Biography
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.
Episodes
1998
1David Berkowitz: Son of Sam
60 minMar 23, 1998
For over a year, he held a city hostage to fear. When he was finally caught, the nation was shocked to discover that the "face of terror" was a cherubic postal worker who smiled sweetly for the camera. David Berkowitz claimed the lives of six people in a killing spree that resulted in the largest manhunt in the history of New York. Once apprehended, he confessed to all the crimes and asked the judge to put him away forever so he would not kill again. In this comprehensive portrait, reporters and detectives who worked on the case, the parents of victims, a prosecutor and a former FBI profiler relive the case that galvanized a nation. Psychologists explore the many frustrations and disappointments that led Berkowitz to kill, and in a gripping interview, Berkowitz himself talks about his crimes and jailhouse transformation into the "Son of Hope." Today, he ministers to other prisoners and born-again Christians all over the world in hopes of restoring some meaning to his shattered life. From the dark streets of a shaken city to the jailhouse reformation, BIOGRAPHY examines the "Son of Sam."
2Mao Tse Tung: China's Peasant Emperor
60 minMar 30, 1998
“For 25 years Mao Zedong ruled one quarter of the world’s population. This is the extraordinary story of a farmer’s son who became a God in his life time but in private never shook off his peasant roots; a man who presided over one of the most radical experiments in social reform ever seen in human history but who will be remembered as one of the bloodiest dictators of the twentieth century. This program–told through the accounts of those who have met and studied him, loved and loathed him–includes archive film and pictures going back to the very earliest days of Mao’s life, as well as unique film of China at the turn of the century and during key episodes in Mao’s communist revolution. It includes harrowing and eye-witness accounts of such momentous events as the cultural revolution, the Great Leap Forward and the most severe man-made famine ever recorded.”
3Amelia Earhart: Queen of the Air
60 minApr 6, 1998
4Angela Lansbury: A Balancing Act
60 minApr 13, 1998
5Anne Frank: The Life of a Young Girl
60 minApr 20, 1998
6Beethoven: The Sound and the Fury
60 minApr 27, 1998
7Colonel Sanders: America's Chicken King
60 minMay 4, 1998
8Dwight D. Eisenhower: Commander-in-Chief
60 minMay 11, 1998
9Ernest Hemingway: Wrestling With Life
60 minMay 18, 1998
10Evel Knievel: Hell on Wheels
60 minMay 25, 1998
11Howard Carter: Triumph and Treasure
60 minJun 1, 1998
12Jackie Kennedy Onassis: In a Class of Her Own
60 minJun 8, 1998
13Jim Jones: Journey into Madness
60 minJun 15, 1998
14John Wayne: American Legend
60 minJun 22, 1998
15P.T. Barnum: The Greatest Showman on Earth
60 minJun 29, 1998
16Ray Kroc: Fast Food McMillionaire
60 minJul 6, 1998
17Satan: Prince of Darkness
60 minJul 13, 1998
Examining the story of Satan's fall from grace and his efforts against the human race.
18Vincent Van Gogh: A Stroke of Genius
60 minJul 20, 1998
19Charles Lindbergh: Against the Wind
60 minJan 7, 1999
20Fred Gwynne: More than a Munster
60 minJan 18, 1999
21John Wayne Gacy: A Monster in Disguise
60 minJan 25, 1999
22Nicolae Ceausescu: The Unrepentant Tyrant
60 minFeb 1, 1999
23The Tiffanys: Mark of Excellence
60 minFeb 8, 1999
44Dean Martin: Everybody Loves Somebody
Sep 4, 1995
63Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
46 minOct 20, 1995
Their incredible exploits earned them a place in American legend. Their true fate remains one of the great mysteries of the Old west.
67Nostradamus: Prophet of Doom
47 minNov 6, 1995
Explore the incredible life of Nostradamus, the enigmatic man known as the Prophet of Doom.
Where to watch Biography
Not currently streaming in United States
No streaming service is listing it right now. Availability changes often — check back soon.
Availability from JustWatch, via TMDB.
Series cast
