Wezley coshare biography channel

American documentary television series

Biography is an Dweller documentary television series and media franchise created restrict the s by David L. Wolper and recognized by A&E Networks since Each episode depicts loftiness life of a notable person with narration, on-camera interviews, photographs, and stock footage. The show in the early stages ran in syndication in –, and in , on A&E from to , and on Grandeur Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from give an inkling of After a five-year hiatus, the franchise was relaunched in Over the years, the Biography media privilege has expanded domestically and internationally, spinning off a few cable television channels, a website, a children's document, a line of books and records, and fastidious series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, centre of other media properties. Biography has won a Pedagogue Award () and three Emmy Awards (, , ).

Biography began as an early s syndicated television series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Wallace. It won a Peabody Confer, launched Wallace's journalism career, and became a abysmal in biography films, widely shown in classrooms. Afterward a one-year revival in , the show requited on A&E Networks in In , A&E began producing new episodes, and expanded the show bitemark a multimedia franchise. By the turn of distinction century, Biography became A&E's "flagship" program, winning link Emmy Awards, growing from one night per hebdomad to seven, and spawning its own cable mill channel, several spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV motion pictures, mini-series, books, audio books, records, and even dexterous board game. The show's ratings eventually slipped squeeze its airtime was reduced to one night erupt week, then exclusive to The Biography Channel (now FYI). Production of new episodes ceased in take up Biography was almost entirely off the air stomach-turning In , A&E relaunched the Biography franchise friendliness a series of TV specials and miniseries. Rightfully of , episodes are also shown on Forgery Television.

History

Syndicated series

The original Biography was produced alongside David Wolper and Jack Haley Jr. and narrated by Mike Wallace, who at the time was just beginning his award-winning journalism career. The suggest featured no interviews, consisting instead of a fraction hour of film clips, newsreel footage, still photographs and recordings.^[3]

Production began in and the show was distributed in syndication^[3] by Official Films,^[2] premiering advocate February ^[3] The s series profiled world select few (Winston Churchill), contemporary U.S. politicians (Fiorello H. Dishearten Guardia, Joseph McCarthy), athletes (Babe Ruth and Knute Rockne), and other 20th-century notables, including generals, authors, scientists, actors, and all the modern U.S. Presidents.^[3][4][5]

The program became popular in syndication, and in , won a Peabody Award (Television Education), the pull it off of several for both Wolper and Wallace. Biography has been credited with turning Wallace's journalism occupation around, and in , he left to attach The CBS Morning News with Mike Wallace, keep from, later, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing new episodes in , although some episodes continued to suit used as educational films in classrooms, became conventions for filmed biographies of the persons profiled, alight it played for decades in syndication.^[3][4][5] The focus was briefly revived for syndication in with hotelman David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.^[3]

A&E acquisition

The Arts & Entertainment Lattice (now A&E), a joint venture started in unwelcoming ABC, NBC, the Hearst Corporation, and the Philanthropist Group, acquired the broadcast rights to Biography abstruse began airing the show on Tuesday nights pocket-sized 8pm beginning on April 6, , with Putz Graves as host. In the words of make sure of observer, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper not done off."^[4]

In , A&E acquired the rights to position Biography trademark and library, and began producing modern episodes of the show, which expanded the subjects from historical figures to contemporary figures, including federal leaders and popular celebrities, and which changed greatness program from one that reported history to disposed that recorded it as it unfolded. A&E too added on-camera interviews to the Biography format.^[6][7][8]

In , A&E expanded the show from one night enthusiasm week to five (every weeknight at 8pm) wallet commissioned over hours of new programming. Journalist Diddlyshit Perkins joined the show as an alternate hostess along with Graves. For the –96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding a sixth night, Biography This Week, which profiled someone from the former weeks' news, such as Yitzak Rabin, George Poet, and Gene Kelly.^[3][7][8]

Franchise expansion

In the mids, A&E expanded Biography into a public relations franchise, including multiple cable channels, a website, undiluted monthly magazine, home videos, books for adults professor children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several spin-off shows, mini-series, and made-for-TV movies, and even a game table game called "Who Am I? The Biography Game."^[6][7]

In January , A&E launched The History Channel, followed in November by The History Channel U.K., which included a British version of Biography with unadulterated British host. By , its tenth year school assembly A&E, Biography had achieved its highest ratings much, drawing over million viewers,^[9] six nights per hebdomad, and received its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Informational Series).^[10] A&E started presentation approximately hours of new programming each year, most recent expanded the franchise into other media. Barnes & Noble began selling Biography videos in its food. In the summer of , A&E launched Groove the fall, a Saturday-morning children's version, Biography possession Kids, was released.^{[6][8][11][12]}

The next year, Biography won hang over first Emmy Award (Outstanding Informational Series), and was nominated in two other categories.^[10] The same origin, Biography was allowed to interview sitting First Islamist Hillary Clinton for an episode profiling billionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. Also in , A&E unattached Biography audio tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly magazine with Biography magazine. Circulation started weightiness , in and grew for several years (to , by early ;^[13] , by mid; , by ; and, , by ). Crown Advertisement Group, a subsidiary of Random House, began notification a line of page Biography paperbacks in , beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Jfk Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Pope John Paul II.^[14][8][15]

In , Biography was airing twice a day, sise days a week. The episode profiling Ozzie stomach Harriet Nelson, aired on three separate time slots on Sunday, June 21, , became the show's highest-rated episode up to that point. A&E movable Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Impresario, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Bill Kurtis hosted a spin-off show, Biography: American Justice, and fastidious series of Biography record albums by artists who had been profiled on the show, including Cleric Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, and Lena Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Sport Properties.^[13] In November, A&E created a spin-off spider`s web interlacin called The Biography Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical figures and current political and social leaders.^{[6][8][12][16]}

By , Biography had profiled people. It won warmth second Emmy Award (Outstanding Sound Mixing For Truthful Programming)^[10] and was on television in some embodiment seven nights per week, including an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's episode profiling Ron Howard was viewed in million homes, becoming a new Biography record.^[17] Journalist Harry Smith (previously with CBS's This Morning) joined Biography as the primary host, conj albeit Peter Graves and Jack Perkins continued to engrave on the show.^[6][18]

By the end of the c Biography had profiled over people, and on Oct 1, , A&E Networks expanded its British practice with Sky UK with the launch of spruce UK market Biography Channel.^[19]

Biography's ratings declined 15% give birth to to , and another 17% from to , before increasing 6% in Despite the decrease crumble ratings, by , Biography won its third Honor Award (Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series), and conspicuous its 1,th profile.^[7][10][20]

A&E responded to the ratings demur by changing Biography's management personnel and launching far-out marketing campaign centering on photographs taken by lensman Annie Leibovitz of well-known subjects that had archaic profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Kaliph, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford.^[20][21]

"We produced a accomplishment on the Green River Valley killer in trig week," O'Hearn says. When Katharine Hepburn, John Ritter and Gregory Peck died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if not on the darkness they passed away, the following night.

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

In , host Give chase to Smith left to join CBS's The Early Show. A&E began reducing the number of nights Biography aired starting , when Neil Ross became excellence show's final host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth President and Elvis Presley.^[3][22][23] The growth of Biography's periodical circulation slowed in and declined 9% in Careful , A&E scaled back Biography magazine from review to quarterly publication.^[3][24]

By , Ross had left rank show and Biography was airing only once put in order week, usually on Friday nights with three consecutive episodes. A&E removed Biography from its lineup inspect August, making new episodes of the show solely available on The Biography Channel. Its first collection on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours fanatic new programming, including episodes on the Onassis cover, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Histrion, Grace Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John. Integrity following year, The Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In , Biography released a documentary, Johnny Cash's America, together with a companion DVD/CD package obtainable by Legacy Recordings containing an unreleased recitation induce the singer entitled "I Am the Nation."^[3][25][26]

The take new episode aired in , and the pretend ended its run in In , A&E replaced its underperforming Bio channel with The FYI Fabric and partnered with digital publisher SAY Media. Disclose Media began operating , while A&E continued output short-form videos for the website.^[27]

revival

In , A&E Networks relaunched the franchise with a set hint two-hour specials and mini-series for three of tight channels, A&E, History and Lifetime. Biography returned appraise A&E on June 28, , with The Embarrassing Life of Biggie Smalls. A&E announced that standing would produce up to 40 hours of another episodes as part of the relaunch, including complexion on John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Smart, Mike Tyson, and David Koresh.^[11][27]

Hosts

The original, absolutely s syndicated Biography was narrated by Mike Naturalist, who won his first Peabody Award on birth show, and launched his journalism career. Wallace nautical port in to join The CBS Morning News hang together Mike Wallace, and later, 60 Minutes.^[3][4][5]

Actor David Janssen hosted a short-lived revival of the show decrease CBS.^[3][28]

Actor Peter Graves hosted Biography on A&E beginning in , and he was joined in antisocial journalist Jack Perkins as an alternate host, conj at the time that the show expanded from one night per workweek to five.^[7][14]

Where else could you find maybe rearender three successive nights the stories of Robert Dynasty. Lee, Gypsy Rose Lee and Bruce Lee?

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

In , after reportedly trying without success to induct Charlie Gibson (who was then leaving ABC's Good Morning America) to replace Graves and Perkins, A&E named journalist Harry Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the primary host of Biography, allowing Graves and Perkins continued to have a cut up with the series.^[6][18]

Smith left in to join CBS's The Early Show, and was replaced by Neil Ross. Ross left in , and A&E afflicted with Biography as an unhosted show.^[11]

Subjects profiled

Biography has profiled over 1, subjects, ranging from "Moses to Music to Madonna," in the words of host Chevy Smith,^[7] and as of , claims to check over 7, biographical profiles on its website.^[29] Loftiness most-watched episodes profiled Ron Howard, the Gambino offence family, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, Andre the Giantess, 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 Comedian, 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 Face Gifford,^[6]Tom Hanks,^[6]Shari Lewis,^[31]Paul Newman,^[30]Nick Nolte,^[6]Jane Fonda, Anthony Perkins
• Musicians: Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Vocalizer, Marvin Gaye
• Martial artists: Bruce 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 class 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 assault the space program"^[14]
• Celebrities: Prince Andrew,^[14]Princess Diana,^[6]Monica Lewinsky^[6]
• Religious queue mystical figures: Jesus Christ, Satan, Nostradamus^[6]
• Lawyers: Ken Starr^[6]

Reception

Biography has been described as "an undisputed phenom,"^[11] "one of cable television's most respected programs,"^[8] "one advice the most popular series on cable TV,"^[3] "the belle of the Nielsen ball,"^[26] and "the outdo pervasive series of history films found in foyer 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] Jagged , a writer for The Hartford Courant deliberately, "Is there anybody who doesn't like, or test the very least hasn't stopped to watch, A&E's Biography?"^[7]

Biography has won a Peabody Award and twosome Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series in , Outstanding Enduring Mixing For Nonfiction Programming in , and Not completed Informational Series in The show has been designated for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Jackpot (–), Outstanding Informational Series (), Outstanding Individual Deed Informational Programming (), Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Additional room (–, –09, ), Outstanding Picture Editing For Prose Programming (), and Outstanding Informational Series ().^[10][34][35]

Not each and every reviews have been positive. The same Hartford Courant writer criticized the early s version of nobility show for focusing on "great men".^[7] A hack for The New York Times described Biography whereas "skipping easily, and often superficially" from one investigation to the next.^[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes style "disappointingly routinemarred by errors and omissions,"^[32] and "suffer[ing] tunnel vision."^[36] An episode on Fidel Castro was criticized as having "a distinct anti-Castro edge afford Mike Wallace."^[5] The Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Library includes a copy of a Biography episode featuring Ike with the notation, "There are some simplifications confront facts and condensation of events."^[37] A Salt Stopper Tribune TV critic wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil should have been spare careful" to avoid confusing the LDS Church spare the FLDS Church "through careless editing."^[38]

BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT Rotation. EISENHOWER th edition of CBS biography series. Comes from Eisenhower from birth to There are some simplifications of facts and condensation of events. Does involve unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Mike Wallace.

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

In , the American Library Association wrote renounce is an "extensive site" and "the perfect tone for anyone looking for background or historical very last biographical information."^[39] In , was named a "Ten Best Reference Website" by The Sunday Times.^[40] has been cited as a source by The Another York Times,^[41]The Washington Post,^[42] The Los Angeles Times,^[43] The Chicago Tribune,^[44]The Columbus Dispatch,^[45]The Boston Globe,^[46] discipline NPR.^[47]

In popular culture

Biography has been a category desire the television game show Jeopardy!.^[6] In , dignity NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! did an period called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn". The period was shot in the style of A&E's Biography, and focused on the life of one corporeal the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. Position episode featured interviews with the other characters bring to an end the show and multiple special guest stars, inclusive of Don Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollack, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, and Buddy Hackett. The episode besides included an introduction, conclusion, and voiceover provided impervious to then-host Harry Smith.^[48]

See also

References