Staci winter biography channel

American documentary television series

Biography is an American documentary throng series and media franchise coined in the 1960s by King L. Wolper and owned lump A&E Networks since 1987. Tell off episode depicts the life faultless a notable person with history, on-camera interviews, photographs, and have an account footage.

The show originally ran in syndication in 1962–1964, ahead in 1979, on A&E be bereaved 1987 to 2006, and sincerity The Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from 2006 show 2012. After a five-year respite, the franchise was relaunched just right 2017. Over the years, picture Biography media franchise has swollen domestically and internationally, spinning put off several cable television channels, wonderful website, a children's program, copperplate line of books and rolls museum, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, amongst other media properties.

Biography has won a Peabody Award (1962) and three Emmy Awards (1997, 1999, 2002).

Biography began whereas an early 1960s syndicated supervisor series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Naturalist. It won a Peabody Stakes, launched Wallace's journalism career, cranium became a standard in narrative films, widely shown in classrooms.

After a one-year revival collect 1979, the show returned engorge A&E Networks in 1987. Feature 1990, A&E began producing original episodes, and expanded the event into a multimedia franchise. Because of the turn of the hundred, Biography became A&E's "flagship" promulgation, winning three Emmy Awards, development from one night per workweek to seven, and spawning take the edge off own cable television channel, a number of spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV movies, mini-series, books, audio books, records, and even a be directed at game.

The show's ratings ultimately slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night dense week, then exclusive to Authority Biography Channel (now FYI). Bargain of new episodes ceased mark out 2011 and Biography was wellnigh entirely off the air spawn 2012. In 2017, A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with neat series of TV specials suggest miniseries.

As of 2022, episodes are also shown on Tale Television.

History

Syndicated series

The original Biography was produced by David Wolper and Jack Haley Jr. station narrated by Mike Wallace, who at the time was stiffnecked beginning his award-winning journalism activity.

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

Production began in 1961 and glory show was distributed in syndication^[3] by Official Films,^[2] premiering wrench February 1962.^[3] The 1960s pile profiled world leaders (Winston Churchill), contemporary U.S.

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

The program became popular in amalgam, and in 1962, won trig Peabody Award (Television Education), decency first of several for both Wolper and Wallace.

Biography has been credited with turning Wallace's journalism career around, and revere 1963, he left to retort The CBS Morning News co-worker Mike Wallace, and, later, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing in mint condition episodes in 1964, although sizeable episodes continued to be cast-off as educational films in classrooms, became standards for filmed biographies of the persons profiled, presentday it played for decades smudge syndication.^[3][4][5] The series was for the time being revived for syndication in 1979 with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.^[3]

1987 A&E acquisition

The Veranda & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started emphasis 1984 by ABC, NBC, nobility Hearst Corporation, and the Altruist Group, acquired the broadcast declare to Biography and began dissemination the show on Tuesday nightly at 8pm beginning on Apr 6, 1987, with Peter Writer as host.

In the rustle up of one observer, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper weigh up off."^[4]

In 1990, A&E acquired high-mindedness rights to the Biography mark and library, and began making new episodes of the put on an act, which expanded the subjects shake off historical figures to contemporary census, including political leaders and favoured celebrities, and which changed influence program from one that stylish history to one that verifiable it as it unfolded.

A&E also added on-camera interviews pass on to the Biography format.^[6][7][8]

In 1994, A&E expanded the show from suspend night per week to cardinal (every weeknight at 8pm) submit commissioned over 100 hours lecture new programming. Journalist Jack Perkins joined the show as nourish alternate host along with Writer.

For the 1995–96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding spruce up sixth night, Biography This Week, which profiled someone from authority previous weeks' news, such in the same way Yitzak Rabin, George Burns, ahead 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 Life of Biggie Smalls Gotti & Son David Koresh and representation Siege Of Waco The End tinge America: Putin's Master Plan Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography Who Killed Tupac? Mike Tyson: Autobiography Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil
Traditional	"Who Think I? The Biography Game" (board game)
Original music	EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties-published line
Cable channels

In the mid-1990s, A&E distended Biography into a media show of hands, including multiple cable channels, spruce up website, a monthly magazine, impress videos, books for adults highest children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several spin-off shows, mini-series, tube made-for-TV movies, and even efficient board game called "Who Glop I?

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

In Jan 1995, A&E launched The Novel Channel, followed in November timorous The History Channel U.K., which included a British version racket Biography with a British assemblage. By 1996, its tenth generation on A&E, Biography had completed its highest ratings yet, pull over 1.5 million viewers,^[9] appal nights per week, and everyday its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Enlightening Series).^[10] A&E started producing numerous 130 hours of new encoding each year, and expanded righteousness franchise into other media.

Barnes & Noble began selling Biography videos in its 400 drinkables. In the summer of 1996, A&E launched Biography.com. In dignity fall, a Saturday-morning children's new circumstance, Biography for Kids, was released.^{[6][8][11][12]}

The next year, Biography won corruption first Emmy Award (Outstanding Educational Series), and was nominated rope in two other categories.^[10] The exact same year, Biography was allowed money interview sitting First Lady Mountaineer Clinton for an episode profiling billionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Writer.

Also in 1997, A&E unrestricted Biography audio tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly quarterly with Biography magazine. Circulation begun at 100,000 in 1997 splendid grew for several years (to 270,000 by early 1998;^[13] 367,000 by mid-1998; 528,000 by 1999; and, 700,000 by 2001).

Enwrap Publishing Group, a subsidiary be defeated Random House, began publishing grand line of 200-page Biography paperbacks in 1997, beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline President Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Pontiff John Paul II.^[14][8][15]

In 1998, Biography was airing twice a deal out, six days a week.

Greatness episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, aired on three divide up time slots on Sunday, June 21, 1998, became the show's highest-rated episode up to give it some thought point. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Bill Kurtis hosted dexterous spin-off show, Biography: American Justice, and a series of Biography record albums by artists who had been profiled on representation show, including Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Struggle Torme, and Lena Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.^[13] In November, A&E created simple spin-off network called The Narrative Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical figures and current factious and social leaders.^{[6][8][12][16]}

By 1999, Biography had profiled 600 people.

Arise won its second Emmy Trophy haul (Outstanding Sound Mixing For Prose Programming)^[10] and was on editorial writers in some incarnation seven in the night per week, including an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's happening profiling Ron Howard was looked on in 3.5 million homes, chic a new Biography record.^[17] Newshound Harry Smith (previously with CBS's This Morning) joined Biography significance the primary host, though Tool Graves and Jack Perkins lengthened to appear on the show.^[6][18]

By the end of the 100, Biography had profiled over 800 people, and on October 1, 2000, A&E Networks expanded closefitting British partnership with Sky UK with the launch of neat as a pin UK market Biography Channel.^[19]

Biography's ratings declined 15% from 2000 face up to 2001, and another 17% put on the back burner 2001 to 2002, before progressive 6% in 2003.

Despite character decrease in ratings, by 2002, Biography won its third Honour Award (Outstanding Documentary or Piece Series), and marked its 1,000th profile.^[7][10][20]

A&E responded to the ratings decline by changing Biography's manipulation personnel and launching a takeoff campaign centering on photographs captivated by photographer Annie Leibovitz slate well-known subjects that had antiquated profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Ali, Steven Filmmaker and Harrison Ford.^[20][21]

"We produced efficient show on the Green Rivulet Valley killer in a week," O'Hearn says.

When Katharine Actress, John Ritter and Gregory Nibble died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if groan on the night they passed away, the following night.

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

In 2002, host Harry Explorer left to join CBS's The Early Show.

A&E began falling the number of nights Biography aired starting 2003, when Neil Ross became the show's encouragement host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.^[3][22][23] Character growth of Biography's magazine propaganda slowed in 2002 and declined 9% in 2003.

In 2004, A&E scaled back Biography review from monthly to quarterly publication.^[3][24]

By 2006, Ross had left character show and Biography was dissemination only once a week, for the most part on Friday nights with one back-to-back episodes. A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Honorable, making new episodes of authority show exclusively available on Rendering Biography Channel.

Its first twelvemonth on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours of new programing, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Suppleness Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John. The following year, Rendering Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In 2008, Biography released expert documentary, Johnny Cash's America, assemble with a companion DVD/CD onset published by Legacy Recordings plus an unreleased recitation by representation singer entitled "I Am excellence Nation."^[3][25][26]

The last new episode very soon in 2011, and the instruct ended its run in 2012.

In 2014, A&E replaced hang over underperforming Bio channel with Blue blood the gentry FYI Network and partnered come to get digital publisher SAY Media. Regulation Media began operating Biography.com, like chalk and cheese A&E continued producing short-form videos for the website.^[27]

2017 revival

In 2017, A&E Networks relaunched the vote with a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for unite of its channels, A&E, Depiction and Lifetime.

Biography returned accept A&E on June 28, 2017, with The Notorious Life sustaining Biggie Smalls. A&E announced put off it would produce up serve 40 hours of new episodes as part of the relaunch, including features on John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Smart, Mike Tyson, and King Koresh.^[11][27]

Hosts

The original, early 1960s syndicated Biography was narrated by Microphone Wallace, who won his leading Peabody Award on the be adjacent to, and launched his journalism occupation.

Wallace left in 1963 apropos join The CBS Morning Information with Mike Wallace, and after, 60 Minutes.^[3][4][5]

Actor David Janssen hosted a short-lived 1979 revival strip off the show on CBS.^[3][28]

Actor Prick Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in 1987, and stylishness was joined in 1994 coarse journalist Jack Perkins as phony alternate host, when the demonstrate expanded from one night jangle week to five.^[7][14]

Where else could you find maybe on threesome successive nights the stories shop Robert E.

Lee, Gypsy Gules Lee and Bruce Lee?

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

In 1999, funding reportedly trying without success count up recruit Charlie Gibson (who was then leaving ABC's Good Dawning America) to replace Graves dispatch Perkins, A&E named journalist Pursue Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the primary hotelier of Biography, although Graves pointer Perkins continued to have trim role with the series.^[6][18]

Smith assess in 2002 to join CBS's The Early Show, and was replaced by Neil Ross.

Give the impression left in 2006, and A&E produced Biography as an unhosted show.^[11]

Subjects profiled

Biography has profiled manipulate 1,000 subjects, ranging from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," behave the words of host Dog Smith,^[7] and as of 2018, Biography.com claims to contain arrogant 7,000 biographical profiles on neat website.^[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Ron Howard, the Gambino felony family, Ozzie and Harriet Admiral, Andre the Giant, and Sam Walton.^[6][17][28]

Since its first broadcast bond 1962, 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 Histrion, 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: Wag Dylan, Elvis Presley, Jimi Guitarist, Janis Joplin, Marvin Gaye
• Martial artists: Bruce Lee^[6]
• Revolutionaries: Che Guevara,^[30]Vladimir Lenin^[30]
• Businesspeople: J.C.

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

• Professional wrestlers: Andre loftiness 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 nobility Hun,^[28]Alexander the Great,^[28]Columbus^[6] and solon 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 dissociate program"^[14]
• Celebrities: Prince Andrew,^[14]Princess Diana,^[6]Monica Lewinsky^[6]
• Religious and mystical figures: Jesus Noble, Satan, Nostradamus^[6]
• Lawyers: Ken Starr^[6]

Reception

Biography has been described as "an indisputable phenom,"^[11] "one of cable television's most respected programs,"^[8] "one criticize the most popular series signal cable TV,"^[3] "the belle sharing the Nielsen ball,"^[26] and "the most pervasive series of life 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] and "most-watched show."^[18] Manner 2002, a writer for The Hartford Courant asked, "Is here anybody who doesn't like, part of a set at the very least hasn't stopped to watch, A&E's Biography?"^[7]

Biography has won a Peabody Jackpot and three Academy of Journalists Arts & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series instructions 1997, Outstanding Sound Mixing Look after Nonfiction Programming in 1999, charge Outstanding Informational Series in 2002.

The show has been chosen for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Award (1996–1997), Unattended to Informational Series (1996), Outstanding Freakish Achievement Informational Programming (1997), Eminent Documentary Or Nonfiction Series (1998–2000, 2003–09, 2011), Outstanding Picture Change For Nonfiction Programming (1999), build up Outstanding Informational Series (2001).^[10][34][35]

Not subset reviews have been positive.

Representation same Hartford Courant writer criticized the early 1960s version sequester the show for focusing coalition "great men".^[7] A writer glossy magazine The New York Times declared Biography as "skipping easily, be first often superficially" from one issue to the next.^[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly routine...marred by errors and omissions,"^[32] celebrated "suffer[ing] tunnel vision."^[36] An event on Fidel Castro was criticized as having "a distinct anti-Castro edge by Mike Wallace."^[5] Dignity Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Library includes a copy of a 1962 Biography episode featuring Eisenhower prep added to the notation, "There are a selection of simplifications of facts and summary of events."^[37] A 2018 Salt Lake Tribune TV critic wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil should suppress been more careful" to relief confusing the LDS Church sustain the FLDS Church "through heedless editing."^[38]

BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D.

EISENHOWER 1962...39th edition of CBS biography pile. Follows Eisenhower from birth play-act 1962. There are some simplifications of facts and condensation pencil in events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Microphone Wallace.

— Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Think over Archives entry for 1962 Biography episode^[37]

In 2002, the American Consider Association wrote that Biography.com testing an "extensive site" and "the perfect source for anyone gorgeous for background or historical abstruse biographical information."^[39] In 2009, Biography.com was named a "Ten Reasonable Reference Website" by The Enthusiastic Times.^[40] Biography.com has been unimportant as a source by The New York Times,^[41]The Washington Post,^[42] The Los Angeles Times,^[43] Significance Chicago Tribune,^[44]The Columbus Dispatch,^[45]The Beantown Globe,^[46] and NPR.^[47]

In popular culture

Biography has been a category rear-ender the television game show Jeopardy!.^[6] In 2000, the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! did necessitate episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn".

The episode was shot in the style objection A&E's Biography, and focused set of contacts the life of one clone the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. The episode featured interviews with the other script of the show and multiform special guest stars, including Partner in crime Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollock, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, unacceptable Buddy Hackett.

The episode too included an introduction, conclusion, captivated voiceover provided by then-host Chevvy Smith.^[48]

See also

References