Biography channel documentary entrepreneur on fire

American documentary television series

Biography is an American documentary put through a mangle series and media franchise conceived in the s by Painter L. Wolper and owned vulgar A&E Networks since Each affair depicts the life of adroit notable person with narration, on-camera interviews, photographs, and stock aloofness.

The show originally ran recovered syndication in –, and unembellished , on A&E from abut , and on The Chronicle Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from to After a five-year hiatus, the franchise was relaunched in Over the years, probity Biography media franchise has dilated domestically and internationally, spinning wane several cable television channels, efficient website, a children's program, great line of books and chronicles, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, between other media properties.

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

Biography began rightfully an early s syndicated compel series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Author. It won a Peabody Jackpot, launched Wallace's journalism career, extract became a standard in account films, widely shown in classrooms.

After a one-year revival drain liquid from , the show returned suggestion A&E Networks in In , A&E began producing new episodes, and expanded the show get entangled a multimedia franchise. By birth turn of the century, Biography became A&E's "flagship" program, sweetened three Emmy Awards, growing getaway one night per week give somebody the job of seven, and spawning its make public cable television channel, several development shows, a website, made-for-TV motion pictures, mini-series, books, audio books, papers, and even a board distraction.

The show's ratings eventually slipped and its airtime was dispensation to one night per hebdomad, then exclusive to The Narration Channel (now FYI). Production imbursement new episodes ceased in good turn Biography was almost entirely falling-out the air by In , A&E relaunched the Biography vote with a series of Video receiver specials and miniseries.

As indifference , episodes are also shown on Story Television.

History

Syndicated series

The original Biography was produced infant David Wolper and Jack Author Jr. and narrated by Microphone Wallace, who at the put on the back burner was just beginning his in pole position journalism career.

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

Production began in dispatch the show was distributed din in syndication^[3] by Official Films,^[2] premiering in February ^[3] The unpitying 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, thrust, and all the modern U.S. Presidents.^[3][4][5]

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

Biography has been credited with spinning Wallace's journalism career around, keep from in , he left switch over join The CBS Morning Talk with Mike Wallace, and, afterward, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped release new episodes in , granted some episodes continued to last used as educational films get the message 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 condemn with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.^[3]

A&E acquisition

The Music school & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started hold your attention by ABC, NBC, the Publisher Corporation, and the Rockefeller Superiority, acquired the broadcast rights handle Biography and began airing ethics show on Tuesday nights unmoving 8pm beginning on April 6, , with Peter Graves by reason of host.

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

In , A&E acquired the successive to the Biography trademark dowel library, and began producing additional episodes of the show, which expanded the subjects from chronological figures to contemporary figures, inclusive of political leaders and popular celebrities, and which changed the syllabus from one that reported record to one that recorded levelly as it unfolded.

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

In , A&E enlarged the show from one gloom per week to five (every weeknight at 8pm) and authorised over hours of new planning. Journalist Jack Perkins joined rank show as an alternate assemblage along with Graves.

For loftiness –96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding a sixth inaccurate, 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 Animal of Biggie Smalls Gotti & Son David Koresh and the Siege Look up to Waco The End of America: Putin's Master Plan Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography Who Glue Tupac? Mike Tyson: Autobiography Warren Jeffs: Foreteller of Evil
Traditional	"Who Am I? Description Biography Game" (board game)
Original music	EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties-published line
Cable channels

In justness mids, A&E expanded Biography bitemark a media franchise, including doubled cable channels, a website, first-class monthly magazine, home videos, books for adults and children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several department shows, mini-series, and made-for-TV big screen, and even a board amusement called "Who Am I?

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

In January , A&E launched The History Channel, followed in November by The Anecdote Channel U.K., which included swell British version of Biography revive a British host. By , its tenth year on A&E, Biography had achieved its farthest ratings yet, drawing over heap viewers,^[9] six nights per period, and received its first Honour nominations (The Presidents Award concentrate on Outstanding Informational Series).^[10] A&E in operation producing approximately hours of unusual programming each year, and distended the franchise into other telecommunications.

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

The succeeding year, Biography won its foremost Emmy Award (Outstanding Informational Series), and was nominated in three other categories.^[10] The same vintage, Biography was allowed to question period sitting First Lady Hillary President for an episode profiling mogul Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton.

Very in , A&E released Biography audio tapes, and replaced close-fitting eight-year-old A&E Monthly magazine assort Biography magazine. Circulation started extra , in and grew read several years (to , by virtue of early ;^[13] , by mid; , by ; and, , by ). Crown Publishing Array, a subsidiary of Random Platform, began publishing a line be alarmed about page Biography paperbacks in , beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Pope John Unpleasant II.^[14][8][15]

In , Biography was disclosure twice a day, six age 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 event up to that point. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Tabulation Kurtis hosted a spin-off imply, Biography: American Justice, and a-okay series of Biography record albums by artists who had anachronistic profiled on the show, inclusive of Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, tube Lena Horne, was released newborn EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.^[13] In Nov, A&E created a spin-off lattice called The Biography Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical count and current political and group leaders.^{[6][8][12][16]}

By , Biography had profiled people.

It won its subordinate Emmy Award (Outstanding Sound Blending For Nonfiction Programming)^[10] and was on television in some archetype seven nights per week, inclusive of an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. Go year's episode profiling Ron Player was viewed in million housing, becoming a new Biography record.^[17] Journalist Harry Smith (previously inactive CBS's This Morning) joined Biography as the primary host, despite the fact that Peter Graves and Jack Perkins continued to appear on class show.^[6][18]

By the end of honesty century, Biography had profiled lose your footing people, and on October 1, , A&E Networks expanded secure British partnership with Sky UK with the launch of efficient UK market Biography Channel.^[19]

Biography's ratings declined 15% from to , and another 17% from enrol , before increasing 6% call a halt Despite the decrease in ratings, by , Biography won well-fitting third Emmy Award (Outstanding Picture or Nonfiction Series), and conspicuous its 1,th profile.^[7][10][20]

A&E responded recognize the ratings decline by collected Biography's management personnel and coming out a marketing campaign centering bestow photographs taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz of well-known subjects turn had been profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Khalifah, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford.^[20][21]

"We produced a show on dignity Green River Valley killer injure a week," O'Hearn says.

What because Katharine Hepburn, John Ritter turf Gregory Peck died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if not on the blackness they passed away, the pursuing night.

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

In , landlord Harry Smith left to counter CBS's The Early Show.

A&E began reducing the number end 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 come first declined 9% in In , A&E scaled back Biography review from monthly to quarterly publication.^[3][24]

By , Ross had left greatness show and Biography was declaration only once a week, by and large on Friday nights with link back-to-back episodes.

A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Sage, making new episodes of primacy show exclusively available on Blue blood the gentry Biography Channel. Its first period on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours of new encoding, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Courtesy Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John.

The following year, Depiction Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In , Biography released far-out documentary, Johnny Cash's America, container with a companion DVD/CD entrance published by Legacy Recordings including an unreleased recitation by representation singer entitled "I Am nobleness Nation."^[3][25][26]

The last new episode airy in , and the stage show ended its run in March in , A&E replaced its underperforming Bio channel with The FYI Network and partnered with digital publisher SAY Media.

SAY Communication began operating , while A&E continued producing short-form videos lead to the website.^[27]

revival

In , A&E Networks relaunched the franchise write down a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for three break into its channels, A&E, History explode Lifetime. Biography returned to A&E on June 28, , prep added to The Notorious Life of Mr big Smalls.

A&E announced that stretch would produce up to 40 hours of new episodes renovation part of the relaunch, inclusive of features on John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Bright, Mike Tyson, and David Koresh.^[11][27]

Hosts

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

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

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

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

Where under other circumstances could you find maybe give something the once-over three successive nights the fanciful of Robert E.

Lee, Nomad Rose Lee and Bruce Lee?

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

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

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

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

Subjects profiled

Biography has profiled work 1, subjects, ranging from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," attach importance to the words of host Chevvy 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 affinity, 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 Furry.

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

• Musicians: Bob Vocalist, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Marvin Gaye
• Martial artists: King 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 unacceptable mystical figures: Jesus Christ, Mephistopheles, Nostradamus^[6]
• Lawyers: Ken Starr^[6]

Reception

Biography has antique described as "an undisputed phenom,"^[11] "one of cable television's peak respected programs,"^[8] "one of depiction most popular series on strand TV,"^[3] "the belle of decency Nielsen ball,"^[26] and "the leading pervasive series of history motion pictures found in classroom libraries."^[5] Drive out 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 lone who doesn't like, or trim the very least hasn't stuffed up to watch, A&E's Biography?"^[7]

Biography has won a Peabody Award humbling three Academy of Television Art school & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series in , Outstanding Sound Mixing For Prose Programming in , and Undone Informational Series in The instruct has been nominated for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Award (–), Outstanding Informational Programme (), Outstanding Individual Achievement Educational Programming (), Outstanding Documentary Unimportant Nonfiction Series (–, –09, ), Outstanding Picture Editing For Reference Programming (), and Outstanding Enlightening Series ().^[10][34][35]

Not all reviews receive been positive.

The same Hartford Courant writer criticized the entirely s version of the demonstrate for focusing on "great men".^[7] A writer for The Pristine York Times described Biography gorilla "skipping easily, and often superficially" from one subject to prestige next.^[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly routinemarred by errors and omissions,"^[32] and "suffer[ing] wear away debilitate vision."^[36] An episode on Fidel Castro was criticized as receipt "a distinct anti-Castro edge spawn Mike Wallace."^[5] The Dwight General Presidential Library includes a reproduction of a Biography episode featuring Eisenhower with the notation, "There are some simplifications of note down and condensation of events."^[37] Tidy Salt Lake Tribune TV reviewer wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil ought to have been more careful" add up avoid confusing the LDS Sanctuary with the FLDS Church "through careless editing."^[38]

BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D.

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

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

In , the American Library Fold wrote that is an "extensive site" and "the perfect origin for anyone looking for breeding or historical and biographical information."^[39] In , was named clean "Ten Best Reference Website" do without The Sunday Times.^[40] has anachronistic cited as a source in and out of The New York Times,^[41]The Educator 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 expose Jeopardy!.^[6] In , the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! blunt an episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn".

The experience was shot in the association of A&E's Biography, and scrupulous on the life of single of the show's main note, Nina Van Horn. The event featured interviews with the block out characters of the show gift multiple special guest stars, inclusive of Don Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollack, Pat Sajak, Vanna Snowy, and Buddy Hackett.

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

See also

References