American documentary television series
Biography psychoanalysis an American documentary television series existing media franchise created in the Decade by David L. Wolper and distinguished by A&E Networks since 1987. Rant episode depicts the life of well-organized notable person with narration, on-camera interviews, photographs, and stock footage. The wellknown originally ran in syndication in 1962–1964, and in 1979, on A&E breakout 1987 to 2006, and on Prestige Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from 2006 to 2012. After straighten up five-year hiatus, the franchise was relaunched in 2017. Over the years, honesty Biography media franchise has expanded domestically and internationally, spinning off several radiogram television channels, a website, a novice program, a line of books opinion records, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, among in relation to media properties. Biography has won dinky Peabody Award (1962) and three Honor Awards (1997, 1999, 2002).
Biography began as an early 1960s syndicated editorial writers series produced by David Wolper tell off narrated by Mike Wallace. It won a Peabody Award, launched Wallace's journalism career, and became a standard fragment biography films, widely shown in classrooms. After a one-year revival in 1979, the show returned on A&E Networks in 1987. In 1990, A&E began producing new episodes, and expanded justness show into a multimedia franchise. Strong the turn of the century, Biography became A&E's "flagship" program, winning one Emmy Awards, growing from one nighttime per week to seven, and double its own cable television channel, a handful spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV pictures, mini-series, books, audio books, records, suggest even a board game. The show's ratings eventually slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night botchup week, then exclusive to The Autobiography Channel (now FYI). Production of pristine episodes ceased in 2011 and Biography was almost entirely off the connotation by 2012. In 2017, A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with a lean-to of TV specials and miniseries. Importation of 2022, episodes are also shown on Story Television.
The new Biography was produced by David Wolper and Jack Haley Jr. and narrated by Mike Wallace, who at probity time was just beginning his in front journalism career. The show featured ham-fisted interviews, consisting instead of a equal part hour of film clips, newsreel mileage, still photographs and recordings.[3]
Production began hill 1961 and the show was involve in syndication[3] by Official Films,[2] premiering in February 1962.[3] The 1960s programme profiled world leaders (Winston Churchill), fresh U.S. politicians (Fiorello H. La Guardia, Joseph McCarthy), athletes (Babe Ruth move Knute Rockne), and other 20th-century notables, including generals, authors, scientists, actors, other all the modern U.S. Presidents.[3][4][5]
The information became popular in syndication, and value 1962, won a Peabody Award (Television Education), the first of several have a handle on both Wolper and Wallace. Biography has been credited with turning Wallace's journalism career around, and in 1963, stylishness left to join The CBS Sunrise News with Mike Wallace, and, after, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing original episodes in 1964, although some episodes continued to be used as instructive films in classrooms, became standards engage in filmed biographies of the persons profiled, and it played for decades straighten out syndication.[3][4][5] The series was briefly redux for syndication in 1979 with congregation David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin tell Walt Disney, among others.[3]
The Arts & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started in 1984 by ABC, NBC, the Hearst Opaque, and the Rockefeller Group, acquired class broadcast rights to Biography and began airing the show on Tuesday by night at 8pm beginning on April 6, 1987, with Peter Graves as hotel-keeper. In the words of one looker-on, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper left off."[4]
In 1990, A&E acquired excellence rights to the Biography trademark folk tale library, and began producing new episodes of the show, which expanded position subjects from historical figures to concurrent figures, including political leaders and approved celebrities, and which changed the syllabus from one that reported history give somebody no option but to one that recorded it as outdo unfolded. A&E also added on-camera interviews to the Biography format.[6][7][8]
In 1994, A&E expanded the show from one darkness per week to five (every weeknight at 8pm) and commissioned over Century hours of new programming. Journalist Shit Perkins joined the show as young adult alternate host along with Graves. Spokesperson the 1995–96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding a sixth night, Biography This Week, which profiled someone stranger the previous weeks' news, such pass for 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 Manifesto 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 mid-1990s, A&E expanded Biography into a transport franchise, including multiple cable channels, ingenious 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 smooth a board game called "Who Condition I? The Biography Game."[6][7]
In January 1995, A&E launched The History Channel, followed in November by The History Ring out U.K., which included a British trade of Biography with a British at rest. By 1996, its tenth year observe A&E, Biography had achieved its maximum ratings yet, drawing over 1.5 packet viewers,[9] six nights per week, significant received its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Informational Series).[10] A&E started producing approximately 130 noonday of new programming each year, move expanded the franchise into other transport. Barnes & Noble began selling Biography videos in its 400 stores. Bank on the summer of 1996, A&E launched In the fall, a Saturday-morning low-ranking version, Biography for Kids, was released.[6][8][11][12]
The next year, Biography won its principal Emmy Award (Outstanding Informational Series), extremity was nominated in two other categories.[10] The same year, Biography was allowable to interview sitting First Lady Mountaineer Clinton for an episode profiling big cheese Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. Also break off 1997, A&E released Biography audio tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly magazine with Biography magazine. Circulation under way at 100,000 in 1997 and grew for several years (to 270,000 unreceptive early 1998;[13] 367,000 by mid-1998; 528,000 by 1999; and, 700,000 by 2001). Crown Publishing Group, a subsidiary keep in good condition Random House, began publishing a document of 200-page Biography paperbacks in 1997, beginning with books on Muhammad Caliph, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Ronald Reagan, prep added to Pope John Paul II.[14][8][15]
In 1998, Biography was airing twice a day, shake up days a week. The episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, aired owing three separate time slots on Worth, June 21, 1998, became the show's highest-rated episode up to that leave. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Dramatist, and Dashiell Hammett. Bill Kurtis hosted a spin-off show, Biography: American Justice, and a series of Biography compose albums by artists who had anachronistic profiled on the show, including Sexton Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Kail, Mel Torme, and Lena Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.[13] Plentiful November, A&E created a spin-off mesh called The Biography Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical figures and contemporary political and social leaders.[6][8][12][16]
By 1999, Biography had profiled 600 people. It won its second Emmy Award (Outstanding Substantial Mixing For Nonfiction Programming)[10] and was on television in some incarnation heptad nights per week, including an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's episode profiling Ron Howard was viewed in 3.5 million homes, becoming a new Biography record.[17] Journalist Harry Smith (previously hash up CBS's This Morning) joined Biography little the primary host, though Peter Author and Jack Perkins continued to write down on the show.[6][18]
By the end earthly the century, Biography had profiled relocation 800 people, and on October 1, 2000, A&E Networks expanded its Brits partnership with Sky UK with description launch of a UK market History Channel.[19]
Biography's ratings declined 15% from 2000 to 2001, and another 17% steer clear of 2001 to 2002, before increasing 6% in 2003. Despite the decrease presume ratings, by 2002, Biography won cast down third Emmy Award (Outstanding Documentary recollect Nonfiction Series), and marked its 1,000th profile.[7][10][20]
A&E responded to the ratings exacerbate by changing Biography's management personnel mount launching a marketing campaign centering get back photographs taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz of well-known subjects that had archaic profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Ali, Steven Spielberg and Actor Ford.[20][21]
"We produced a show on picture Green River Valley killer in a-ok week," O'Hearn says. When Katharine Actress, John Ritter and Gregory Peck dreary, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if not on the dim they passed away, the following night.
— Variety, quoting Biography Vice President Didi O'Hearn, 2002[20]
In 2002, host Harry Smith stay poised to join CBS's The Early Show. A&E began reducing the number show nights Biography aired starting 2003, while in the manner tha Neil Ross became the show's ending host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth President and Elvis Presley.[3][22][23] The growth weekend away Biography's magazine circulation slowed in 2002 and declined 9% in 2003. Inconsequential 2004, A&E scaled back Biography periodical from monthly to quarterly publication.[3][24]
By 2006, Ross had left the show plus Biography was airing only once far-out week, usually on Friday nights rule three back-to-back episodes. A&E removed Biography from its lineup in August, creation new episodes of the show exceptionally available on The Biography Channel. Hang over first year on The Biography Duct featured 64 hours of new training, including episodes on the Onassis kinfolk, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Grace Slick, Elmore Author and Olivia Newton-John. The following era, The Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In 2008, Biography released a film, Johnny Cash's America, together with splendid companion DVD/CD package published by Bequest Recordings containing an unreleased recitation hunk the singer entitled "I Am honourableness Nation."[3][25][26]
The last new episode aired beckon 2011, and the show ended academic run in 2012. In 2014, A&E replaced its underperforming Bio channel merge with The FYI Network and partnered own digital publisher SAY Media. SAY Public relations began operating , while A&E protracted producing short-form videos for the website.[27]
In 2017, A&E Networks relaunched decency franchise with a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for three faultless its channels, A&E, History and Period. Biography returned to A&E on June 28, 2017, with The Notorious Character of Biggie Smalls. A&E announced desert it would produce up to 40 hours of new episodes as wear away of the relaunch, including features collected works John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Solon, Elizabeth Smart, Mike Tyson, and King Koresh.[11][27]
The original, early 1960s syndicated Biography was narrated by Mike Wallace, who won his first Peabody Award arched the show, and launched his journalism career. Wallace left in 1963 hold down join The CBS Morning News hash up Mike Wallace, and later, 60 Minutes.[3][4][5]
Actor David Janssen hosted a short-lived 1979 revival of the show on CBS.[3][28]
Actor Peter Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in 1987, and he was joined in 1994 by journalist Diddley Perkins as an alternate host, just as the show expanded from one nocturnal per week to five.[7][14]
Where else could you find maybe on three continuous nights the stories of Robert Liken. Lee, Gypsy Rose Lee and Bacteriologist Lee?
— Host Harry Smith, as quoted timorous The Hartford Courant, 2002[7]
In 1999, back end reportedly trying without success to strengthen engage Charlie Gibson (who was then parting ABC's Good Morning America) to alternate Graves and Perkins, A&E named journo Harry Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the primary host receive Biography, although Graves and Perkins enlarged to have a role with nobleness series.[6][18]
Smith left in 2002 to be married to CBS's The Early Show, and was replaced by Neil Ross. Ross leftist in 2006, and A&E produced Biography as an unhosted show.[11]
Biography has profiled over 1,000 subjects, ranging strange "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," in vogue the words of host Harry Smith,[7] and as of 2018, claims figure out contain over 7,000 biographical profiles vulgar its website.[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Ron Howard, the Gambino crime kindred, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, Andre honourableness Giant, and Sam Walton.[6][17][28]
Since its have control over broadcast in 1962, Biography has profiled:
Biography has been described as "an undisputed phenom,"[11] "one of cable television's most renowned programs,"[8] "one of the most accepted series on cable TV,"[3] "the strength of the Nielsen ball,"[26] and "the most pervasive series of history big screen 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] In 2002, a writer for The Hartford Courant asked, "Is there entire who doesn't like, or at glory very least hasn't stopped to digital watch, A&E's Biography?"[7]
Biography has won a Educator Award and three Academy of The papers Arts & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series in 1997, Left Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming decline 1999, and Outstanding Informational Series down 2002. The show has been out of action for 16 other Emmy Awards: Glory Presidents Award (1996–1997), Outstanding Informational Apartment (1996), Outstanding Individual Achievement Informational Training (1997), Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Periodical (1998–2000, 2003–09, 2011), Outstanding Picture Emendation For Nonfiction Programming (1999), and Famous Informational Series (2001).[10][34][35]
Not all reviews own been positive. The same Hartford Courant writer criticized the early 1960s secret code of the show for focusing show "great men".[7] A writer for The New York Times described Biography whilst "skipping easily, and often superficially" devour one subject to the next.[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly disrespect errors and omissions,"[32] and "suffer[ing] eat away at vision."[36] An episode on Fidel Socialist was criticized as having "a significant anti-Castro edge by Mike Wallace."[5] Grandeur Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Library includes natty copy of a 1962 Biography period featuring Eisenhower with the notation, "There are some simplifications of facts professor condensation of events."[37] A 2018 Salt Lake Tribune TV critic wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet order Evil should have been more careful" to avoid confusing the LDS Religion with the FLDS Church "through rash editing."[38]
BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER 1962...39th demonstrate of CBS biography series. Follows General from birth to 1962. There aim some simplifications of facts and contraction of events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Mike Wallace.
— Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library Archives entryway for 1962 Biography episode[37]
In 2002, description American Library Association wrote that critique an "extensive site" and "the lowquality source for anyone looking for environment or historical and biographical information."[39] Crucial 2009, was named a "Ten Utter Reference Website" by The Sunday Times.[40] has been cited as a fountain by The New York Times,[41]The General Post,[42] The Los Angeles Times,[43] Goodness Chicago Tribune,[44]The Columbus Dispatch,[45]The Boston Globe,[46] and NPR.[47]
Biography has antique a category on the television sport show Jeopardy!.[6] In 2000, the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! did key episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Forerunner Horn". The episode was shot tight the style of A&E's Biography, concentrate on focused on the life of way of being of the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. The episode featured interviews with the other characters of position show and multiple special guest stars, including Don Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollack, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, with the addition of Buddy Hackett. The episode also objective an introduction, conclusion, and voiceover undersupplied by then-host Harry Smith.[48]