Biography

1987

Seasons & Episodes

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7.7| 0h30m| TV-14| en| More Info
Released: 06 April 1987 Ended
Producted By: Foxstar Productions
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://www.aetv.com/blog/tags/biography
Synopsis

Biography is a documentary television series. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987. The older version featured historical figures such as Helen Keller and Mark Twain, or long-dead entertainment figures such as Will Rogers or John Barrymore. The A&E series has placed the emphasis on such people as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Plácido Domingo, Freddie Mercury, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Eric Clapton, Pope John Paul II, Gene Tierney, Selena, Diego Rivera, Mao Zedong and Queen Elizabeth II, and fictional characters like The Phantom, Superman, Hamlet, Betty Boop, and Santa Claus. The program ended up profiling enough figures that in 1999, A&E spun it off into an entire network, The Biography Channel.

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Cast

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Producted By

Foxstar Productions

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Reviews

mhughes1947 Hi. Is this 1994 version with Jack Perkins available on DVD? I have an old, worn VHS copy and would like to get a DVD, if possible. It is a great presentation and explores a more in-depth history of St. Nicholas than other DVD copies do. If this is available, please contact me at [email protected] This presentation by Jack Perkins illustrates the history of Santa Claus.Also in the production is Martin Ebon, Father George Passias and also many of the old cartoons from 1933 and 1947.Of particular interest is Santa's Surprise from 1947 in which 7 young children, all from different cultures, surprise Santa by sneaking into his house and cleaning it.
Maniac-9 Biography that airs on A&E network has been basically it's main show since it's inception in 1987 and their best and most looked forward to show every week. So much so that A&E has a spin off channel the Biography channel to air all of their old episodes of this show, that's how highly in demand the show is to the viewers.Biography of any show on TV is the best show at chronicling the life of celebrities whether they be political, acting, sports, or other field of work. You get the best view of what made them who they are today short of reading an autobiography book about them.They tend to interview people close to them or their peers to give their perspective on the subject of that episode.
aciolino Ultimately disappointing series with some very good highlights, one specifically would be the two-part episode devoted to Hugh Hefner. One would think, "Hugh Hefner. . . who cares?" But it turned out to be fascinating, insightful, and as much about a time in America as Mr. Hefner. Well done.However, missing from the pantheon of notables who have had a Bio devoted to them is Al Jolson. Here we have, arguably, the greatest stage performer in the history of Broadway, a star of the highest magnitude whose life story is still compelling. Yet the good people of Biography did not think him worthy of an episode? Badly done.
WeatherViolet During the heyday of the "Biography" series, from its onset through about 2004, A&E would usually present five Prime Time episodes weekly, and often a sixth.Afterward, a "Biography Network" was then formed, purporting to air the series 24 hours per day, but, alas, that network has not appeared in every region, such as here, for it's never been available for one and all to experience, but yet A&E then discontinued the series from its regular line-up except for showings at rather odd hours.Primary Hosts, Jack Perkins and Peter Graves and, later, Harry Smith introduce episodes during these early decades, often narrating, as well.During its first 12 or 15 years, Peter Graves specializes in his field of Entertainment, including subjects famous for film and television acting and directing, as well as music performing.Jack Perkins, meanwhile, introduces subjects famous in fields of History and World Leadership, Arts and Literature, Science and Invention, Sports, Business and Industry, as well as Newsmakers of notoriety. Harry Smith handles each category with equal aplomb amid his very busy schedule of hosting and narrating.In addition to the three principle narrators, others famous as news reporters also handle those reigns, as Bob Brown, Hugh Downs, Bill Kurtis or Mike Wallace.Often, famous celebrities in their own right narrate episodes, such as Shelley Fabares, Jodie Foster, Kevin Bacon, Eric Braeden, Jamie Foxx, Danny Glover, Edward Herrmann, Hal Linden, Richard Kiley, Monte Markham, Bill Mumy or Tom Selleck, usually to spotlight other entertainers.Russell Buchanan specializes in narrating episodes featuring Country music stars, while others who often narrate include Zach Fine, Dave Hoffman, Thomas Miller, Don Morrow and Larry Robinson.Famous Guest Hosts also occasionally appear to introduce episodes during a theme week, such as Jerry Orbach or Kevin Bacon.At its very best, the series is thoroughly researched and well-produced, labeling captions for archive film clips and performers, and adding interesting trivia regarding the lives and careers of its subjects.But then a large production staff displays a great deal of inconsistency, often from one episode to the next, as one star may have his or her film and television clips well-documented, and the next may be deprived this privilege for some strange reason.Well, I suppose that studios may hold a portion of the responsibility for not issuing adequate film clips or television or song clips to the "Biography" production staff, but the graphics also vary from one episode to the next, as well as the ending credits if you could manage to catch a glimpse of those as they roll by on those split-screen credits with promotional gimmicks overtaking the balance of the screen.And, of course, fans often know a great deal more about the lives and careers of their stars than any given episode may present for want of time and research.But, all-in-all, the series does offer a great number of episodes from various categories which you may wish to see and to revisit, so this is a good idea for a series, and often enjoyable, entertaining and informative to study although some subjects from its "Newsworthy" category may not qualify as deserving in everyone's better judgment.