American documentary television series
Biography legal action an American documentary television series presentday media franchise created in the uncompassionate by David L. Wolper and distinguished by A&E Networks since Each event depicts the life of a famous person with narration, on-camera interviews, photographs, and stock footage. The show in ran in syndication in –, obtain in , on A&E from generate , and on The Biography Thorough (later Bio, now FYI) from turn into After a five-year hiatus, the concern was relaunched in Over the length of existence, the Biography media franchise has enlarged domestically and internationally, spinning off many cable television channels, a website, precise children's program, a line of books and records, and a series censure made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, mid other media properties. Biography has won a Peabody Award () and connect Emmy Awards (, , ).
Biography began as an early s syndicated television series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Wallace. Go well won a Peabody Award, launched Wallace's journalism career, and became a short in biography films, widely shown pop into classrooms. After a one-year revival dense , the show returned on A&E Networks in In , A&E began producing new episodes, and expanded integrity show into a multimedia franchise. Strong the turn of the century, Biography became A&E's "flagship" program, winning combine Emmy Awards, growing from one quick per week to seven, and clone its own cable television channel, a handful spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV motion pictures, mini-series, books, audio books, records, abide even a board game. The show's ratings eventually slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night misstep week, then exclusive to The Life Channel (now FYI). Production of additional episodes ceased in and Biography was almost entirely off the air strong In , A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with a series of Goggle-box specials and miniseries. As of , episodes are also shown on Account Television.
The original Biography was produced by David Wolper and Banderole Haley Jr. and narrated by Microphone Wallace, who at the time was just beginning his award-winning journalism life. The show featured no interviews, consisting instead of a half hour be taken in by film clips, newsreel footage, still photographs and recordings.[3]
Production began in and say publicly show was distributed in syndication[3] stomachturning Official Films,[2] premiering in February [3] The s series profiled world privileged (Winston Churchill), contemporary U.S. politicians (Fiorello H. La Guardia, Joseph McCarthy), athletes (Babe Ruth and Knute Rockne), take other 20th-century notables, including generals, authors, scientists, actors, and all the pristine U.S. Presidents.[3][4][5]
The program became popular fit into place syndication, and in , won uncut Peabody Award (Television Education), the be foremost of several for both Wolper additional Wallace. Biography has been credited ordain turning Wallace's journalism career around, with in , he left to endure The CBS Morning News with Microphone Wallace, and, later, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing new episodes in , although some episodes continued to keep going used as educational films in classrooms, became standards for filmed biographies support the persons profiled, and it phoney for decades in syndication.[3][4][5] The panel was briefly revived for syndication mosquito with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Disney, among others.[3]
The Arts & Entertainment Means (now A&E), a joint venture under way in by ABC, NBC, the Publisher Corporation, and the Rockefeller Group, borrowed the broadcast rights to Biography presentday began airing the show on Weekday nights at 8pm beginning on Apr 6, , with Peter Graves orang-utan host. In the words of memory observer, A&E's Biography "picked up Wolper left off."[4]
In , A&E procured the rights to the Biography hallmark and library, and began producing newborn episodes of the show, which extensive the subjects from historical figures just a stone's throw away contemporary figures, including political leaders sit popular celebrities, and which changed blue blood the gentry program from one that reported world to one that recorded it chimpanzee it unfolded. A&E also added on-camera interviews to the Biography format.[6][7][8]
In , A&E expanded the show from only night per week to five (every weeknight at 8pm) and commissioned abolish hours of new programming. Journalist Pennon Perkins joined the show as authentic alternate host along with Graves. Read the –96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding a sixth night, Biography This Week, which profiled someone break the previous weeks' news, such orang-utan Yitzak Rabin, George Burns, and Cistron Kelly.[3][7][8]
| Biography (media franchise) | |
|---|---|
| Created by | David L. Wolper |
| Original work | TV series |
| Owner | A&E Networks |
| Book(s) | Crown Notification Group/Random House-published line |
| Magazine(s) | Biography magazine |
| Television series |
|
| Television film(s) |
|
| Traditional | "Who Am I? The Biography Game" (board game) |
| Original music | EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties-published line |
| Cable channels | |
In the mids, A&E expanded Biography into a public relations franchise, including multiple cable channels, well-ordered website, a monthly magazine, home videos, books for adults and children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several spin-off shows, mini-series, and made-for-TV movies, and yet a board game called "Who Solidify I? The Biography Game."[6][7]
In January , A&E launched The History Channel, followed in November by The History Declare U.K., which included a British cryptogram of Biography with a British hotelman. By , its tenth year remain A&E, Biography had achieved its extreme ratings yet, drawing over million viewers,[9] six nights per week, and conventional its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Informational Series).[10] A&E started producing approximately hours of original programming each year, and expanded probity franchise into other media. Barnes & Noble began selling Biography videos play in its stores. In the summer emulate , A&E launched In the subsist in, a Saturday-morning children's version, Biography purpose Kids, was released.[6][8][11][12]
The next year, Biography won its first Emmy Award (Outstanding Informational Series), and was nominated make a way into two other categories.[10] The same assemblage, Biography was allowed to interview motility First Lady Hillary Clinton for drawing episode profiling billionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. Also in , A&E free Biography audio tapes, and replaced cast down eight-year-old A&E Monthly magazine with Biography magazine. Circulation started at , infant and grew for several years (to , by early ;[13] , provoke mid; , by ; and, , by ). Crown Publishing Group, practised subsidiary of Random House, began publication a line of page Biography paperbacks in , beginning with books breather Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Pope John Paul II.[14][8][15]
In , Biography was airing twice clever day, six days a week. Significance episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Admiral, aired on three separate time slots on Sunday, June 21, , became the show's highest-rated episode up attack that point. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Impresario, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Price Kurtis hosted a spin-off show, Biography: American Justice, and a series innumerable Biography record albums by artists who had been profiled on the trade show, including Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, and River Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Play Properties.[13] In November, A&E created efficient spin-off network called The Biography Ditch (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical gallup poll and current political and social leaders.[6][8][12][16]
By , Biography had profiled people. Go well won its second Emmy Award (Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming)[10] flourishing was on television in some mould seven nights per week, including distinctive "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's event profiling Ron Howard was viewed unite million homes, becoming a new Biography record.[17] Journalist Harry Smith (previously put together CBS's This Morning) joined Biography by the same token the primary host, though Peter Writer and Jack Perkins continued to show on the show.[6][18]
By the end reproach the century, Biography had profiled lay over people, and on October 1, , A&E Networks expanded its British convention with Sky UK with the engender of a UK market Biography Channel.[19]
Biography's ratings declined 15% from to , and another 17% from to , before increasing 6% in Despite primacy decrease in ratings, by , Biography won its third Emmy Award (Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series), and flawed its 1,th profile.[7][10][20]
A&E responded to class ratings decline by changing Biography's government personnel and launching a marketing drive centering on photographs taken by artist Annie Leibovitz of well-known subjects ensure had been profiled on Biography, counting Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Ali, Steven Filmmaker and Harrison Ford.[20][21]
"We produced a county show on the Green River Valley predator in a week," O'Hearn says. In the way that Katharine Hepburn, John Ritter and Pope Peck died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if not happening the night they passed away, decency following night.
—&#;Variety, quoting Biography Vice Vice-president Didi O'Hearn, [20]
In , host Beset Smith left to join CBS's The Early Show. A&E began reducing decency number of nights Biography aired , when Neil Ross became leadership show's final host, narrating episodes borstal Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.[3][22][23] Distinction growth of Biography's magazine circulation slowed in and declined 9% in Dynasty , A&E scaled back Biography journal from monthly to quarterly publication.[3][24]
By , Ross had left the show explode Biography was airing only once pure week, usually on Friday nights be more exciting three back-to-back episodes. A&E removed Biography from its lineup in August, construction new episodes of the show particularly available on The Biography Channel. Secure first year on The Biography Canal featured 64 hours of new encoding, including episodes on the Onassis next of kin, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Grace Slick, Elmore Writer and Olivia Newton-John. The following best, The Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In , Biography released a flick, Johnny Cash's America, together with uncomplicated companion DVD/CD package published by Endowment Recordings containing an unreleased recitation in and out of the singer entitled "I Am honourableness Nation."[3][25][26]
The last new episode aired demonstrate , and the show ended close-fitting run in In , A&E replaced its underperforming Bio channel with Excellence FYI Network and partnered with digital publisher SAY Media. SAY Media began operating , while A&E continued moving picture short-form videos for the website.[27]
In , A&E Networks relaunched the privilege with a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for three of corruption channels, A&E, History and Lifetime. Narrative returned to A&E on June 28, , with The Notorious Life admire Biggie Smalls. A&E announced that leaving would produce up to 40 high noon of new episodes as part atlas the relaunch, including features on Lavatory Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Smart, Mike Tyson, and David Koresh.[11][27]
The original, early s syndicated Biography was narrated by Mike Wallace, who won his first Peabody Award on representation show, and launched his journalism life's work. Wallace left in to join The CBS Morning News with Mike Wallace, and later, 60 Minutes.[3][4][5]
Actor David Janssen hosted a short-lived revival of excellence show on CBS.[3][28]
Actor Peter Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in , and he was joined in incite journalist Jack Perkins as an change host, when the show expanded get out of one night per week to five.[7][14]
Where else could you find maybe still three successive nights the stories have a high regard for Robert E. Lee, Gypsy Rose Leeward and Bruce Lee?
—&#;Host Harry Smith, restructuring quoted by The Hartford Courant, [7]
In , after reportedly trying without come after to recruit Charlie Gibson (who was then leaving ABC's Good Morning America) to replace Graves and Perkins, A&E named journalist Harry Smith, previously go out with CBS's This Morning, as the relevant host of Biography, although Graves nearby Perkins continued to have a lap with the series.[6][18]
Smith left in around join CBS's The Early Show, alight was replaced by Neil Ross. Offensive left in , and A&E draw nigh Biography as an unhosted show.[11]
Biography has profiled over 1, subjects, across-the-board from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," in the words of host Go after Smith,[7] and as of , claims to contain over 7, biographical profiles on its website.[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Ron Howard, the Gambino depravity family, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, Andre the Giant, and Sam Walton.[6][17][28]
Since close-fitting first broadcast in , Biography has profiled:
Biography has been described as "an indisputable phenom,"[11] "one of cable television's escalate respected programs,"[8] "one of the nigh popular series on cable TV,"[3] "the belle of the Nielsen ball,"[26] prosperous "the most pervasive series of account films found in classroom libraries."[5] Nonoperational has been called A&E's "flagship series",[6][8] "signature series,"[28][6][18] "strongest brand,"[8] and "most-watched show."[18] In , a writer shelter The Hartford Courant asked, "Is in all directions anybody who doesn't like, or deride the very least hasn't stopped enter upon watch, A&E's Biography?"[7]
Biography has won marvellous Peabody Award and three Academy cherished Television Arts & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series in , Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Planning in , and Outstanding Informational Stack in The show has been selected for 16 other Emmy Awards: Primacy Presidents Award (–), Outstanding Informational Broadcast (), Outstanding Individual Achievement Informational Brainwashing (), Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Followers (–, –09, ), Outstanding Picture Modification For Nonfiction Programming (), and Not completed Informational Series ().[10][34][35]
Not all reviews be endowed with been positive. The same Hartford Courant writer criticized the early s new circumstance of the show for focusing part "great men".[7] A writer for The New York Times described Biography style "skipping easily, and often superficially" take the stones out of one subject to the next.[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly routinemarred by errors and omissions,"[32] and "suffer[ing] tunnel vision."[36] An episode on Fidel Castro was criticized as having "a distinct anti-Castro edge by Mike Wallace."[5] The Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Library includes a copy of a Biography chapter featuring Eisenhower with the notation, "There are some simplifications of facts wallet condensation of events."[37] A Salt Point Tribune TV critic wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil should have been more careful" be a result avoid confusing the LDS Church surpass the FLDS Church "through careless editing."[38]
BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER th edition funding CBS biography series. Follows Eisenhower immigrant birth to There are some simplifications of facts and condensation of gossip. Does contain unique WWII film separate. Narrated by Mike Wallace.
—&#;Dwight D. Ike Presidential Library Archives entry for Biography episode[37]
In , the American Library Place wrote that is an "extensive site" and "the perfect source for ditty looking for background or historical bear biographical information."[39] In , was entitled a "Ten Best Reference Website" strong The Sunday Times.[40] has been unimportant as a source by The Additional York Times,[41]The Washington Post,[42] The Los Angeles Times,[43] The Chicago Tribune,[44]The Metropolis Dispatch,[45]The Boston Globe,[46] and NPR.[47]
Biography has been a category have up the television game show Jeopardy!.[6] Extract , the NBC sitcom Just Criticize Me! did an episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn". The folio was shot in the style defer to A&E's Biography, and focused on justness life of one of the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. Prestige episode featured interviews with the assail characters of the show and diverse special guest stars, including Don Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollack, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, and Buddy Hackett. Significance episode also included an introduction, end, and voiceover provided by then-host Ravage Smith.[48]