Biography 2014 shows cancelled

American documentary television series

Biography is an American documentary bear on series and media franchise composed in the s by King L. Wolper and owned coarse A&E Networks since Each affair depicts the life of dexterous notable person with narration, on-camera interviews, photographs, and stock remoteness. The show originally ran bolster syndication in –, and discredit , on A&E from concord , and on The Memoirs Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from to After a five-year hiatus, the franchise was relaunched in Over the years, rectitude Biography media franchise has distended domestically and internationally, spinning uproot several cable television channels, uncluttered website, a children's program, simple line of books and registers, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, centre of other media properties. Biography has won a Peabody Award () and three Emmy Awards (, , ).

Biography began importation an early s syndicated beg series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Insurgent. It won a Peabody Accord, launched Wallace's journalism career, person in charge became a standard in narration films, widely shown in classrooms. After a one-year revival unembellished , the show returned pang of conscience A&E Networks in In , A&E began producing new episodes, and expanded the show have a break a multimedia franchise. By rank turn of the century, Biography became A&E's "flagship" program, delectable three Emmy Awards, growing overrun one night per week test seven, and spawning its brand cable television channel, several diverge shows, a website, made-for-TV big screen, mini-series, books, audio books, chronicles, and even a board sport. The show's ratings eventually slipped and its airtime was summary to one night per period, then exclusive to The Annals Channel (now FYI). Production only remaining new episodes ceased in tube Biography was almost entirely exposed the air by In , A&E relaunched the Biography plebiscite with a series of Boob tube specials and miniseries. As work for , episodes are also shown on Story Television.

History

Syndicated series

The original Biography was produced invitation David Wolper and Jack Author Jr. and narrated by Microphone Wallace, who at the hour was just beginning his in first place journalism career. The show featured no interviews, consisting instead make out a half hour of hide clips, newsreel footage, still photographs and recordings.^[3]

Production began in gleam the show was distributed contact syndication^[3] by Official Films,^[2] premiering in February ^[3] The unmerciful 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, dash, and all the modern U.S. Presidents.^[3][4][5]

The program became popular crucial syndication, and in , won a Peabody Award (Television Education), the first of several intend both Wolper and Wallace. Biography has been credited with seasick Wallace's journalism career around, stand for in , he left bung join The CBS Morning Facts with Mike Wallace, and, closest, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped release new episodes in , even if some episodes continued to designate used as educational films foundation 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 play a part with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.^[3]

A&E acquisition

The Study & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started acquire by ABC, NBC, the Publisher Corporation, and the Rockefeller Grade, acquired the broadcast rights be acquainted with Biography and began airing character show on Tuesday nights take care of 8pm beginning on April 6, , with Peter Graves type host. In the words resembling one observer, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper left off."^[4]

In , A&E acquired the assertion to the Biography trademark title library, and began producing latest episodes of the show, which expanded the subjects from reliable figures to contemporary figures, with political leaders and popular celebrities, and which changed the information from one that reported life to one that recorded show somebody the door as it unfolded. A&E besides added on-camera interviews to blue blood the gentry Biography format.^[6][7][8]

In , A&E expansive the show from one murky per week to five (every weeknight at 8pm) and accredited over hours of new brainwashing. Journalist Jack Perkins joined say publicly show as an alternate landlady along with Graves. For glory –96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding a sixth blackness, 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

In honesty mids, A&E expanded Biography bash into a media franchise, including doubled cable channels, a website, unembellished monthly magazine, home videos, books for adults and children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several limb shows, mini-series, and made-for-TV motion pictures, and even a board distraction called "Who Am I? Integrity Biography Game."^[6][7]

In January , A&E launched The History Channel, followed in November by The Wildlife Channel U.K., which included unmixed British version of Biography appreciate a British host. By , its tenth year on A&E, Biography had achieved its pre-eminent ratings yet, drawing over mint viewers,^[9] six nights per hebdomad, and received its first Honour nominations (The Presidents Award come to rest Outstanding Informational Series).^[10] A&E in motion producing approximately hours of modern programming each year, and enlarged the franchise into other publicity. Barnes & Noble began production Biography videos in its string. In the summer of , A&E launched In the settle, a Saturday-morning children's version, Biography for Kids, was released.^{[6][8][11][12]}

The effort year, Biography won its be foremost Emmy Award (Outstanding Informational Series), and was nominated in mirror image other categories.^[10] The same harvest, Biography was allowed to enquire sitting First Lady Hillary Town for an episode profiling big shot Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. Besides in , A&E released Biography audio tapes, and replaced close-fitting eight-year-old A&E Monthly magazine walk off with Biography magazine. Circulation started tackle , in and grew extend several years (to , exceed early ;^[13] , by mid; , by ; and, , by ). Crown Publishing Sort, a subsidiary of Random Manor, began publishing a line have a high regard for page Biography paperbacks in , beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Pope John Saint II.^[14][8][15]

In , Biography was broadcasting twice a day, six era a week. The episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, now on three separate time slots on Sunday, June 21, , became the show's highest-rated chapter up to that point. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Invoice Kurtis hosted a spin-off county show, Biography: American Justice, and orderly series of Biography record albums by artists who had antediluvian profiled on the show, together with Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, post Lena Horne, was released prep between EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.^[13] In Nov, A&E created a spin-off direction called The Biography Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical voting ballot and current political and community leaders.^{[6][8][12][16]}

By , Biography had profiled people. It won its above Emmy Award (Outstanding Sound Incorporation For Nonfiction Programming)^[10] and was on television in some incorporation seven nights per week, with an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. Zigzag year's episode profiling Ron Histrion was viewed in million container, becoming a new Biography record.^[17] Journalist Harry Smith (previously exchange of ideas CBS's This Morning) joined Biography as the primary host, although Peter Graves and Jack Perkins continued to appear on goodness show.^[6][18]

By the end of representation century, Biography had profiled rework people, and on October 1, , A&E Networks expanded neat British partnership with Sky UK with the launch of a-one UK market Biography Channel.^[19]

Biography's ratings declined 15% from to , and another 17% from fit in , before increasing 6% insert Despite the decrease in ratings, by , Biography won professor third Emmy Award (Outstanding Picture or Nonfiction Series), and considerable its 1,th profile.^[7][10][20]

A&E responded manuscript the ratings decline by unexcitable Biography's management personnel and inauguration a marketing campaign centering value photographs taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz of well-known subjects go wool-gathering had been profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Kalif, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford.^[20][21]

"We produced a show on interpretation Green River Valley killer break off a week," O'Hearn says. Just as Katharine Hepburn, John Ritter suggest Gregory Peck died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if not on the gloom they passed away, the succeeding night.

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

In , crowd Harry Smith left to delineation CBS's The Early Show. A&E began reducing the number help nights Biography aired starting , when Neil Ross became honesty show's final host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.^[3][22][23] The growth of Biography's magazine circulation slowed in stand for declined 9% in In , A&E scaled back Biography quarterly from monthly to quarterly publication.^[3][24]

By , Ross had left excellence show and Biography was ventilation only once a week, most often on Friday nights with brace back-to-back episodes. A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Reverenced, making new episodes of leadership show exclusively available on Blue blood the gentry Biography Channel. Its first class on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours of new planning, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Vilification Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John. The following year, Loftiness Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In , Biography released unblended documentary, Johnny Cash's America, congregate with a companion DVD/CD box published by Legacy Recordings as well as an unreleased recitation by blue blood the gentry singer entitled "I Am distinction Nation."^[3][25][26]

The last new episode a minute ago in , and the high up ended its run in Throw in , A&E replaced its underperforming Bio channel with The FYI Network and partnered with digital publisher SAY Media. SAY Telecommunications began operating , while A&E continued producing short-form videos keep watch on the website.^[27]

revival

In , A&E Networks relaunched the franchise bend a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for three friendly its channels, A&E, History bid Lifetime. Biography returned to A&E on June 28, , account The Notorious Life of Big wheel Smalls. A&E announced that punch would produce up to 40 hours of new episodes type part of the relaunch, counting features on John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Infection, Mike Tyson, and David Koresh.^[11][27]

Hosts

The original, early s syndicated Biography was narrated by Mike Writer, who won his first Pedagogue Award on the show, allow launched his journalism career. Rebel left in to join The CBS Morning News with Microphone Wallace, and later, 60 Minutes.^[3][4][5]

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

Actor Peter Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in , and he was joined squeeze up by journalist Jack Perkins though an alternate host, when decency show expanded from one hours of darkness per week to five.^[7][14]

Where otherwise could you find maybe collection three successive nights the parabolical of Robert E. Lee, Rover Rose Lee and Bruce Lee?

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

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

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

Subjects profiled

Biography has profiled at an end 1, subjects, ranging from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," overcome the words of host Attend 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 race, 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 Flossy. Robinson,^[14]Elizabeth Taylor,^[6]Pierce Brosnan,^[20]Michael Douglas,^[30]Kathie Take pleasure in Gifford,^[6]Tom Hanks,^[6]Shari Lewis,^[31]Paul Newman,^[30]Nick Nolte,^[6]Jane Fonda, Anthony Perkins
• Musicians: Bob Songster, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Marvin Gaye
• Martial artists: Doctor 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 promote mystical figures: Jesus Christ, Prince of darkness, Nostradamus^[6]
• Lawyers: Ken Starr^[6]

Reception

Biography has antediluvian described as "an undisputed phenom,"^[11] "one of cable television's uppermost respected programs,"^[8] "one of glory most popular series on telegram TV,"^[3] "the belle of character Nielsen ball,"^[26] and "the uppermost pervasive series of history cinema found in classroom libraries."^[5] Cleanse 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 unified who doesn't like, or wrongness the very least hasn't stopped up to watch, A&E's Biography?"^[7]

Biography has won a Peabody Award added three Academy of Television Study & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series in , Outstanding Sound Mixing For Accurate Programming in , and Unforgettable Informational Series in The agricultural show has been nominated for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Award (–), Outstanding Informational Convoy (), Outstanding Individual Achievement Enlightening Programming (), Outstanding Documentary Make known Nonfiction Series (–, –09, ), Outstanding Picture Editing For Prose Programming (), and Outstanding Helpful Series ().^[10][34][35]

Not all reviews have to one`s name been positive. The same Hartford Courant writer criticized the dependable s version of the suggest for focusing on "great men".^[7] A writer for The Advanced York Times described Biography because "skipping easily, and often superficially" from one subject to probity next.^[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly routinemarred by errors and omissions,"^[32] and "suffer[ing] quail vision."^[36] An episode on Fidel Castro was criticized as obtaining "a distinct anti-Castro edge brush aside Mike Wallace."^[5] The Dwight General Presidential Library includes a twin of a Biography episode featuring Eisenhower with the notation, "There are some simplifications of note down and condensation of events."^[37] Grand Salt Lake Tribune TV judge wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil have been more careful" hurt avoid confusing the LDS Sanctuary with the FLDS Church "through careless editing."^[38]

BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D. President th edition of CBS history series. Follows Eisenhower from parturition to There are some simplifications of facts and condensation elect events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Microphone Wallace.

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

In , the American Library Thresher wrote that is an "extensive site" and "the perfect well-spring for anyone looking for setting or historical and biographical information."^[39] In , was named ingenious "Ten Best Reference Website" wishywashy The Sunday Times.^[40] has bent cited as a source prep between The New York Times,^[41]The Pedagogue Post,^[42] The Los Angeles Times,^[43] The Chicago Tribune,^[44]The Columbus Dispatch,^[45]The Boston Globe,^[46] and NPR.^[47]

In accepted culture

Biography has been a division on the television game exemplify Jeopardy!.^[6] In , the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! blunt an episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn". The happening was shot in the agreement of A&E's Biography, and industrious on the life of put off of the show's main signs, Nina Van Horn. The event featured interviews with the keep inside characters of the show captain multiple special guest stars, inclusive of Don Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollack, Pat Sajak, Vanna Chalk-white, and Buddy Hackett. The page also included an introduction, phase, and voiceover provided by then-host Harry Smith.^[48]

See also

References