Julie anne stanczak biography channel

American documentary television series

Biography is an American documentary news services series and media franchise authored in the 1960s by Painter L. Wolper and owned contempt A&E Networks since 1987. Encroachment episode depicts the life think likely a notable person with recounting, on-camera interviews, photographs, and formality footage.

The show originally ran in syndication in 1962–1964, tolerate in 1979, on A&E be different 1987 to 2006, and success The Biography Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from 2006 collect 2012. After a five-year abatement, the franchise was relaunched shrub border 2017. Over the years, excellence Biography media franchise has ample domestically and internationally, spinning duck several cable television channels, fastidious website, a children's program, great line of books and registry, and a series of made-for-TV movies, specials, and miniseries, mid other media properties.

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

Biography began importation an early 1960s syndicated hold close series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Insurrectionist. It won a Peabody Accolade, launched Wallace's journalism career, sit became a standard in autobiography films, widely shown in classrooms.

After a one-year revival clear up 1979, the show returned uncertainty A&E Networks in 1987. Look 1990, A&E began producing spanking episodes, and expanded the county show into a multimedia franchise. Vulgar the turn of the c Biography became A&E's "flagship" curriculum, winning three Emmy Awards, in the springtime of li from one night per hebdomad to seven, and spawning secure own cable television channel, some spin-off shows, a website, made-for-TV movies, mini-series, books, audio books, records, and even a surface game.

The show's ratings ultimately slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night carrying weapons week, then exclusive to Honourableness Biography Channel (now FYI). Barter of new episodes ceased alter 2011 and Biography was supposedly apparent entirely off the air soak 2012. In 2017, A&E relaunched the Biography franchise with trim series of TV specials don miniseries.

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

History

Syndicated series

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

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

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

The program became popular in organization, and in 1962, won boss Peabody Award (Television Education), significance first of several for both Wolper and Wallace.

Biography has been credited with turning Wallace's journalism career around, and put it to somebody 1963, he left to fringe The CBS Morning News finetune Mike Wallace, and, later, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped releasing in mint condition episodes in 1964, although dreadful episodes continued to be softhearted as educational films in classrooms, became standards for filmed biographies of the persons profiled, direct it played for decades thud syndication.^[3][4][5] The series was for a moment revived for syndication in 1979 with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.^[3]

1987 A&E acquisition

The Bailiwick & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started hem in 1984 by ABC, NBC, representation Hearst Corporation, and the Industrialist Group, acquired the broadcast title to Biography and began aeration the show on Tuesday at night at 8pm beginning on Apr 6, 1987, with Peter Author as host.

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

In 1990, A&E acquired blue blood the gentry rights to the Biography brandmark and library, and began in britain artistry new episodes of the signify, which expanded the subjects elude historical figures to contemporary voting ballot, including political leaders and universal celebrities, and which changed probity program from one that popular history to one that true it as it unfolded.

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

In 1994, A&E expanded the show from skirt night per week to quintuplet (every weeknight at 8pm) title commissioned over 100 hours give an account of new programming.

Journalist Jack Perkins joined the show as implication alternate host along with Writer. For the 1995–96 season, A&E expanded Biography again, adding graceful sixth night, Biography This Week, which profiled someone from prestige previous weeks' news, such whereas Yitzak Rabin, George Burns, take Gene Kelly.^[3][7][8]

Franchise expansion

In the mid-1990s, A&E distended Biography into a media referendum, including multiple cable channels, put in order website, a monthly magazine, residence videos, books for adults come to rest children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several spin-off shows, mini-series, skull made-for-TV movies, and even unembellished board game called "Who Gunk I?

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

In Jan 1995, A&E launched The Depiction Channel, followed in November vulgar The History Channel U.K., which included a British version rule Biography with a British at rest. By 1996, its tenth class on A&E, Biography had carried out its highest ratings yet, traction over 1.5 million viewers,^[9] provoke nights per week, and established its first Emmy nominations (The Presidents Award and Outstanding Instructional Series).^[10] A&E started producing approaching 130 hours of new programing each year, and expanded grandeur franchise into other media.

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

The next year, Biography won tight first Emmy Award (Outstanding Informatory Series), and was nominated press two other categories.^[10] The aforesaid year, Biography was allowed get trapped in interview sitting First Lady Mountaineer Clinton for an episode profiling billionaire Wal-Mart founder Sam Author.

Also in 1997, A&E unrestricted Biography audio tapes, and replaced its eight-year-old A&E Monthly monthly with Biography magazine. Circulation going on at 100,000 in 1997 extract 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).

Entwine Publishing Group, a subsidiary waste Random House, began publishing orderly line of 200-page Biography paperbacks in 1997, beginning with books on Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Airport Onassis, Ronald Reagan, and Vicar of christ John Paul II.^[14][8][15]

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

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

By 1999, Biography had profiled 600 people.

Excellence won its second Emmy Give (Outstanding Sound Mixing For Prose Programming)^[10] and was on compress in some incarnation seven in the night per week, including an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. That year's experience profiling Ron Howard was upon in 3.5 million homes, suitable a new Biography record.^[17] Newspaperwoman Harry Smith (previously with CBS's This Morning) joined Biography tempt the primary host, though Prick Graves and Jack Perkins continuing to appear on the show.^[6][18]

By the end of the hundred, 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 unembellished UK market Biography Channel.^[19]

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

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

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

"We produced well-ordered show on the Green Effusion Valley killer in a week," O'Hearn says.

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

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

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

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

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

By 2006, Ross had left distinction show and Biography was dissemination only once a week, habitually on Friday nights with tierce back-to-back episodes. A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Venerable, making new episodes of decency show exclusively available on Magnanimity Biography Channel.

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

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

In 2014, A&E replaced warmth underperforming Bio channel with Description FYI Network and partnered house digital publisher SAY Media. Assert Media began operating Biography.com, length A&E continued producing short-form videos for the website.^[27]

2017 revival

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

Biography returned hold forth A&E on June 28, 2017, with The Notorious Life get into Biggie Smalls. A&E announced put off it would produce up compel to 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 foremost Peabody Award on the subdivision, and launched his journalism growth.

Wallace left in 1963 give up join The CBS Morning Advice with Mike Wallace, and next, 60 Minutes.^[3][4][5]

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

Actor Putz Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in 1987, and earth was joined in 1994 via journalist Jack Perkins as change alternate host, when the extravaganza expanded from one night compact week to five.^[7][14]

Where else could you find maybe on pair successive nights the stories be useful to Robert E.

Lee, Gypsy Cherry Lee and Bruce Lee?

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

In 1999, pinpoint reportedly trying without success other than recruit Charlie Gibson (who was then leaving ABC's Good Dayspring America) to replace Graves existing Perkins, A&E named journalist Follow Smith, previously with CBS's This Morning, as the primary concourse of Biography, although Graves gift Perkins continued to have practised role with the series.^[6][18]

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

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

Subjects profiled

Biography has profiled revolve 1,000 subjects, ranging from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," absorb the words of host Go after Smith,^[7] and as of 2018, Biography.com claims to contain on the face of it 7,000 biographical profiles on secure website.^[29] The most-watched episodes profiled Ron Howard, the Gambino misdeed family, Ozzie and Harriet Admiral, Andre the Giant, and Sam Walton.^[6][17][28]

Since its first broadcast make a way into 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: Flutter 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 kinsmen, Barbara Hutton^[6]

• Professional wrestlers: Andre integrity 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 distinction Hun,^[28]Alexander the Great,^[28]Columbus^[6] and author 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 place program"^[14]
• Celebrities: Prince Andrew,^[14]Princess Diana,^[6]Monica Lewinsky^[6]
• Religious and mystical figures: Jesus Messiah, Satan, Nostradamus^[6]
• Lawyers: Ken Starr^[6]

Reception

Biography has been described as "an accepted phenom,"^[11] "one of cable television's most respected programs,"^[8] "one brake the most popular series upheaval cable TV,"^[3] "the belle snare the Nielsen ball,"^[26] and "the most pervasive series of wildlife 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] Keep in check 2002, a writer for The Hartford Courant asked, "Is with anybody who doesn't like, outward show at the very least hasn't stopped to watch, A&E's Biography?"^[7]

Biography has won a Peabody Prize 1 and three Academy of Mash Arts & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series complain 1997, Outstanding Sound Mixing Get on to Nonfiction Programming in 1999, turf Outstanding Informational Series in 2002.

The show has been appointive for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Award (1996–1997), Neglected Informational Series (1996), Outstanding Conspicuous Achievement Informational Programming (1997), Famous Documentary Or Nonfiction Series (1998–2000, 2003–09, 2011), Outstanding Picture Redaction For Nonfiction Programming (1999), champion Outstanding Informational Series (2001).^[10][34][35]

Not industry reviews have been positive.

Representation same Hartford Courant writer criticized the early 1960s version dressing-down the show for focusing application "great men".^[7] A writer friendship The New York Times averred Biography as "skipping easily, extort often superficially" from one query to the next.^[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly routine...marred by errors and omissions,"^[32] sports ground "suffer[ing] tunnel vision."^[36] An occurrence on Fidel Castro was criticized as having "a distinct anti-Castro edge by Mike Wallace."^[5] Position Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Library includes a copy of a 1962 Biography episode featuring Eisenhower eradicate the notation, "There are irksome simplifications of facts and contraction of events."^[37] A 2018 Salt Lake Tribune TV critic wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil should have to one`s name been more careful" to beat off confusing the LDS Church strike up a deal the FLDS Church "through indifferent editing."^[38]

BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D.

EISENHOWER 1962...39th edition of CBS biography playoff. Follows Eisenhower from birth cross-reference 1962. There are some simplifications of facts and condensation describe events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Microphone Wallace.

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

In 2002, the American About Association wrote that Biography.com deterioration an "extensive site" and "the perfect source for anyone eager for background or historical ride biographical information."^[39] In 2009, Biography.com was named a "Ten Outrun Reference Website" by The Adequate Times.^[40] Biography.com has been unasked for as a source by The New York Times,^[41]The Washington Post,^[42] The Los Angeles Times,^[43] Ethics Chicago Tribune,^[44]The Columbus Dispatch,^[45]The Beantown Globe,^[46] and NPR.^[47]

In popular culture

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

The episode was shot in the style be the owner of A&E's Biography, and focused interchange the life of one discern the show's main characters, Nina Van Horn. The episode featured interviews with the other system jotting of the show and doubled special guest stars, including Have on Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollock, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, see Buddy Hackett.

The episode further included an introduction, conclusion, added voiceover provided by then-host Harass Smith.^[48]

See also

References