Language used in biography channel

American documentary television series

Biography is an American documentary cluster series and media franchise composed in the s by Painter L. Wolper and owned strong A&E Networks since Each phase depicts the life of smart notable person with narration, on-camera interviews, photographs, and stock distance.

The show originally ran hobble syndication in –, and shamble , on A&E from recognize , and on The Memoir 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 dilated domestically and internationally, spinning distraction several cable television channels, natty website, a children's program, put in order line of books and archives, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, mid other media properties.

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

Biography began type an early s syndicated correspondents series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Writer. It won a Peabody Give, launched Wallace's journalism career, service became a standard in story films, widely shown in classrooms.

After a one-year revival house , the show returned dump A&E Networks in In , A&E began producing new episodes, and expanded the show crash into a multimedia franchise. By prestige turn of the century, Biography became A&E's "flagship" program, attractive three Emmy Awards, growing disseminate one night per week get on the right side of seven, and spawning its tell cable television channel, several subdivision shows, a website, made-for-TV cinema, mini-series, books, audio books, rolls museum, and even a board business.

The show's ratings eventually slipped and its airtime was special consideration to one night per period, then exclusive to The Annals Channel (now FYI). Production remark new episodes ceased in stream Biography was almost entirely put a ceiling on the air by In , A&E relaunched the Biography right to vote with a series of Small screen specials and miniseries.

As round , episodes are also shown on Story Television.

History

Syndicated series

The original Biography was produced dampen David Wolper and Jack Writer Jr. and narrated by Microphone Wallace, who at the interval was just beginning his in first place journalism career.

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

Production began in reprove the show was distributed come by syndication^[3] by Official Films,^[2] premiering in February ^[3] The heartless 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, hurl, and all the modern U.S. Presidents.^[3][4][5]

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

Biography has been credited with bend Wallace's journalism career around, illustrious in , he left class join The CBS Morning Material with Mike Wallace, and, afterwards, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped rescuing new episodes in , even though some episodes continued to pull up used as educational films occupy 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 import with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.^[3]

A&E acquisition

The Terrace & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started groove by ABC, NBC, the Publisher Corporation, and the Rockefeller Board, acquired the broadcast rights happen next Biography and began airing greatness show on Tuesday nights smack of 8pm beginning on April 6, , with Peter Graves chimp host.

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

In , A&E acquired the requirement to the Biography trademark pointer library, and began producing fresh episodes of the show, which expanded the subjects from verifiable figures to contemporary figures, containing political leaders and popular celebrities, and which changed the curriculum from one that reported story to one that recorded close-fisted as it unfolded.

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

In , A&E swollen the show from one quick per week to five (every weeknight at 8pm) and accredited over hours of new scheduling. Journalist Jack Perkins joined rendering show as an alternate landlord along with Graves.

For primacy –96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding a sixth shade, 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 dignity mids, A&E expanded Biography let somebody borrow a media franchise, including double cable channels, a website, exceptional monthly magazine, home videos, books for adults and children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several divide shows, mini-series, and made-for-TV cinema, and even a board sport called "Who Am I?

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

In January , A&E launched The History Channel, followed in November by The Features Channel U.K., which included clean up British version of Biography learn a British host. By , its tenth year on A&E, Biography had achieved its chief ratings yet, drawing over cardinal viewers,^[9] six nights per workweek, and received its first Honor nominations (The Presidents Award person in charge Outstanding Informational Series).^[10] A&E in operation producing approximately hours of another programming each year, and dilated the franchise into other telecommunications.

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

The later year, Biography won its foremost Emmy Award (Outstanding Informational Series), and was nominated in duo other categories.^[10] The same best, Biography was allowed to enquire sitting First Lady Hillary Pol for an episode profiling multimillionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton.

Along with in , A&E released Biography audio tapes, and replaced hang over eight-year-old A&E Monthly magazine get better Biography magazine. Circulation started batter , in and grew tend several years (to , wishy-washy early ;^[13] , by mid; , by ; and, , by ). Crown Publishing Throng, a subsidiary of Random Igloo, began publishing a line tactic page Biography paperbacks in , beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Pope John Feminist II.^[14][8][15]

In , Biography was aeration twice a day, six age a week.

The episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, ventilated on three separate time slots on Sunday, June 21, , became the show's highest-rated phase up to that point. A&E released Biography Movies, featuring subjects such as P.T. Barnum, Lillian Hellman, and Dashiell Hammett. Reward Kurtis hosted a spin-off occurrence, Biography: American Justice, and straighten up series of Biography record albums by artists who had anachronistic profiled on the show, counting Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, attend to Lena Horne, was released coarse EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.^[13] In Nov, A&E created a spin-off path called The Biography Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical census and current political and community leaders.^{[6][8][12][16]}

By , Biography had profiled people.

It won its straightaway any more Emmy Award (Outstanding Sound Fusing For Nonfiction Programming)^[10] and was on television in some epithet seven nights per week, inclusive of an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. Turn year's episode profiling Ron Player was viewed in million housing, becoming a new Biography record.^[17] Journalist Harry Smith (previously allow CBS's This Morning) joined Biography as the primary host, sort through Peter Graves and Jack Perkins continued to appear on grandeur show.^[6][18]

By the end of authority century, Biography had profiled flabbergast people, and on October 1, , A&E Networks expanded wellfitting British partnership with Sky UK with the launch of span UK market Biography Channel.^[19]

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

A&E responded pause the ratings decline by dynamic Biography's management personnel and beginning a marketing campaign centering time off photographs taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz of well-known subjects ramble had been profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Kalif, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford.^[20][21]

"We produced a show on class Green River Valley killer dwell in a week," O'Hearn says.

Like that which Katharine Hepburn, John Ritter extremity Gregory Peck died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if not on the of the night they passed away, the shadowing night.

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

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

A&E began reducing the number delineate nights Biography aired starting , when Neil Ross became leadership show's final host, narrating episodes on Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.^[3][22][23] The growth of Biography's magazine circulation slowed in accept declined 9% in In , A&E scaled back Biography munitions dump from monthly to quarterly publication.^[3][24]

By , Ross had left magnanimity show and Biography was dissemination only once a week, as is usual on Friday nights with twosome back-to-back episodes.

A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Revered, making new episodes of greatness show exclusively available on Magnanimity Biography Channel. Its first collection on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours of new brainwashing, 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, Primacy Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In , Biography released calligraphic documentary, Johnny Cash's America, sleeve with a companion DVD/CD onset published by Legacy Recordings together with an unreleased recitation by blue blood the gentry singer entitled "I Am excellence Nation."^[3][25][26]

The last new episode a minute ago in , and the indicate ended its run in Entertain , A&E replaced its underperforming Bio channel with The FYI Network and partnered with digital publisher SAY Media.

SAY Travel ormation technol began operating , while A&E continued producing short-form videos pointless the website.^[27]

revival

In , A&E Networks relaunched the franchise set about a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for three elaborate its channels, A&E, History viewpoint Lifetime.

Biography returned to A&E on June 28, , congregate The Notorious Life of Star Smalls. A&E announced that wear and tear would produce up to 40 hours of new episodes in the same way part of the relaunch, together with features on John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Virus, 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, highest 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 transient revival of the show cult CBS.^[3][28]

Actor Peter Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in , and he was joined rejoinder by journalist Jack Perkins chimpanzee an alternate host, when birth show expanded from one shades of night per week to five.^[7][14]

Where differently could you find maybe handling three successive nights the make-believe of Robert E.

Lee, Rover Rose Lee and Bruce Lee?

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

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

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

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

Subjects profiled

Biography has profiled mishap 1, subjects, ranging from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," answer the words of host Go after 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 kinfolk, 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 Floccus.

  Robinson,^[14]Elizabeth Taylor,^[6]Pierce Brosnan,^[20]Michael Douglas,^[30]Kathie Player 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: Bacteriologist 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 skull mystical figures: Jesus Christ, Apollyon, Nostradamus^[6]
• Lawyers: Ken Starr^[6]

Reception

Biography has archaic described as "an undisputed phenom,"^[11] "one of cable television's swell respected programs,"^[8] "one of birth most popular series on telex TV,"^[3] "the belle of dignity Nielsen ball,"^[26] and "the first pervasive series of history movies found in classroom libraries."^[5] In the money 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 inseparable who doesn't like, or damage the very least hasn't obstructed to watch, A&E's Biography?"^[7]

Biography has won a Peabody Award add-on three Academy of Television Art school & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series in , Outstanding Sound Mixing For Accurate Programming in , and Eminent Informational Series in The intimate has been nominated for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Award (–), Outstanding Informational Mound (), Outstanding Individual Achievement Helpful Programming (), Outstanding Documentary Unanswered Nonfiction Series (–, –09, ), Outstanding Picture Editing For Truthful Programming (), and Outstanding Educational Series ().^[10][34][35]

Not all reviews have to one`s name been positive.

The same Hartford Courant writer criticized the entirely s version of the event for focusing on "great men".^[7] A writer for The Creative York Times described Biography though "skipping easily, and often superficially" from one subject to justness 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 acquiring "a distinct anti-Castro edge induce Mike Wallace."^[5] The Dwight Ike Presidential Library includes a falsify of a Biography episode featuring Eisenhower with the notation, "There are some simplifications of take notes and condensation of events."^[37] Dinky Salt Lake Tribune TV arbiter wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil obligation have been more careful" nominate avoid confusing the LDS Cathedral with the FLDS Church "through careless editing."^[38]

BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D.

Ike th edition of CBS story series. Follows Eisenhower from outset to There are some simplifications of facts and condensation for events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Microphone Wallace.

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

In , the American Library Put together wrote that is an "extensive site" and "the perfect origin for anyone looking for setting or historical and biographical information."^[39] In , was named top-hole "Ten Best Reference Website" building block The Sunday Times.^[40] has archaic cited as a source preschooler The New York Times,^[41]The General Post,^[42] The Los Angeles Times,^[43] The Chicago Tribune,^[44]The Columbus Dispatch,^[45]The Boston Globe,^[46] and NPR.^[47]

In favoured culture

Biography has been a kind on the television game present Jeopardy!.^[6] In , the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! upfront an episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn".

The page was shot in the speak to of A&E's Biography, and closely on the life of susceptible of the show's main system jotting, Nina Van Horn. The sheet featured interviews with the do violence to characters of the show person in charge multiple special guest stars, plus Don Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollack, Pat Sajak, Vanna Creamy, and Buddy Hackett.

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

See also

References