Biography

Biography is a documentary television series that began as a half-hour filmed program for CBS, produced by David Wolper and aired from 1961 to 1964 with Mike Wallace as host. The A&E Network later revived it, continuing to produce new episodes since 1987. In its original CBS incarnation, the program highlighted historical figures such as Helen Keller and Mark Twain, as well as long-departed entertainment celebrities like Will Rogers and John Barrymore. The A&E iteration shifted its focus to a broader roster, featuring individuals such 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, along with fictional characters including The Phantom, Superman, Hamlet, Betty Boop, and Santa Claus. The program eventually profiled so many figures that, in 1999, A&E spun it off into a full-fledged network, The Biography Channel.