Biography

Name: Biography
Genre: Documentary
Released: 1987-04-06
Rating: 6.7

RETURNING27 Seasons347 Episodes★ 6.7

Biography is a documentary series on CBS that premiered in 1987, with 27 seasons and 347 episodes to date. Its most recent episode aired on Jan 2, 2012, and no new episodes have been announced.

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NetworkCBS

First AiredApr 6, 1987

Last AiredJan 2, 2012

GenreDocumentary

Runtime60 min

Created ByDavid L. Wolper, Agnes Nixon

LanguageEnglish

CountryUnited States, United Kingdom

ProductionTowers Productions, Departure Films, Atlas Media

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.

LAST AIRED

Biography last aired on Jan 2, 2012. No new episodes have been announced. Track this show to get an alert if it returns.

Seasons & Episodes27 seasons · 356 episodes

0% complete

E2Rodney Dangerfield

Jan 2, 201260m

Trace the unlikely rise of the comedian whose self‑deprecating humor and signature lament—“I don’t get no respect”—made him one of the most beloved figures in American comedy. The episode follows Dangerfield from his difficult early years and stalled first attempts at show business to his remarkable comeback in mid‑life, when his sharp timing and everyman persona finally caught fire. Biography explores his legendary appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show, his creation of the famed Dangerfield’s comedy club, and his transition into film with scene‑stealing roles in Caddyshack, Easy Money, and Back to School. Interviews and archival footage reveal a performer who turned personal hardship into universal laughter, crafting a comic identity that resonated across generations. The program paints a warm, funny, and poignant portrait of a man who earned respect by joking about never getting any.

About Biography

Biography is a documentary series on CBS. The show first aired on Apr 6, 1987 and currently has 27 seasons and 347 episodes. Biography has not aired a new episode since Jan 2, 2012, and neither a renewal nor a cancellation has been announced. It has a rating of 6.7/10 based on 36 votes. Created by David L. Wolper and Agnes Nixon.