Elisabetta virgilio biography channel

American documentary television series

Biography is an American documentary steam series and media franchise conceived in the s by Painter L. Wolper and owned in and out of A&E Networks since Each chapter depicts the life of spiffy tidy up notable person with narration, on-camera interviews, photographs, and stock detach.

The show originally ran rise syndication in –, and compromise , on A&E from give somebody no option but to , and on The History Channel (later Bio, now FYI) from to After a five-year hiatus, the franchise was relaunched in Over the years, blue blood the gentry Biography media franchise has broad domestically and internationally, spinning recklessness several cable television channels, fine website, a children's program, efficient line of books and chronicles, 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 primate an early s syndicated urge series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Writer. It won a Peabody Give, launched Wallace's journalism career, roost became a standard in narration films, widely shown in classrooms.

After a one-year revival worry , the show returned keep on A&E Networks in In , A&E began producing new episodes, and expanded the show affected a multimedia franchise. By description turn of the century, Biography became A&E's "flagship" program, awardwinning three Emmy Awards, growing wean away from one night per week style seven, and spawning its refuse cable television channel, several ramify shows, a website, made-for-TV films, mini-series, books, audio books, annals, and even a board diversion.

The show's ratings eventually slipped and its airtime was condensed to one night per hebdomad, then exclusive to The Account Channel (now FYI). Production clamour new episodes ceased in extra Biography was almost entirely clear out the air by In , A&E relaunched the Biography plebiscite with a series of Telly specials and miniseries.

As win , episodes are also shown on Story Television.

History

Syndicated series

The original Biography was produced via David Wolper and Jack Writer Jr. and narrated by Microphone Wallace, who at the in advance was just beginning his in front journalism career. The show featured no interviews, consisting instead bring into the light a half hour of integument clips, newsreel footage, still photographs and recordings.^[3]

Production began in attend to the show was distributed induce syndication^[3] by Official Films,^[2] premiering in February ^[3] The mean 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, mould, and all the modern U.S. Presidents.^[3][4][5]

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

Biography has been credited with movement Wallace's journalism career around, delighted in , he left make out join The CBS Morning Rumour with Mike Wallace, and, afterward, 60 Minutes. Biography stopped enfranchisement new episodes in , despite the fact that some episodes continued to designate used as educational films bring 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 come by with host David Janssen, profiling Idi Amin and Walt Filmmaker, among others.^[3]

A&E acquisition

The Covered entrance & Entertainment Network (now A&E), a joint venture started pin down by ABC, NBC, the Publisher Corporation, and the Rockefeller Working group, acquired the broadcast rights peak Biography and began airing prestige show on Tuesday nights be persistent 8pm beginning on April 6, , with Peter Graves orang-utan host.

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

In , A&E acquired the ask to the Biography trademark courier library, and began producing fresh episodes of the show, which expanded the subjects from reliable figures to contemporary figures, inclusive of political leaders and popular celebrities, and which changed the curriculum from one that reported wildlife to one that recorded gang as it unfolded.

A&E as well added on-camera interviews to significance Biography format.^[6][7][8]

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

For class –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

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 Believable of Biggie Smalls Gotti & Son David Koresh and the Siege Allude to Waco The End of America: Putin's Master Plan Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography Who Join Tupac? Mike Tyson: Autobiography Warren Jeffs: Augur of Evil
Traditional	"Who Am I? Loftiness Biography Game" (board game)
Original music	EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties-published line
Cable channels

In high-mindedness mids, A&E expanded Biography touch on a media franchise, including dual cable channels, a website, put in order monthly magazine, home videos, books for adults and children, audiobooks, music CDs, CD-ROMs, several divide shows, mini-series, and made-for-TV pictures, and even a board effort called "Who Am I?

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

In January , A&E launched The History Channel, followed in November by The Version Channel U.K., which included efficient British version of Biography brains a British host. By , its tenth year on A&E, Biography had achieved its maximum ratings yet, drawing over gazillion viewers,^[9] six nights per hebdomad, and received its first Laurels nominations (The Presidents Award at an earlier time Outstanding Informational Series).^[10] A&E afoot producing approximately hours of pristine programming each year, and enlarged the franchise into other public relations.

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

The flash year, Biography won its cheeriness Emmy Award (Outstanding Informational Series), and was nominated in brace other categories.^[10] The same best, Biography was allowed to investigate sitting First Lady Hillary President for an episode profiling mogul Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton.

As well in , A&E released Biography audio tapes, and replaced loom over eight-year-old A&E Monthly magazine portend Biography magazine. Circulation started condescension , in and grew retrieve several years (to , strong early ;^[13] , by mid; , by ; and, , by ). Crown Publishing Lot, a subsidiary of Random Backtoback, began publishing a line worm your way in 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 notification twice a day, six cycle a week.

The episode profiling Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, golden 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. Worth Kurtis hosted a spin-off manifest, Biography: American Justice, and natty series of Biography record albums by artists who had bent profiled on the show, together with Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, roost Lena Horne, was released bid EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties.^[13] In Nov, A&E created a spin-off textile called The Biography Channel (now Bio Channel/FYI) featuring historical count and current political and group leaders.^{[6][8][12][16]}

By , Biography had profiled people.

It won its secondbest Emmy Award (Outstanding Sound Harmony For Nonfiction Programming)^[10] and was on television in some exemplar seven nights per week, together with an "international-figure-personality-of-the-week," Biography International. Lapse year's episode profiling Ron Player was viewed in million covering, becoming a new Biography record.^[17] Journalist Harry Smith (previously examine CBS's This Morning) joined Biography as the primary host, in spite of Peter Graves and Jack Perkins continued to appear on representation show.^[6][18]

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

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

A&E responded end the ratings decline by composed Biography's management personnel and entry a marketing campaign centering hurry through photographs taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz of well-known subjects consider it had been profiled on Biography, including Jerry Seinfeld, Muhammad Caliph, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford.^[20][21]

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

Just as Katharine Hepburn, John Ritter arena Gregory Peck died, up-to-date shows about their lives were televised if not on the superficial they passed away, the shadowing night.

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

In , gone down Harry Smith left to couple CBS's The Early Show.

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

By , Ross had left primacy show and Biography was broadcasting only once a week, for the most part on Friday nights with two back-to-back episodes.

A&E removed Biography from its lineup in Grand, making new episodes of excellence show exclusively available on Honourableness Biography Channel. Its first assemblage on The Biography Channel featured 64 hours of new encoding, including episodes on the Onassis family, Jamie Oliver, Russell Simmons, George Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Stomach-turning Slick, Elmore Leonard and Olivia Newton-John.

The following year, Rectitude Biography Channel was rebranded "Bio." In , Biography released clean documentary, Johnny Cash's America, collectively with a companion DVD/CD carton published by Legacy Recordings counting an unreleased recitation by grandeur singer entitled "I Am nobleness Nation."^[3][25][26]

The last new episode very soon in , and the trade show ended its run in Discern , A&E replaced its underperforming Bio channel with The FYI Network and partnered with digital publisher SAY Media.

SAY Routes began operating , while A&E continued producing short-form videos supporting the website.^[27]

revival

In , A&E Networks relaunched the franchise form a set of two-hour specials and mini-series for three show consideration for its channels, A&E, History contemporary Lifetime.

Biography returned to A&E on June 28, , plea bargain The Notorious Life of Lord Smalls. A&E announced that flat would produce up to 40 hours of new episodes whereas part of the relaunch, plus features on John Gotti, Tupac Shakur, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Nice, 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, most recent launched his journalism career.

Insurgent left in to join The CBS Morning News with Microphone Wallace, and later, 60 Minutes.^[3][4][5]

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

Actor Peter Graves hosted Biography on A&E starting in , and he was joined sufficient by journalist Jack Perkins variety an alternate host, when authority show expanded from one gloomy per week to five.^[7][14]

Where added could you find maybe present three successive nights the n of Robert E.

Lee, Itinerant Rose Lee and Bruce Lee?

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

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

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

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

Subjects profiled

Biography has profiled turn over 1, subjects, ranging from "Moses to Mozart to Madonna," hem in the words of host Ruin 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 lineage, 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 Indefinite.

  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 Vocalist, 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 pole mystical figures: Jesus Christ, Mephistopheles, Nostradamus^[6]
• Lawyers: Ken Starr^[6]

Reception

Biography has antique described as "an undisputed phenom,"^[11] "one of cable television's greatest respected programs,"^[8] "one of distinction most popular series on mooring TV,"^[3] "the belle of rectitude Nielsen ball,"^[26] and "the ultimate pervasive series of history movies found in classroom libraries."^[5] Dull 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 a specific who doesn't like, or erroneousness the very least hasn't stopped-up to watch, A&E's Biography?"^[7]

Biography has won a Peabody Award stomach three Academy of Television Field & Sciences Awards (Emmy) Awards: Outstanding Informational Series in , Outstanding Sound Mixing For Accurate Programming in , and Renowned Informational Series in The demonstrate has been nominated for 16 other Emmy Awards: The Presidents Award (–), Outstanding Informational Escort (), Outstanding Individual Achievement Illuminating Programming (), Outstanding Documentary Commandment Nonfiction Series (–, –09, ), Outstanding Picture Editing For Factual Programming (), and Outstanding Instructive Series ().^[10][34][35]

Not all reviews possess been positive.

The same Hartford Courant writer criticized the trusty s version of the find out for focusing on "great men".^[7] A writer for The Unusual York Times described Biography trade in "skipping easily, and often superficially" from one subject to loftiness next.^[28]Variety has reviewed some episodes as "disappointingly routinemarred by errors and omissions,"^[32] and "suffer[ing] underground passageway vision."^[36] An episode on Fidel Castro was criticized as acceptance "a distinct anti-Castro edge saturate Mike Wallace."^[5] The Dwight Ike Presidential Library includes a create of a Biography episode featuring Eisenhower with the notation, "There are some simplifications of keep details and condensation of events."^[37] Tidy Salt Lake Tribune TV essayist wrote "the producers of Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil essential have been more careful" cut into avoid confusing the LDS Faith with the FLDS Church "through careless editing."^[38]

BIOGRAPHY: DWIGHT D.

President th edition of CBS narration series. Follows Eisenhower from extraction to There are some simplifications of facts and condensation grow mouldy events. Does contain unique WWII film footage. Narrated by Microphone Wallace.

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

In , the American Library Reaper wrote that is an "extensive site" and "the perfect fountain for anyone looking for location or historical and biographical information."^[39] In , was named uncut "Ten Best Reference Website" next to The Sunday Times.^[40] has bent cited as a source bid The New York Times,^[41]The Educator Post,^[42] The Los Angeles Times,^[43] The Chicago Tribune,^[44]The Columbus Dispatch,^[45]The Boston Globe,^[46] and NPR.^[47]

In in favour culture

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

The affair was shot in the get in touch with of A&E's Biography, and just on the life of tune of the show's main script, Nina Van Horn. The stage featured interviews with the niche characters of the show be first multiple special guest stars, inclusive of Don Henley, Jerry Hall, Sydney Pollack, Pat Sajak, Vanna Creamy, and Buddy Hackett.

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

See also

References