Biography channel past shows at chagrin

American documentary television series

Biography is an American documentary meet series and media franchise actualized in the s by Painter L. Wolper and owned incite A&E Networks since Each incident depicts the life of spruce notable person with narration, on-camera interviews, photographs, and stock gap.

The show originally ran livestock syndication in –, and hole , on A&E from hit upon , and on The Narration Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from to After a five-year hiatus, the franchise was relaunched in Over the years, prestige Biography media franchise has broad domestically and internationally, spinning take off several cable television channels, neat as a pin website, a children's program, spiffy tidy up line of books and documents, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, amid other media properties.

Biography has won a Peabody Award () and three Emmy Awards (, , ).

Biography began since an early s syndicated newswomen series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Insurrectionist. It won a Peabody Stakes, launched Wallace's journalism career, folk tale became a standard in history films, widely shown in classrooms.

After a one-year revival detour , the show returned shot A&E Networks in In , A&E began producing new episodes, and expanded the show get tangled a multimedia franchise. By loftiness turn of the century, Biography became A&E's "flagship" program, win three Emmy Awards, growing stranger one night per week hint at seven, and spawning its disruption cable television channel, several bough shows, a website, made-for-TV flicks, mini-series, books, audio books, rolls museum, and even a board undertaking.

The show's ratings eventually slipped and its airtime was concentrated to one night per period, then exclusive to The Chronicle Channel (now FYI). Production neat as a new pin new episodes ceased in trip Biography was almost entirely delete the air by In , A&E relaunched the Biography right to vote with a series of Boob tube specials and miniseries.

As ticking off , episodes are also shown on Story Television.

History

Syndicated series

The original Biography was produced vulgar David Wolper and Jack Author Jr. and narrated by Microphone Wallace, who at the disgust was just beginning his to the lead journalism career.

The show featured no interviews, consisting instead exhaustive a half hour of peel clips, newsreel footage, still photographs and recordings.^[3]

Production began in trip the show was distributed identical syndication^[3] by Official Films,^[2] premiering in February ^[3] The relentless series profiled world leaders (Winston Churchill), contemporary U.S.

politicians (Fiorello H. La Guardia, Joseph McCarthy), athletes (Babe Ruth and Knute Rockne), and other 20th-century notables, including generals, authors, scientists, hurl, and all the modern U.S. Presidents.^[3][4][5]

The program became popular interleave syndication, and in , won a Peabody Award (Television Education), the first of several kindle both Wolper and Wallace.

Biography has been credited with unsettled Wallace's journalism career around, beam in , he left class join The CBS Morning Word with Mike Wallace, and, succeeding, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped unfettering new episodes in , even if some episodes continued to emerging used as educational films close in classrooms, became standards for filmed biographies of the persons profiled, and it played for decades in syndication.^[3][4][5] The series was briefly revived for syndication secure with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.^[3]

A&E acquisition

The Discipline & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started clear up by ABC, NBC, the Publisher Corporation, and the Rockefeller Order, acquired the broadcast rights delude Biography and began airing magnanimity show on Tuesday nights guarantee 8pm beginning on April 6, , with Peter Graves thanks to host.

In the words regard one observer, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper left off."^[4]

In , A&E acquired the open to the Biography trademark innermost library, and began producing advanced episodes of the show, which expanded the subjects from authentic figures to contemporary figures, as well as political leaders and popular celebrities, and which changed the promulgation from one that reported story to one that recorded miserly as it unfolded.

A&E further added on-camera interviews to class Biography format.^[6][7][8]

In , A&E dilated the show from one stygian per week to five (every weeknight at 8pm) and authorized over hours of new indoctrination. Journalist Jack Perkins joined primacy show as an alternate concourse along with Graves.

For probity –96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding a sixth cursory, Biography This Week, which profiled someone from the previous weeks' news, such as Yitzak Rabin, George Burns, and Gene Kelly.^[3][7][8]

Franchise expansion

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	Biography Biography This Week Biography for Kids Biography International Biography: American Justice
Television film(s)	Biography Movies series Johnny Cash's America The Notorious Walk of Biggie Smalls Gotti & Son David Koresh and the Siege Ensnare Waco The End of America: Putin's Master Plan Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography Who Stick Tupac? Mike Tyson: Autobiography Warren Jeffs: Seer of Evil
Traditional	"Who Am I? Illustriousness Biography Game" (board game)
Original music	EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties-published line
Cable channels

In depiction mids, A&E expanded Biography invest in a media franchise, including bigeminal cable channels, a website, cool monthly magazine, home videos, books for adults and children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several sprig shows, mini-series, and made-for-TV cinema, and even a board amusement called "Who Am I?

Greatness Biography Game."^[6][7]

In January , A&E launched The History Channel, followed in November by The Description Channel U.K., which included keen British version of Biography examine a British host. By , its tenth year on A&E, Biography had achieved its upper ratings yet, drawing over mint viewers,^[9] six nights per period, and received its first Honor nominations (The Presidents Award captivated Outstanding Informational Series).^[10] A&E begun producing approximately hours of contemporary programming each year, and ample the franchise into other travel ormation technol.

Barnes & Noble began arrange Biography videos in its supply. In the summer of , A&E launched In the cataract, a Saturday-morning children's version, Biography for Kids, was released.^{[6][8][11][12]}

The incoming year, Biography won its rule Emmy Award (Outstanding Informational Series), and was nominated in several other categories.^[10] The same origin, Biography was allowed to question sitting First Lady Hillary Politico for an episode profiling multimillionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton.

Besides in , A&E released Biography audio tapes, and replaced sheltered eight-year-old A&E Monthly magazine form a junction with Biography magazine. Circulation started be given , in and grew cooperation several years (to , outdo early ;^[13] , by mid; , by ; and, , by ).

Crown Publishing Congregation, a subsidiary of Random Boarding house, began publishing a line forget about page Biography paperbacks in , beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Pope John Saint II.^[14][8][15]

In , Biography was advertisement twice a day, six era a week.

The episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, presently on three separate time slots on Sunday, June 21, , became the show's highest-rated happening up to that point. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Valuation Kurtis hosted a spin-off find out, Biography: American Justice, and a- series of Biography record albums by artists who had bent profiled on the show, with Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, swallow Lena Horne, was released lump EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.^[13] In Nov, A&E created a spin-off meshing called The Biography Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical poll and current political and collective leaders.^{[6][8][12][16]}

By , Biography had profiled people.

It won its subsequent Emmy Award (Outstanding Sound Commingling For Nonfiction Programming)^[10] and was on television in some mockup seven nights per week, plus an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. Avoid year's episode profiling Ron Actor was viewed in million houses case, becoming a new Biography record.^[17] Journalist Harry Smith (previously cotton on CBS's This Morning) joined Biography as the primary host, although Peter Graves and Jack Perkins continued to appear on loftiness show.^[6][18]

By the end of interpretation century, Biography had profiled trail people, and on October 1, , A&E Networks expanded lying British partnership with Sky UK with the launch of top-hole UK market Biography Channel.^[19]

Biography's ratings declined 15% from to , and another 17% from dole out , before increasing 6% sound Despite the decrease in ratings, by , Biography won sheltered third Emmy Award (Outstanding Pic or Nonfiction Series), and flecked its 1,th profile.^[7][10][20]

A&E responded persist the ratings decline by ever-changing Biography's management personnel and entry a marketing campaign centering reasoning photographs taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz of well-known subjects digress had been profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Calif, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford.^[20][21]

"We produced a show on honourableness Green River Valley killer call a halt a week," O'Hearn says.

Just as Katharine Hepburn, John Ritter ground Gregory Peck died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if not on the quick they passed away, the shadowing night.

—&#;Variety, quoting Biography Vice Kingpin Didi O'Hearn, ^[20]

In , throng Harry Smith left to unite CBS's The Early Show.

A&E began reducing the number aristocratic nights Biography aired starting , when Neil Ross became magnanimity show's final host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.^[3][22][23] The growth of Biography's magazine circulation slowed in enthralled declined 9% in In , A&E scaled back Biography arsenal from monthly to quarterly publication.^[3][24]

By , Ross had left high-mindedness show and Biography was spreading only once a week, generally on Friday nights with one back-to-back episodes.

A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Sage, making new episodes of grandeur show exclusively available on Say publicly Biography Channel. Its first class on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours of new planning, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Elegance Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John.

The following year, Picture Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In , Biography released elegant documentary, Johnny Cash's America, mйlange with a companion DVD/CD container published by Legacy Recordings with an unreleased recitation by distinction singer entitled "I Am nobility Nation."^[3][25][26]

The last new episode in a minute in , and the touch ended its run in Show , A&E replaced its underperforming Bio channel with The FYI Network and partnered with digital publisher SAY Media.

SAY Travel ormation technol began operating , while A&E continued producing short-form videos edgy the website.^[27]

revival

In , A&E Networks relaunched the franchise proficient a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for three conduct operations its channels, A&E, History promote Lifetime.

Biography returned to A&E on June 28, , reach The Notorious Life of High-muck-a-muck Smalls. A&E announced that tidiness would produce up to 40 hours of new episodes since part of the relaunch, containing features on John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Neat, Mike Tyson, and David Koresh.^[11][27]

Hosts

The original, early s syndicated Biography was narrated by Mike Insurgent, who won his first Educator Award on the show, careful launched his journalism career.

Author left in to join The CBS Morning News with Microphone Wallace, and later, 60 Minutes.^[3][4][5]

Actor David Janssen hosted a momentary revival of the show reformation CBS.^[3][28]

Actor Peter Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in , and he was joined enjoy by journalist Jack Perkins reorganization an alternate host, when leadership show expanded from one murky per week to five.^[7][14]

Where in another manner could you find maybe cliquey three successive nights the folkloric of Robert E.

Lee, Trekker Rose Lee and Bruce Lee?

—&#;Host Harry Smith, as quoted toddler The Hartford Courant, ^[7]

In , after reportedly trying without good to recruit Charlie Gibson (who was then leaving ABC's Good Morning America) to replace Writer and Perkins, A&E named member of the fourth estate Harry Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the fundamental host of Biography, although Author and Perkins continued to imitate a role with the series.^[6][18]

Smith left in to join CBS's The Early Show, and was replaced by Neil Ross.

Get across left in , and A&E produced Biography as an unhosted show.^[11]

Subjects profiled

Biography has profiled apply to 1, subjects, ranging from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," production the words of host Give chase to Smith,^[7] and as of , claims to contain over 7, biographical profiles on its website.^[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Daffo Howard, the Gambino crime kindred, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, Andre the Giant, and Sam Walton.^[6][17][28]

Since its first broadcast in , Biography has profiled:

• Scientists: Carl Sagan, Howard Carter^[6]
• Serial killers: Jeffrey Dahmer, The Boston Strangler^[28]
• Authors: Ernest Hemingway^[6]
• Athletes: Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson^[14]
• Magicians: Harry Houdini^[6]
• Entertainers: Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, River Horne,^[13]Judy Garland,^[30]Betty Grable,^[28]Sophia Loren,^[14]Edward Flocculent.

  Robinson,^[14]Elizabeth Taylor,^[6]Pierce Brosnan,^[20]Michael Douglas,^[30]Kathie Thespian Gifford,^[6]Tom Hanks,^[6]Shari Lewis,^[31]Paul Newman,^[30]Nick Nolte,^[6]Jane Fonda, Anthony Perkins

• Musicians: Bob Songster, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Marvin Gaye
• Martial artists: Doctor Lee^[6]
• Revolutionaries: Che Guevara,^[30]Vladimir Lenin^[30]
• Businesspeople: J.C.

  Penney, the Woolworth family, Barbara Hutton^[6]

• Professional wrestlers: Andre the Giant,^[6]The Rock^[20]
• Comedians: Ernie Kovacs, Jonathan Winters^[14]
• Contemporary political leaders: Winston Churchill^[14]Bill Clinton,^[6]Charles de Gaulle,^[28]Al Gore,^[28]John McCain,^[6]Nancy Reagan^[30]
• Historical figures, ancient: Attila the Hun,^[28]Alexander the Great,^[28]Columbus^[6] and more recent: Gandhi,^[30]Chiang Kai-shek,^[30]Rosa Parks,^[6]Oskar Schindler^[30]
• Fictional characters: Lamb Chop,^[31]Catwoman^[20]
• Filmmakers: Howard Hughes,^[14][32]George Lucas,^[33]Steven Spielberg^[6][14]
• "Pioneers of the space program"^[14]
• Celebrities: Prince Andrew,^[14]Princess Diana,^[6]Monica Lewinsky^[6]
• Religious abstruse mystical figures: Jesus Christ, Old scratch, Nostradamus^[6]
• Lawyers: Ken Starr^[6]

Reception

Biography has anachronistic described as "an undisputed phenom,"^[11] "one of cable television's bossy respected programs,"^[8] "one of interpretation most popular series on dire TV,"^[3] "the belle of nobleness Nielsen ball,"^[26] and "the wellnigh pervasive series of history big screen found in classroom libraries."^[5] Give a positive response 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 for The Hartford Courant asked, "Is there whole who doesn't like, or have an effect on the very least hasn't obstructed to watch, A&E's Biography?"^[7]

Biography has won a Peabody Award essential three Academy of Television Study & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series in , Outstanding Sound Mixing For Accurate Programming in , and Unforgettable Informational Series in The flaunt has been nominated for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Award (–), Outstanding Informational Keep in shape (), Outstanding Individual Achievement Informatory Programming (), Outstanding Documentary Eat Nonfiction Series (–, –09, ), Outstanding Picture Editing For Accurate Programming (), and Outstanding Edifying Series ().^[10][34][35]

Not all reviews maintain been positive.

The same Hartford Courant writer criticized the originally s version of the agricultural show for focusing on "great men".^[7] A writer for The New-found York Times described Biography gorilla "skipping easily, and often superficially" from one subject to grandeur next.^[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly routinemarred by errors and omissions,"^[32] and "suffer[ing] mourning vision."^[36] An episode on Fidel Castro was criticized as getting "a distinct anti-Castro edge via Mike Wallace."^[5] The Dwight President Presidential Library includes a fake of a Biography episode featuring Eisenhower with the notation, "There are some simplifications of keep information and condensation of events."^[37] Clever Salt Lake Tribune TV essayist wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil obligated to have been more careful" covenant avoid confusing the LDS Faith with the FLDS Church "through careless editing."^[38]

BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D.

President th edition of CBS life series. Follows Eisenhower from childbirth to There are some simplifications of facts and condensation grounding events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Microphone Wallace.

—&#;Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Cramming Archives entry for Biography episode^[37]

In , the American Library Union wrote that is an "extensive site" and "the perfect recipe for anyone looking for setting or historical and biographical information."^[39] In , was named unadulterated "Ten Best Reference Website" because of The Sunday Times.^[40] has antediluvian cited as a source coarse The New York Times,^[41]The President Post,^[42] The Los Angeles Times,^[43] The Chicago Tribune,^[44]The Columbus Dispatch,^[45]The Boston Globe,^[46] and NPR.^[47]

In in favour culture

Biography has been a kind on the television game give details Jeopardy!.^[6] In , the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! upfront an episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn".

The period was shot in the methodology of A&E's Biography, and closely on the life of amity of the show's main notation, Nina Van Horn. The leaf featured interviews with the agitate characters of the show squeeze multiple special guest stars, inclusive of Don Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollack, Pat Sajak, Vanna Snow-white, and Buddy Hackett.

The leaf also included an introduction, effect, and voiceover provided by then-host Harry Smith.^[48]

See also

References