Biography (TV program)

Did You Know?

• In 1996, Biography launched a website called Biography.com with over 3,000 biographies.
• The show was distributed in syndication by Official Films.
• A board game was part of the Biography franchise.

History

The original Biography was produced by David Wolper and Jack Haley Jr. and narrated by Mike Wallace, featuring no interviews but film clips, newsreel footage, still photographs, and recordings. Production began in 1961 and the show premiered in syndication in February 1962, profiling world leaders, contemporary American politicians, athletes, and other 20th-century notables. It won a Peabody Award in 1962 and helped launch Wallace's journalism career; he left in 1963. New episodes ceased in 1964, though episodes continued as educational films. A brief revival in 1979 with host David Janssen profiled figures such as Idi Amin and Walt Disney. A&E acquired broadcast rights and began airing the show on April 6, 1987, with Peter Graves as host. In 1990, A&E acquired the Biography trademark and library, began producing new episodes, expanded subjects to contemporary figures, and added on-camera interviews.

Hosts

The 1960s syndicated series Biography launched Mike Wallace's journalism career and earned him his first Peabody Award; he departed in 1963. Actor David Janssen hosted a brief 1979 CBS revival. Peter Graves took over on A&E in 1987, with Jack Perkins joining as co-host in 1994 when the show expanded to five nights weekly. Harry Smith became primary host in 1999, though Graves and Perkins remained involved; Smith left in 2002, succeeded by Neil Ross. After Ross exited in 2006, the series continued without a host.

Reception

Biography has been described as an undisputed phenom, one of cable television's most respected programs, and A&E's flagship series. It won a Peabody Award and three Emmy Awards: Outstanding Informational Series in 1997 and 2002, and Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming in 1999. The show received 16 other Emmy nominations across various categories. Some reviews were critical: a Hartford Courant writer criticized the early 1960s version for focusing on great men, and a New York Times writer described it as skipping easily and often superficially. Variety reviewed some episodes as disappointingly routine and marred by errors. An episode on Fidel Castro was criticized for having a distinct anti-Castro edge. The Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Library noted simplifications and condensations in a 1962 episode. A 2018 Salt Lake Tribune critic said producers of an episode should have been more careful to avoid confusing the LDS Church with the FLDS Church.

In popular culture

The TV game show Jeopardy! has used Biography as a category. In 2000, the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! produced an episode styled after A&E's Biography, centering on character Nina Van Horn. That episode included interviews with other characters and guest stars, plus an introduction and narration from host Harry Smith.