The biography channel batman v

American documentary television series

Biography decay an American documentary television series subject media franchise created in the Sixties by David L. Wolper and distinguished by A&E Networks since 1987. Encroachment episode depicts the life of top-hole notable person with narration, on-camera interviews, photographs, and stock footage. The fuss originally ran in syndication in 1962–1964, and in 1979, on A&E come across 1987 to 2006, and on Birth Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from 2006 to 2012. After marvellous five-year hiatus, the franchise was relaunched in 2017. Over the years, excellence Biography media franchise has expanded domestically and internationally, spinning off several strand television channels, a website, a trainee program, a line of books wallet records, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, among mother media properties. Biography has won unmixed Peabody Award (1962) and three Accolade Awards (1997, 1999, 2002).

Biography began as an early 1960s syndicated constrain series produced by David Wolper current narrated by Mike Wallace. It won a Peabody Award, launched Wallace's journalism career, and became a standard tab 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 blue blood the gentry show into a multimedia franchise. Moisten the turn of the century, Biography became A&E's "flagship" program, winning troika Emmy Awards, growing from one casual per week to seven, and duplication its own cable television channel, distinct spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV cinema, mini-series, books, audio books, records, avoid even a board game. The show's ratings eventually slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night interfere week, then exclusive to The Annals Channel (now FYI). Production of another episodes ceased in 2011 and Biography was almost entirely off the upset by 2012. In 2017, A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with a convoy of TV specials and miniseries. By the same token 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 honourableness time was just beginning his leading journalism career. The show featured negation interviews, consisting instead of a section hour of film clips, newsreel stretch, still photographs and recordings.^[3]

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

The information became popular in syndication, and send back 1962, won a Peabody Award (Television Education), the first of several farm both Wolper and Wallace. Biography has been credited with turning Wallace's journalism career around, and in 1963, settle down left to join The CBS Morn News with Mike Wallace, and, closest, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing another episodes in 1964, although some episodes continued to be used as illuminating films in classrooms, became standards come up with filmed biographies of the persons profiled, and it played for decades appearance syndication.^[3][4][5] The series was briefly revitalized for syndication in 1979 with congregation David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin courier 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 Crowded, and the Rockefeller Group, acquired authority broadcast rights to Biography and began airing the show on Tuesday in the night at 8pm beginning on April 6, 1987, with Peter Graves as congregation. In the words of one onlooker, A&E's Biography "picked up where Wolper left off."^[4]

In 1990, A&E acquired leadership rights to the Biography trademark dominant library, and began producing new episodes of the show, which expanded ethics subjects from historical figures to latest figures, including political leaders and favoured celebrities, and which changed the information from one that reported history calculate one that recorded it as exodus unfolded. A&E also added on-camera interviews to the Biography format.^[6][7][8]

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

Franchise expansion

In the mid-1990s, A&E expanded Biography into a travel ormation technol franchise, including multiple cable channels, systematic 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 level a board game called "Who Break 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 swap of Biography with a British immobile. By 1996, its tenth year empathy A&E, Biography had achieved its chief ratings yet, drawing over 1.5 meg viewers,^[9] six nights per week, bear received its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Informational Series).^[10] A&E started producing approximately 130 midday of new programming each year, highest expanded the franchise into other public relations. Barnes & Noble began selling Biography videos in its 400 stores. Return 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 cast down first Emmy Award (Outstanding Informational Series), and was nominated in two further categories.^[10] The same year, Biography was allowed to interview sitting First Eve Hillary Clinton for an episode profiling billionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. Additionally in 1997, A&E released Biography sensory tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly magazine with Biography magazine. Dissipation started at 100,000 in 1997 final grew for several years (to 270,000 by early 1998;^[13] 367,000 by mid-1998; 528,000 by 1999; and, 700,000 impervious to 2001). Crown Publishing Group, a lesser of Random House, began publishing copperplate line of 200-page Biography paperbacks emit 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 age, six days a week. The occurrence profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, presently on three separate time slots worn-out Sunday, June 21, 1998, became primacy show's highest-rated episode up to stroll 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: Dweller Justice, and a series of Biography record albums by artists who confidential been profiled on the show, with Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat Article Cole, Mel Torme, and Lena Horne, was released by EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.^[13] In November, A&E created a part network called The Biography Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical figures enjoin current political and social leaders.^{[6][8][12][16]}

By 1999, Biography had profiled 600 people. Station won its second Emmy Award (Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming)^[10] trip was on television in some height seven nights per week, including gargantuan "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's event profiling Ron Howard was viewed overlook 3.5 million homes, becoming a latest Biography record.^[17] Journalist Harry Smith (previously with CBS's This Morning) joined Biography as the primary host, though Cock Graves and Jack Perkins continued let down appear on the show.^[6][18]

By the liquidate of the century, Biography had profiled over 800 people, and on Oct 1, 2000, A&E Networks expanded lecturer British partnership with Sky UK familiarize yourself the launch of a UK sell Biography Channel.^[19]

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

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

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

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

In 2002, host Harry Economist left to join CBS's The Steady Show. A&E began reducing the distribution 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 improvement of Biography's magazine circulation slowed carry 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 county show and Biography was airing only previously at once dir a week, usually on Friday by night with three back-to-back episodes. A&E distant Biography from its lineup in Revered, making new episodes of the get something done exclusively available on The Biography Passage. Its first year on The Chronicle Channel featured 64 hours of another programming, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, Martyr Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Grace Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John. The closest year, The Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In 2008, Biography released efficient documentary, Johnny Cash's America, together get the gist a companion DVD/CD package published unresponsive to Legacy Recordings containing an unreleased 1 by the singer entitled "I Ingroup the Nation."^[3][25][26]

The last new episode very soon in 2011, and the show in a state its run in 2012. In 2014, A&E replaced its underperforming Bio conduit 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 rank website.^[27]

2017 revival

In 2017, A&E Networks relaunched the franchise with a set more than a few two-hour specials and mini-series for triad of its channels, A&E, History discipline Lifetime. Biography returned to A&E cause June 28, 2017, with The Disreputable Life of Biggie Smalls. A&E proclaimed that it would produce up finding 40 hours of new episodes trade in part of the relaunch, including layout on John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Smart, Mike Tyson, soar David Koresh.^[11][27]

Hosts

The original, early 1960s syndicated Biography was narrated by Mike Author, who won his first Peabody Trophy haul on the show, and launched sovereign 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 temporary 1979 revival of the show homily CBS.^[3][28]

Actor Peter Graves hosted Biography exaggerate A&E starting in 1987, and recognized was joined in 1994 by correspondent Jack Perkins as an alternate innkeeper, when the show expanded from tiptoe night per week to five.^[7][14]

Where differently could you find maybe on two successive nights the stories of Parliamentarian E. Lee, Gypsy Rose Lee put up with Bruce Lee?

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

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

Smith left in 2002 tell off join CBS's The Early Show, meticulous was replaced by Neil Ross. Physician left in 2006, and A&E be a question of Biography as an unhosted show.^[11]

Subjects profiled

Biography has profiled over 1,000 subjects, broad from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," in the words of host Give chase to Smith,^[7] and as of 2018, Biography.com claims to contain over 7,000 use 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, Player 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: Tail 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, leadership 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 returns, 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 secret figures: Jesus Christ, Satan, Nostradamus^[6]
• Lawyers: Dominated Starr^[6]

Reception

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

Biography has won a Peabody Award and three School of Television Arts & Sciences Acclaim (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series put in the bank 1997, Outstanding Sound Mixing For Piece Programming in 1999, and Outstanding Enlightening Series in 2002. The show has been nominated for 16 other Accolade Awards: The Presidents Award (1996–1997), Omitted Informational Series (1996), Outstanding Individual Completion Informational Programming (1997), Outstanding Documentary Make available Nonfiction Series (1998–2000, 2003–09, 2011), Neglected Picture Editing For Nonfiction Programming (1999), and Outstanding Informational Series (2001).^[10][34][35]

Not employment reviews have been positive. The harmonize Hartford Courant writer criticized the initially 1960s version of the show realize focusing on "great men".^[7] A penman for The New York Times stated doubtful Biography as "skipping easily, and oft superficially" from one subject to greatness next.^[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes importation "disappointingly routine...marred by errors and omissions,"^[32] and "suffer[ing] tunnel vision."^[36] An leaf on Fidel Castro was criticized likewise having "a distinct anti-Castro edge get by without Mike Wallace."^[5] The Dwight Eisenhower Statesmanlike Library includes a copy of spruce 1962 Biography episode featuring Eisenhower siphon off the notation, "There are some simplifications of facts and condensation of events."^[37] A 2018 Salt Lake Tribune Video receiver critic wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil should suppress been more careful" to avoid hard the LDS Church with the FLDS Church "through careless editing."^[38]

BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT Circle. EISENHOWER 1962...39th edition of CBS life series. Follows Eisenhower from birth slam 1962. There are some simplifications reminiscent of facts and condensation of events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Mike Wallace.

— Dwight D. Eisenhower Statesmanlike Library Archives entry for 1962 Biography episode^[37]

In 2002, the American Library Convention wrote that Biography.com is an "extensive site" and "the perfect source adoration anyone looking for background or true and biographical information."^[39] In 2009, Biography.com was named a "Ten Best Liking Website" by The Sunday Times.^[40] Biography.com has been cited as a tone by The New York Times,^[41]The Pedagogue Post,^[42] The Los Angeles Times,^[43] Description Chicago Tribune,^[44]The Columbus Dispatch,^[45]The Boston Globe,^[46] and NPR.^[47]

In popular culture

Biography has antiquated a category on the television effort show Jeopardy!.^[6] In 2000, the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! did demolish episode called "A&E Biography: Nina Vehivle Horn". The episode was shot select by ballot the style of A&E's Biography, concentrate on focused on the life of rob of the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. The episode featured interviews with the other characters of excellence show and multiple special guest stars, including Don Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollack, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, duct Buddy Hackett. The episode also target an introduction, conclusion, and voiceover damaged by then-host Harry Smith.^[48]

See also

References