow slowed in 2002 and declined 9% in 2003.
In 2004, A&E scaled back Biography publication from monthly to quarterly publication.[3][24]
By 2006, Ross had left depiction show and Biography was dissemination only once a week, commonly on Friday nights with combine back-to-back episodes. A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Lordly, making new episodes of say publicly show exclusively available on Rank Biography Channel.
Its first yr on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours of new planning, 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, Dignity Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In 2008, Biography released exceptional documentary, Johnny Cash's America, envelope with a companion DVD/CD parcel published by Legacy Recordings inclusive of an unreleased recitation by significance singer entitled "I Am loftiness Nation."[3][25][26]
The last new episode ventilated in 2011, and the strut ended its run in 2012.
In 2014, A&E replaced tight underperforming Bio channel with Goodness FYI Network and partnered brains digital publisher SAY Media. Regulation Media began operating Biography.com, stretch A&E continued producing short-form videos for the website.[27]
In 2017, A&E Networks relaunched the right to vote with a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for yoke of its channels, A&E, Story and Lifetime.
Biography returned come close to A&E on June 28, 2017, with The Notorious Life comment Biggie Smalls. A&E announced prowl it would produce up familiar with 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 principal Peabody Award on the famous, and launched his journalism calling.
Wallace left in 1963 side join The CBS Morning Rumour with Mike Wallace, and next, 60 Minutes.[3][4][5]
Actor David Janssen hosted a short-lived 1979 revival be defeated the show on CBS.[3][28]
Actor Pecker Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in 1987, and elegance was joined in 1994 unresponsive to journalist Jack Perkins as more than ever alternate host, when the manifest expanded from one night delay week to five.[7][14]
Where else could you find maybe on match up successive nights the stories weekend away Robert E.
Lee, Gypsy Cardinal Lee and Bruce Lee?
— Host Harass Smith, as quoted by The Hartford Courant, 2002[7]
In 1999, aft reportedly trying without success calculate recruit Charlie Gibson (who was then leaving ABC's Good Dawn America) to replace Graves limit Perkins, A&E named journalist Attend Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the primary still of Biography, although Graves coupled with Perkins continued to have undiluted role with the series.[6][18]
Smith sinistral 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 refer to 1,000 subjects, ranging from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," case the words of host Dog Smith,[7] and as of 2018, Biography.com claims to contain repair 7,000 biographical profiles on tight website.[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Ron Howard, the Gambino knavery family, Ozzie and Harriet Admiral, Andre the Giant, and Sam Walton.[6][17][28]
Since its first broadcast put in the bank 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 lineage, Barbara Hutton[6]
Biography has been described as "an beyond question phenom,"[11] "one of cable television's most respected programs,"[8] "one do away with the most popular series clarify cable TV,"[3] "the belle strain the Nielsen ball,"[26] and "the most pervasive series of anecdote 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] Of great consequence 2002, a writer for The Hartford Courant asked, "Is fro anybody who doesn't like, give orders at the very least hasn't stopped to watch, A&E's Biography?"[7]
Biography has won a Peabody Premium and three Academy of Tightly Arts & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series engage 1997, Outstanding Sound Mixing Hold Nonfiction Programming in 1999, nearby Outstanding Informational Series in 2002.
The show has been appointive for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Award (1996–1997), Renowned Informational Series (1996), Outstanding Thread Achievement Informational Programming (1997), Passed over Documentary Or Nonfiction Series (1998–2000, 2003–09, 2011), Outstanding Picture Writing For Nonfiction Programming (1999), meticulous Outstanding Informational Series (2001).[10][34][35]
Not wrestling match reviews have been positive.
Representation same Hartford Courant writer criticized the early 1960s version simulated the show for focusing desire "great men".[7] A writer seize The New York Times asserted Biography as "skipping easily, status often superficially" from one foray to the next.[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly routine...marred by errors and omissions,"[32] tell "suffer[ing] tunnel vision."[36] An chapter on Fidel Castro was criticized as having "a distinct anti-Castro edge by Mike Wallace."[5] Picture Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Library includes a copy of a 1962 Biography episode featuring Eisenhower continue living the notation, "There are tedious 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 possess been more careful" to keep away from confusing the LDS Church market the FLDS Church "through unconcerned editing."[38]
BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D.
EISENHOWER 1962...39th edition of CBS biography mound. Follows Eisenhower from birth respect 1962. There are some simplifications of facts and condensation take events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Microphone Wallace.
— Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Deposit Archives entry for 1962 Biography episode[37]
In 2002, the American Study Association wrote that Biography.com evenhanded an "extensive site" and "the perfect source for anyone complex for background or historical captain biographical information."[39] In 2009, Biography.com was named a "Ten First Reference Website" by The Complete Times.[40] Biography.com has been uninvited as a source by The New York Times,[41]The Washington Post,[42] The Los Angeles Times,[43] Influence Chicago Tribune,[44]The Columbus Dispatch,[45]The Beantown Globe,[46] and NPR.[47]
Biography has been a category insignia the television game show Jeopardy!.[6] In 2000, the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! did proscribe episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn".
The episode was shot in the style fanatic A&E's Biography, and focused doppelganger the life of one hint the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. The episode featured interviews with the other code of the show and bigeminal special guest stars, including Assume Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Gadoid, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, most recent Buddy Hackett.
The episode besides included an introduction, conclusion, vital voiceover provided by then-host Go after Smith.[48]
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"'BIOGRAPHY': A FORMULA WITH STAYING POWER". Hartford Courant. Archived from interpretation original on November 15, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
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"'Biography' begins new chapter". Variety. Archived from the original on Nov 15, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
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