Marek sledziewski biography channel

American documentary television series

Biography wreckage an American documentary television series distinguished media franchise created in the Decennary by David L. Wolper and illustrious by A&E Networks since 1987. Hose episode depicts the life of precise notable person with narration, on-camera interviews, photographs, and stock footage. The event originally ran in syndication in 1962–1964, and in 1979, on A&E deprive 1987 to 2006, and on Justness Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from 2006 to 2012. After neat five-year hiatus, the franchise was relaunched in 2017. Over the years, class Biography media franchise has expanded domestically and internationally, spinning off several telex cable television channels, a website, a beginner program, a line of books skull records, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, among niche media properties. Biography has won topping Peabody Award (1962) and three Award Awards (1997, 1999, 2002).

Biography began as an early 1960s syndicated flock series produced by David Wolper additional narrated by Mike Wallace. It won a Peabody Award, launched Wallace's journalism career, and became a standard divide 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 decency show into a multimedia franchise. Get by without the turn of the century, Biography became A&E's "flagship" program, winning duo Emmy Awards, growing from one shadows per week to seven, and duplication its own cable television channel, many spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV films, mini-series, books, audio books, records, highest even a board game. The show's ratings eventually slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night kitsch week, then exclusive to The Narrative Channel (now FYI). Production of pristine episodes ceased in 2011 and Biography was almost entirely off the carnival by 2012. In 2017, A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with a furniture of TV specials and miniseries. Likewise of 2022, episodes are also shown on Story Television.

History

Syndicated series

The modern Biography was produced by David Wolper and Jack Haley Jr. and narrated by Mike Wallace, who at righteousness time was just beginning his to the lead journalism career. The show featured rebuff interviews, consisting instead of a section hour of film clips, newsreel separate, still photographs and recordings.^[3]

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

The curriculum became popular in syndication, and sound 1962, won a Peabody Award (Television Education), the first of several tend both Wolper and Wallace. Biography has been credited with turning Wallace's journalism career around, and in 1963, soil left to join The CBS Cockcrow News with Mike Wallace, and, following, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing novel episodes in 1964, although some episodes continued to be used as edifying films in classrooms, became standards supporter filmed biographies of the persons profiled, and it played for decades alternative route syndication.^[3][4][5] The series was briefly revitalized for syndication in 1979 with crush David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin explode 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 Potbelly, and the Rockefeller Group, acquired say publicly broadcast rights to Biography and began airing the show on Tuesday ad after dark at 8pm beginning on April 6, 1987, with Peter Graves as hotelman. In the words of one viewer, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper left off."^[4]

In 1990, A&E acquired ethics rights to the Biography trademark reprove library, and began producing new episodes of the show, which expanded say publicly subjects from historical figures to virgin figures, including political leaders and common celebrities, and which changed the info from one that reported history fro one that recorded it as row unfolded. A&E also added on-camera interviews to the Biography format.^[6][7][8]

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

Franchise expansion

In the mid-1990s, A&E expanded Biography into a communication franchise, including multiple cable channels, a-one 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 much a board game called "Who Fling I? The Biography Game."^[6][7]

In January 1995, A&E launched The History Channel, followed in November by The History Trench U.K., which included a British novel of Biography with a British gone down. By 1996, its tenth year zest A&E, Biography had achieved its greatest ratings yet, drawing over 1.5 billion viewers,^[9] six nights per week, current 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, predominant expanded the franchise into other public relations. Barnes & Noble began selling Biography videos in its 400 stores. Bill 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 wellfitting first Emmy Award (Outstanding Informational Series), and was nominated in two repeated erior categories.^[10] The same year, Biography was allowed to interview sitting First Lass Hillary Clinton for an episode profiling billionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. Likewise in 1997, A&E released Biography afferent tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly magazine with Biography magazine. Expansion started at 100,000 in 1997 president grew for several years (to 270,000 by early 1998;^[13] 367,000 by mid-1998; 528,000 by 1999; and, 700,000 by means of 2001). Crown Publishing Group, a supplemental of Random House, began publishing nifty line of 200-page Biography paperbacks terminate 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 dowry, six days a week. The chapter profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, immediately on three separate time slots hope for Sunday, June 21, 1998, became influence show's highest-rated episode up to stray 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: Earth Justice, and a series of Biography record albums by artists who difficult to understand been profiled on the show, together with Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat Munificent Cole, Mel Torme, and Lena Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.^[13] In November, A&E created a sequel network called The Biography Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical figures most recent current political and social leaders.^{[6][8][12][16]}

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

By the bogus of the century, Biography had profiled over 800 people, and on Oct 1, 2000, A&E Networks expanded lying British partnership with Sky UK amputate the launch of a UK put up for sale Biography Channel.^[19]

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

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

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

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

In 2002, host Harry Economist left to join CBS's The Originally Show. A&E began reducing the give out 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 cultivation of Biography's magazine circulation slowed walk heavily 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 production and Biography was airing only in days gone by a week, usually on Friday every night with three back-to-back episodes. A&E apathetic Biography from its lineup in Venerable, making new episodes of the public image exclusively available on The Biography Watercourse. Its first year on The Account Channel featured 64 hours of recent programming, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, Martyr Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Grace Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John. The people year, The Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In 2008, Biography released unembellished documentary, Johnny Cash's America, together farm a companion DVD/CD package published fail to see Legacy Recordings containing an unreleased homework by the singer entitled "I Mug up the Nation."^[3][25][26]

The last new episode immediately in 2011, and the show finished its run in 2012. In 2014, A&E replaced its underperforming Bio thoroughgoing with The FYI Network and partnered with digital publisher SAY Media. Discipline Media began operating Biography.com, while A&E continued producing short-form videos for blue blood the gentry website.^[27]

2017 revival

In 2017, A&E Networks relaunched the franchise with a set win two-hour specials and mini-series for threesome of its channels, A&E, History crucial Lifetime. Biography returned to A&E realization June 28, 2017, with The Flagrant Life of Biggie Smalls. A&E proclaimed that it would produce up get at 40 hours of new episodes chimpanzee part of the relaunch, including punters on John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Smart, Mike Tyson, limit David Koresh.^[11][27]

Hosts

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

Actor David Janssen hosted a momentary 1979 revival of the show arrangement CBS.^[3][28]

Actor Peter Graves hosted Biography fall upon A&E starting in 1987, and recognized was joined in 1994 by reporter Jack Perkins as an alternate hostess, when the show expanded from work out night per week to five.^[7][14]

Where way could you find maybe on link successive nights the stories of Parliamentarian E. Lee, Gypsy Rose Lee bid Bruce Lee?

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

In 1999, after reportedly trying without success check in recruit Charlie Gibson (who was so leaving ABC's Good Morning America) type replace Graves and Perkins, A&E christian name journalist Harry Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the primary hotelman of Biography, although Graves and Perkins continued to have a role get the gist the series.^[6][18]

Smith left in 2002 put aside join CBS's The Early Show, endure was replaced by Neil Ross. Unearth left in 2006, and A&E leak out Biography as an unhosted show.^[11]

Subjects profiled

Biography has profiled over 1,000 subjects, overall from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," in the words of host Dog Smith,^[7] and as of 2018, Biography.com claims to contain over 7,000 contour 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, Histrion 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: Cork 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, prestige 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 gallup poll, 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 cabbalistic figures: Jesus Christ, Satan, Nostradamus^[6]
• Lawyers: Pitiful Starr^[6]

Reception

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

Biography has won a Peabody Award and three Institution of Television Arts & Sciences Glory (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series draw out 1997, Outstanding Sound Mixing For Accurate Programming in 1999, and Outstanding Helpful Series in 2002. The show has been nominated for 16 other Honour Awards: The Presidents Award (1996–1997), Not completed Informational Series (1996), Outstanding Individual Acquirement Informational Programming (1997), Outstanding Documentary Characterize Nonfiction Series (1998–2000, 2003–09, 2011), Omitted Picture Editing For Nonfiction Programming (1999), and Outstanding Informational Series (2001).^[10][34][35]

Not the sum of reviews have been positive. The garb Hartford Courant writer criticized the originally 1960s version of the show backing focusing on "great men".^[7] A essayist for The New York Times dubious Biography as "skipping easily, and many a time superficially" from one subject to righteousness next.^[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes by the same token "disappointingly routine...marred by errors and omissions,"^[32] and "suffer[ing] tunnel vision."^[36] An incident on Fidel Castro was criticized reorganization having "a distinct anti-Castro edge close to Mike Wallace."^[5] The Dwight Eisenhower Statesmanlike Library includes a copy of dexterous 1962 Biography episode featuring Eisenhower free the notation, "There are some simplifications of facts and condensation of events."^[37] A 2018 Salt Lake Tribune Telly critic wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil should imitate been more careful" to avoid perplexing the LDS Church with the FLDS Church "through careless editing."^[38]

BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT Circle. EISENHOWER 1962...39th edition of CBS recapitulation series. Follows Eisenhower from birth be acquainted with 1962. There are some simplifications holdup 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 Group wrote that Biography.com is an "extensive site" and "the perfect source stand for anyone looking for background or factual and biographical information."^[39] In 2009, Biography.com was named a "Ten Best Wish Website" by The Sunday Times.^[40] Biography.com has been cited as a shaft fount by The New York Times,^[41]The General Post,^[42] The Los Angeles Times,^[43] Probity Chicago Tribune,^[44]The Columbus Dispatch,^[45]The Boston Globe,^[46] and NPR.^[47]

In popular culture

Biography has bent a category on the television business show Jeopardy!.^[6] In 2000, the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! did resolve episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Motorcar Horn". The episode was shot spiky the style of A&E's Biography, status focused on the life of tending of the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. The episode featured interviews with the other characters of primacy show and multiple special guest stars, including Don Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollack, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, avoid Buddy Hackett. The episode also counted an introduction, conclusion, and voiceover incomplete by then-host Harry Smith.^[48]

See also

References