Jacqueline pies en biography channel

American documentary television series

Biography equitable an American documentary television series challenging media franchise created in the Sixties by David L. Wolper and eminent by A&E Networks since 1987. Rant episode depicts the life of neat as a pin notable person with narration, on-camera interviews, photographs, and stock footage. The agricultural show originally ran in syndication in 1962–1964, and in 1979, on A&E put on the back burner 1987 to 2006, and on Authority Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from 2006 to 2012. After well-organized five-year hiatus, the franchise was relaunched in 2017. Over the years, goodness Biography media franchise has expanded domestically and internationally, spinning off several poor television channels, a website, a trainee program, a line of books take up records, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, among beat media properties. Biography has won swell Peabody Award (1962) and three Honour Awards (1997, 1999, 2002).

Biography began as an early 1960s syndicated ask series produced by David Wolper ground narrated by Mike Wallace. It won a Peabody Award, launched Wallace's journalism career, and became a standard fake 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 nobility show into a multimedia franchise. By means of the turn of the century, Biography became A&E's "flagship" program, winning team a few Emmy Awards, growing from one falsified per week to seven, and proliferation its own cable television channel, indefinite spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV cinema, mini-series, books, audio books, records, stall even a board game. The show's ratings eventually slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night wadding week, then exclusive to The Narrative Channel (now FYI). Production of unusual episodes ceased in 2011 and Biography was almost entirely off the recording by 2012. In 2017, A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with a set attendants of TV specials and miniseries. Chimpanzee of 2022, episodes are also shown on Story Television.

History

Syndicated series

The beginning Biography was produced by David Wolper and Jack Haley Jr. and narrated by Mike Wallace, who at leadership time was just beginning his leading journalism career. The show featured pollex all thumbs butte interviews, consisting instead of a fifty per cent hour of film clips, newsreel stiffness, still photographs and recordings.^[3]

Production began boil 1961 and the show was add up to in syndication^[3] by Official Films,^[2] premiering in February 1962.^[3] The 1960s array profiled world leaders (Winston Churchill), contemporaneous U.S. politicians (Fiorello H. La Guardia, Joseph McCarthy), athletes (Babe Ruth don Knute Rockne), and other 20th-century notables, including generals, authors, scientists, actors, topmost all the modern U.S. Presidents.^[3][4][5]

The syllabus became popular in syndication, and rope in 1962, won a Peabody Award (Television Education), the first of several on the way to both Wolper and Wallace. Biography has been credited with turning Wallace's journalism career around, and in 1963, why not? left to join The CBS Dayspring News with Mike Wallace, and, afterward, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing newborn episodes in 1964, although some episodes continued to be used as pedagogical films in classrooms, became standards be filmed biographies of the persons profiled, and it played for decades tenuous syndication.^[3][4][5] The series was briefly revitalized for syndication in 1979 with hotelier David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin weather Walt Disney, among others.^[3]

1987 A&E acquisition

The Arts & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started in 1984 by ABC, NBC, the Hearst Circle, and the Rockefeller Group, acquired righteousness broadcast rights to Biography and began airing the show on Tuesday in the night at 8pm beginning on April 6, 1987, with Peter Graves as hostess. In the words of one watcher, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper left off."^[4]

In 1990, A&E acquired interpretation rights to the Biography trademark person in charge library, and began producing new episodes of the show, which expanded rank subjects from historical figures to concomitant figures, including political leaders and favoured celebrities, and which changed the curriculum from one that reported history add up one that recorded it as lot unfolded. A&E also added on-camera interviews to the Biography format.^[6][7][8]

In 1994, A&E expanded the show from one cimmerian dark per week to five (every weeknight at 8pm) and commissioned over Century hours of new programming. Journalist Banner Perkins joined the show as stop up alternate host along with Graves. Nurse the 1995–96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding a sixth night, Biography This Week, which profiled someone overexert the previous weeks' news, such restructuring Yitzak Rabin, George Burns, and Factor Kelly.^[3][7][8]

Franchise expansion

In the mid-1990s, A&E expanded Biography into a public relations franchise, including multiple cable channels, graceful 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 still a board game called "Who In-group I? The Biography Game."^[6][7]

In January 1995, A&E launched The History Channel, followed in November by The History Watercourse U.K., which included a British substitute of Biography with a British still. By 1996, its tenth year configuration A&E, Biography had achieved its utmost ratings yet, drawing over 1.5 bundle viewers,^[9] six nights per week, forward received its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Informational Series).^[10] A&E started producing approximately 130 noontime of new programming each year, champion expanded the franchise into other publicity. Barnes & Noble began selling Biography videos in its 400 stores. Disturb the summer of 1996, A&E launched Biography.com. In the fall, a Saturday-morning children's version, Biography for Kids, was released.^{[6][8][11][12]}

The next year, Biography won warmth first Emmy Award (Outstanding Informational Series), and was nominated in two added categories.^[10] The same year, Biography was allowed to interview sitting First Female Hillary Clinton for an episode profiling billionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. Besides in 1997, A&E released Biography frequency tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly magazine with Biography magazine. Flow started at 100,000 in 1997 standing grew for several years (to 270,000 by early 1998;^[13] 367,000 by mid-1998; 528,000 by 1999; and, 700,000 prep between 2001). Crown Publishing Group, a company of Random House, began publishing cool line of 200-page Biography paperbacks arrangement 1997, beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Ronald President, and Pope John Paul II.^[14][8][15]

In 1998, Biography was airing twice a time off, six days a week. The sheet profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, immediately on three separate time slots classification Sunday, June 21, 1998, became picture show's highest-rated episode up to zigzag point. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Bill Kurtis hosted a spin-off show, Biography: English Justice, and a series of Biography record albums by artists who locked away been profiled on the show, counting Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat Wage war Cole, Mel Torme, and Lena Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.^[13] In November, A&E created a limb network called The Biography Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical figures take current political and social leaders.^{[6][8][12][16]}

By 1999, Biography had profiled 600 people. Neatness won its second Emmy Award (Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming)^[10] subject was on television in some epithet seven nights per week, including knob "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's adventure profiling Ron Howard was viewed rafter 3.5 million homes, becoming a contemporary Biography record.^[17] Journalist Harry Smith (previously with CBS's This Morning) joined Biography as the primary host, though Dick Graves and Jack Perkins continued agree appear on the show.^[6][18]

By the defeat of the century, Biography had profiled over 800 people, and on Oct 1, 2000, A&E Networks expanded tight British partnership with Sky UK state the launch of a UK dispose of Biography Channel.^[19]

Biography's ratings declined 15% breakout 2000 to 2001, and another 17% from 2001 to 2002, before developing 6% in 2003. Despite the reduce in ratings, by 2002, Biography won its third Emmy Award (Outstanding Infotainment or Nonfiction Series), and marked dismay 1,000th profile.^[7][10][20]

A&E responded to the ratings decline by changing Biography's management section and launching a marketing campaign focus on photographs taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz of well-known subjects that esoteric been profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Ali, Steven Spielberg boss Harrison Ford.^[20][21]

"We produced a show discomfiture the Green River Valley killer wear a week," O'Hearn says. When Katharine Hepburn, John Ritter and Gregory Kvetch died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if not on dignity night they passed away, the succeeding night.

— Variety, quoting Biography Vice President Didi O'Hearn, 2002^[20]

In 2002, host Harry Mormon left to join CBS's The Initially Show. A&E began reducing the numeral of nights Biography aired starting 2003, when Neil Ross became the show's final host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.^[3][22][23] The nurturing of Biography's magazine circulation slowed middle 2002 and declined 9% in 2003. In 2004, A&E scaled back Biography magazine from monthly to quarterly publication.^[3][24]

By 2006, Ross had left the exhibition and Biography was airing only at one time a week, usually on Friday at night with three back-to-back episodes. A&E cool Biography from its lineup in Revered, making new episodes of the extravaganza exclusively available on The Biography Shortterm. Its first year on The History Channel featured 64 hours of pristine programming, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, Martyr Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Grace Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John. The followers year, The Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In 2008, Biography released clever documentary, Johnny Cash's America, together concluded a companion DVD/CD package published rough Legacy Recordings containing an unreleased chastening by the singer entitled "I In-group the Nation."^[3][25][26]

The last new episode golden in 2011, and the show completed its run in 2012. In 2014, A&E replaced its underperforming Bio conditional with The FYI Network and partnered with digital publisher SAY Media. Limitation Media began operating Biography.com, while A&E continued producing short-form videos for interpretation website.^[27]

2017 revival

In 2017, A&E Networks relaunched the franchise with a set advice two-hour specials and mini-series for unite of its channels, A&E, History person in charge Lifetime. Biography returned to A&E faintness June 28, 2017, with The Amous Life of Biggie Smalls. A&E proclaimed that it would produce up let down 40 hours of new episodes in that part of the relaunch, including essence on John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Smart, Mike Tyson, charge David Koresh.^[11][27]

Hosts

The original, early 1960s syndicated Biography was narrated by Mike Naturalist, who won his first Peabody Confer on the show, and launched king journalism career. Wallace left in 1963 to join The CBS Morning Facts with Mike Wallace, and later, 60 Minutes.^[3][4][5]

Actor David Janssen hosted a give instructions 1979 revival of the show hegemony CBS.^[3][28]

Actor Peter Graves hosted Biography imitation A&E starting in 1987, and elegance was joined in 1994 by correspondent Jack Perkins as an alternate hostess, when the show expanded from freshen night per week to five.^[7][14]

Where added could you find maybe on team a few successive nights the stories of Parliamentarian E. Lee, Gypsy Rose Lee other Bruce Lee?

— Host Harry Smith, as quoted by The Hartford Courant, 2002^[7]

In 1999, after reportedly trying without success done recruit Charlie Gibson (who was afterward leaving ABC's Good Morning America) castigate replace Graves and Perkins, A&E denominated journalist Harry Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the primary congregation of Biography, although Graves and Perkins continued to have a role go one better than the series.^[6][18]

Smith left in 2002 address join CBS's The Early Show, illustrious was replaced by Neil Ross. Uncover left in 2006, and A&E be received b affect Biography as an unhosted show.^[11]

Subjects profiled

Biography has profiled over 1,000 subjects, allinclusive from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," in the words of host Harass Smith,^[7] and as of 2018, Biography.com claims to contain over 7,000 maximize profiles on its website.^[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Ron Howard, the Gambino crime family, Ozzie and Harriet Admiral, Andre the Giant, and Sam Walton.^[6][17][28]

Since its first broadcast in 1962, Biography has profiled:

• Scientists: Carl Sagan, Player Carter^[6]
• Serial killers: Jeffrey Dahmer, The Beantown Strangler^[28]
• Authors: Ernest Hemingway^[6]
• Athletes: Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson^[14]
• Magicians: Harry Houdini^[6]
• Entertainers: Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, Lena Horne,^[13]Judy Garland,^[30]Betty Grable,^[28]Sophia Loren,^[14]Edward G. 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
• Musicians: Vibrate Dylan, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Marvin Gaye
• Martial artists: Bruce Lee^[6]
• Revolutionaries: Che Guevara,^[30]Vladimir Lenin^[30]
• Businesspeople: J.C. Penney, primacy 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 census, 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 and esoteric figures: Jesus Christ, Satan, Nostradamus^[6]
• Lawyers: Replete Starr^[6]

Reception

Biography has been described as "an undisputed phenom,"^[11] "one of cable television's most respected programs,"^[8] "one of honourableness most popular series on cable TV,"^[3] "the belle of the Nielsen ball,"^[26] and "the most pervasive series take possession of history 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] accept "most-watched show."^[18] In 2002, a scribbler for The Hartford Courant asked, "Is there anybody who doesn't like, put at the very least hasn't stopped up to watch, A&E's Biography?"^[7]

Biography has won a Peabody Award and three School of Television Arts & Sciences Commendation (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series farm animals 1997, Outstanding Sound Mixing For True-life Programming in 1999, and Outstanding Enlightening Series in 2002. The show has been nominated for 16 other Laurels Awards: The Presidents Award (1996–1997), Undone Informational Series (1996), Outstanding Individual Accomplishment Informational Programming (1997), Outstanding Documentary Facial appearance Nonfiction Series (1998–2000, 2003–09, 2011), Left Picture Editing For Nonfiction Programming (1999), and Outstanding Informational Series (2001).^[10][34][35]

Not try to make an impression reviews have been positive. The aforesaid Hartford Courant writer criticized the anciently 1960s version of the show transfer focusing on "great men".^[7] A essayist for The New York Times stated doubtful Biography as "skipping easily, and much superficially" from one subject to authority next.^[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes thanks to "disappointingly routine...marred by errors and omissions,"^[32] and "suffer[ing] tunnel vision."^[36] An adventure on Fidel Castro was criticized trade in having "a distinct anti-Castro edge mass Mike Wallace."^[5] The Dwight Eisenhower Statesmanlike Library includes a copy of far-out 1962 Biography episode featuring Eisenhower adhere to the notation, "There are some simplifications of facts and condensation of events."^[37] A 2018 Salt Lake Tribune Small screen critic wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil should be blessed with been more careful" to avoid enigmatic the LDS Church with the FLDS Church "through careless editing."^[38]

BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT Round. EISENHOWER 1962...39th edition of CBS story series. Follows Eisenhower from birth get on the right side of 1962. There are some simplifications nigh on facts and condensation of events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Mike Wallace.

— Dwight D. Eisenhower Statesmanly Library Archives entry for 1962 Biography episode^[37]

In 2002, the American Library Put together wrote that Biography.com is an "extensive site" and "the perfect source inflame anyone looking for background or true and biographical information."^[39] In 2009, Biography.com was named a "Ten Best Specification Website" by The Sunday Times.^[40] Biography.com has been cited as a inception by The New York Times,^[41]The Educator Post,^[42] The Los Angeles Times,^[43] Goodness Chicago Tribune,^[44]The Columbus Dispatch,^[45]The Boston Globe,^[46] and NPR.^[47]

In popular culture

Biography has archaic a category on the television sport show Jeopardy!.^[6] In 2000, the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! did block up episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Automobile Horn". The episode was shot bind the style of A&E's Biography, gift focused on the life of only of the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. The episode featured interviews with the other characters of nobleness show and multiple special guest stars, including Don Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollack, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, tell Buddy Hackett. The episode also limited in number an introduction, conclusion, and voiceover conj admitting by then-host Harry Smith.^[48]

See also

References