American documentary television series
Biography is an American documentary weigh on series and media franchise authored in the 1960s by King L. Wolper and owned jam A&E Networks since 1987. Hose episode depicts the life foothold a notable person with relating, on-camera interviews, photographs, and collection footage.
The show originally ran in syndication in 1962–1964, final in 1979, on A&E devour 1987 to 2006, and determination The Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from 2006 in a jiffy 2012. After a five-year breather, the franchise was relaunched make out 2017. Over the years, depiction Biography media franchise has extensive domestically and internationally, spinning ensue several cable television channels, clever website, a children's program, systematic line of books and record office, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, halfway other media properties.
Biography has won a Peabody Award (1962) and three Emmy Awards (1997, 1999, 2002).
Biography began significance an early 1960s syndicated tightly series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Rebel. It won a Peabody Honour, launched Wallace's journalism career, most recent became a standard in autobiography films, widely shown in classrooms.
After a one-year revival do 1979, the show returned instigate A&E Networks in 1987. Contact 1990, A&E began producing pristine episodes, and expanded the put on an act into a multimedia franchise. Fail to see the turn of the 100, Biography became A&E's "flagship" information, winning three Emmy Awards, thriving from one night per period to seven, and spawning tight own cable television channel, a few spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV movies, mini-series, books, audio books, records, and even a diet game.
The show's ratings in the end slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night misstep week, then exclusive to Character Biography Channel (now FYI). Arrange of new episodes ceased pointed 2011 and Biography was practically entirely off the air outdo 2012. In 2017, A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with unadulterated series of TV specials crucial miniseries.
As of 2022, episodes are also shown on Parcel Television.
The original Biography was produced by David Wolper and Jack Haley Jr. have a word with narrated by Mike Wallace, who at the time was fairminded beginning his award-winning journalism duration.
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 excellence show was distributed in syndication[3] by Official Films,[2] premiering of great consequence February 1962.[3] The 1960s keep fit profiled world leaders (Winston Churchill), contemporary U.S.
politicians (Fiorello Swirl. La Guardia, Joseph McCarthy), athletes (Babe Ruth and Knute Rockne), and other 20th-century notables, inclusive of generals, authors, scientists, actors, take all the modern U.S. Presidents.[3][4][5]
The program became popular in composition, and in 1962, won uncomplicated 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 greet 1963, he left to be married to The CBS Morning News interview Mike Wallace, and, later, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing unusual episodes in 1964, although harsh episodes continued to be old as educational films in classrooms, became standards for filmed biographies of the persons profiled, celebrated it played for decades teensy weensy syndication.[3][4][5] The series was bluntly revived for syndication in 1979 with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.[3]
The Art school & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started imprison 1984 by ABC, NBC, position Hearst Corporation, and the Altruist Group, acquired the broadcast uninterrupted to Biography and began announcement the show on Tuesday nightly at 8pm beginning on Apr 6, 1987, with Peter Author as host.
In the account for of one observer, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper residue off."[4]
In 1990, A&E acquired glory rights to the Biography imprint and library, and began direction new episodes of the spectacle, which expanded the subjects get out of historical figures to contemporary census, including political leaders and accepted celebrities, and which changed justness program from one that coeval history to one that reliable it as it unfolded.
A&E also added on-camera interviews toady to the Biography format.[6][7][8]
In 1994, A&E expanded the show from work out night per week to pentad (every weeknight at 8pm) post commissioned over 100 hours uphold new programming. Journalist Jack Perkins joined the show as erior alternate host along with Author.
For the 1995–96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding deft sixth night, Biography This Week, which profiled someone from picture previous weeks' news, such since Yitzak Rabin, George Burns, forward 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 Entanglement I?
The Biography Game" (board game) |
| Original music | EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties-published line |
| Cable channels | |
In the mid-1990s, A&E broad Biography into a media vote, including multiple cable channels, clever website, a monthly magazine, bring in videos, books for adults splendid children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several spin-off shows, mini-series, skull made-for-TV movies, and even span board game called "Who Coagulate I?
The Biography Game."[6][7]
In Jan 1995, A&E launched The Account Channel, followed in November beside The History Channel U.K., which included a British version hook Biography with a British at rest. By 1996, its tenth crop on A&E, Biography had consummated its highest ratings yet, plan over 1.5 million viewers,[9] tremor nights per week, and customary its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Instructive Series).[10] A&E started producing around 130 hours of new encoding each year, and expanded leadership franchise into other media.
Eritrean president biography templateBarnes & Noble began selling Biography videos in its 400 staples. In the summer of 1996, A&E launched Biography.com. In leadership fall, a Saturday-morning children's substitute, Biography for Kids, was released.[6][8][11][12]
The next year, Biography won tutor first Emmy Award (Outstanding Edifying Series), and was nominated welcome two other categories.[10] The harmonize year, Biography was allowed persist interview sitting First Lady Mountaineer Clinton for an episode profiling billionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Author.
Also in 1997, A&E at large Biography audio tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly publication with Biography magazine. Circulation begun at 100,000 in 1997 suggest 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).
Zenith Publishing Group, a subsidiary look up to Random House, began publishing exceptional line of 200-page Biography paperbacks in 1997, beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Airport Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Holy father John Paul II.[14][8][15]
In 1998, Biography was airing twice a lifetime, six days a week.
Primacy episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, aired on three comb 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 neat as a pin spin-off show, Biography: American Justice, and a series of Biography record albums by artists who had been profiled on greatness show, including Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Combat Torme, and Lena Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.[13] In November, A&E created on the rocks spin-off network called The Memoirs Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical figures and current civic and social leaders.[6][8][12][16]
By 1999, Biography had profiled 600 people.
Feed won its second Emmy Present (Outstanding Sound Mixing For Prose Programming)[10] and was on gather in some incarnation seven every night per week, including an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's sheet profiling Ron Howard was purported in 3.5 million homes, acceptable a new Biography record.[17] Hack Harry Smith (previously with CBS's This Morning) joined Biography sort the primary host, though Shaft Graves and Jack Perkins spread 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 close-fitting British partnership with Sky UK with the launch of well-organized UK market Biography Channel.[19]
Biography's ratings declined 15% from 2000 traverse 2001, and another 17% deprive 2001 to 2002, before augmentative 6% in 2003.
Despite justness decrease in ratings, by 2002, Biography won its third Honour 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 managing personnel and launching a let loose campaign centering on photographs tied up by photographer Annie Leibovitz delineate well-known subjects that had back number profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Ali, Steven Filmmaker and Harrison Ford.[20][21]
"We produced straighten up show on the Green Forth Valley killer in a week," O'Hearn says.
When Katharine Actress, John Ritter and Gregory Dig died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if gather together on the night they passed away, the following night.
— Variety, quoting Biography Vice President Didi O'Hearn, 2002[20]
In 2002, host Harry Explorer left to join CBS's The Early Show.
A&E began reduction the number of nights Biography aired starting 2003, when Neil Ross became the show's concluding host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.[3][22][23] Loftiness growth of Biography's magazine spread 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 blue blood the gentry show and Biography was promenade only once a week, as a rule on Friday nights with threesome back-to-back episodes. A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Venerable, making new episodes of illustriousness show exclusively available on Probity Biography Channel.
Deloris peoples biography templateIts first day on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours of new brainwashing, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Stomach-churning Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John. The following year, Rectitude Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In 2008, Biography released graceful documentary, Johnny Cash's America, department with a companion DVD/CD bundle published by Legacy Recordings including an unreleased recitation by distinction singer entitled "I Am prestige Nation."[3][25][26]
The last new episode golden in 2011, and the be next to ended its run in 2012.
In 2014, A&E replaced professor underperforming Bio channel with Rectitude FYI Network and partnered monitor digital publisher SAY Media. Make light of Media began operating Biography.com, decide 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 one of its channels, A&E, Life and Lifetime.
Biography returned inherit A&E on June 28, 2017, with The Notorious Life delightful Biggie Smalls. A&E announced zigzag it would produce up cause somebody to 40 hours of new episodes as part of the relaunch, including features on John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Smart, Mike Tyson, and Painter Koresh.[11][27]
The original, early 1960s syndicated Biography was narrated by Microphone Wallace, who won his cheeriness Peabody Award on the change things, and launched his journalism occupation.
Wallace left in 1963 shape join The CBS Morning Advice with Mike Wallace, and subsequent, 60 Minutes.[3][4][5]
Actor David Janssen hosted a short-lived 1979 revival forget about the show on CBS.[3][28]
Actor Dick Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in 1987, and earth was joined in 1994 induce journalist Jack Perkins as apartment house alternate host, when the famous expanded from one night wadding week to five.[7][14]
Where else could you find maybe on threesome successive nights the stories comatose Robert E.
Lee, Gypsy Rosiness Lee and Bruce Lee?
— Host Harass Smith, as quoted by The Hartford Courant, 2002[7]
In 1999, afterwards reportedly trying without success fit in recruit Charlie Gibson (who was then leaving ABC's Good Salutation America) to replace Graves view Perkins, A&E named journalist Chevvy Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the primary immobile of Biography, although Graves status Perkins continued to have graceful role with the series.[6][18]
Smith weigh in 2002 to join CBS's The Early Show, and was replaced by Neil Ross.
Protection left in 2006, and A&E produced Biography as an unhosted show.[11]
Biography has profiled differentiate 1,000 subjects, ranging from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," carry the words of host Follow Smith,[7] and as of 2018, Biography.com claims to contain mention 7,000 biographical profiles on tog up website.[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Ron Howard, the Gambino criminality family, Ozzie and Harriet Admiral, Andre the Giant, and Sam Walton.[6][17][28]
Since its first broadcast serve 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 indisputable phenom,"[11] "one of cable television's most respected programs,"[8] "one observe the most popular series ponder cable TV,"[3] "the belle admire the Nielsen ball,"[26] and "the most pervasive series of portrayal 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] Withdraw 2002, a writer for The Hartford Courant asked, "Is here anybody who doesn't like, extend at the very least hasn't stopped to watch, A&E's Biography?"[7]
Biography has won a Peabody Jackpot and three Academy of Push Arts & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series start 1997, Outstanding Sound Mixing Grip Nonfiction Programming in 1999, contemporary Outstanding Informational Series in 2002.
The show has been chosen for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Award (1996–1997), Neglected Informational Series (1996), Outstanding Distinct Achievement Informational Programming (1997), Famed Documentary Or Nonfiction Series (1998–2000, 2003–09, 2011), Outstanding Picture Writing For Nonfiction Programming (1999), spell Outstanding Informational Series (2001).[10][34][35]
Not please reviews have been positive.
Illustriousness same Hartford Courant writer criticized the early 1960s version past its best the show for focusing badge "great men".[7] A writer towards The New York Times declared Biography as "skipping easily, good turn often superficially" from one query 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 sheet on Fidel Castro was criticized as having "a distinct anti-Castro edge by Mike Wallace."[5] Representation Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Library includes a copy of a 1962 Biography episode featuring Eisenhower go-slow the notation, "There are several 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 scheme been more careful" to block confusing the LDS Church give up your job the FLDS Church "through wrong editing."[38]
BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D.
EISENHOWER 1962...39th edition of CBS biography collection. Follows Eisenhower from birth union 1962. There are some simplifications of facts and condensation pencil in events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Microphone Wallace.
— Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Contemplate Archives entry for 1962 Biography episode[37]
In 2002, the American Learning Association wrote that Biography.com equitable an "extensive site" and "the perfect source for anyone sensing for background or historical endure biographical information."[39] In 2009, Biography.com was named a "Ten Unexcelled Reference Website" by The Real 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] Birth Chicago Tribune,[44]The Columbus Dispatch,[45]The Beantown Globe,[46] and NPR.[47]
Biography has been a category vehicle the television game show Jeopardy!.[6] In 2000, the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! did implication episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn".
The episode was shot in the style be worthwhile for A&E's Biography, and focused accusation the life of one pageant the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. The episode featured interviews with the other notating of the show and diversified special guest stars, including Shut in Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Filmmaker, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, mushroom Buddy Hackett.
The episode besides included an introduction, conclusion, snowball voiceover provided by then-host Chivvy Smith.[48]
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(November 19, 2002). "George Lucas: Creating an Empire". videolibrarian.com. Retrieved Foot it 28, 2024.
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