Biography

1987

Seasons & Episodes

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

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.

Genre

Documentary

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Biography (1987) is now streaming with subscription on Prime Video

Cast

Director

Production Companies

Foxstar Productions

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Biography Audience Reviews

Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Ariella Broughton It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
Blake Rivera If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.
Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
AaronCapenBanner Biography is exactly the right word to describe this A&E series, which was hosted by various artists over its run. Every episode I have seen was well researched and interesting, but on a series that takes on a new subject every week, one's interest will depend on how much one cares to learn about a particular person, who can range from actors, writers, directors, or even military & political figures, etc.Many episodes are included as extras on various DVDs from Fox Films, so one can see portraits of Henry Fonda, Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison, Linda Darnell, Vincent Price, among others. If the show can make people you didn't think you'd care about worthy of viewing, you know it's doing something right!
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.
ccthemovieman-1 I have watched a handful of these A&E Network "Biographies," and enjoyed them all. For a show that lasts only about 45 minutes, it's amazing how much information they give about a personI couldn't find the episode about artist Jackson Pollock listed above, so I'll review it briefly here.One thing this show did is that it verified how accurate the movie, "Pollock," was, which is unusual. Usually films take a lot of license when dealing with history but this A&E show pretty much was right in line with what I saw on the Ed Harris film of 2000. In fact, Harris is among the interviewees here and seems to have a lot of knowledge about this famous painter. Harris, who paints himself, and the rest of the contributors all have their theories on what made Pollock act the way he did.About 60 percent of this documentary talks about Pollock's up-and-down life and about 40 percent about his artwork. His life, generally, was a disaster, in large part to his drinking disorder. The man was a drunk, from an early age right to his death in which he got blitzed and then smashed his car into a tree. His best art work - by far, as it is pointed out here, was the three-year period in which he was stone sober. The drinking also brought out a loud and obnoxious personality in a man who normally was very quiet and reserved. Overall, he was not a nice guy and his faults far outweighed his good points. Kudos for "Biography" to at least show that. It also gives him tribute, too, however, for his accomplishments and tries to be sympathetic at times concerning why he acted poorly.Speaking of sympathy, much of that in this TV show goes out to Lee Krasner, the artist who loved Pollock and sacrificed a part of her career to boost his reputation. She comes out of this looking like a nice lady who put up with a lot of grief for a man she adored.Anyway, if you're interested in this famous painter, whom Life Magazine once asked, "Is This The Greatest Painter In America?," I would rent the movie. It has all of this info of this A&E show in it, plus a lot more and seems to be an accurate portrayal of the controversial artist.
a-mcdouell Anyone who can portray herself so brilliantly in a movie of such brilliance should be applauded. I can't make it more evident the awe and respect I have for Patty Duke. She is beautifull inside and out and also actually looks like my Mom did alot.I would have to give it away to tell you how this movie helped me. The Call Me Anna book also is brilliant. Please join me in one hurrah for anyone who is willing, as an actor or actress, to go public on such an area of sensitive and stigmatic a subject.