‘Biography’ Marks 15th Anniversary

“Biography is a very definite region bounded on the north by history, on the south by fiction, on the east by obituary and on the west by tedium,” British biographer Philip Guedalla once told the London Observer. Though it’s been 73 years and one day since the publication of that quote, the same could be said of A&E;’s “Biography.”

Tonight at 8, the series will mark its 15th anniversary with a two-hour retrospective that gets off to a strong start but gradually loses some steam.

The show begins with the story of “Biography’s” own early years, when Peter Graves was host and it struggled to find an identity in the new world of cable TV. By 1994, the series had expanded from one to five nights a week and added Jack Perkins as host. It has since become a cottage industry that has spawned the Biography Channel, a magazine, a Web site, books, videos and a board game. And its fair share of parodies, a few of which are shown tonight.

“Being spoofed on ‘Saturday Night Live’ is the ultimate, ultimate cultural compliment,” says Harry Smith, the series’ current host.

The first third of the special also concentrates on interviews with the series’ producers, who offer a number of funny and fascinating behind-the-scenes tidbits.

After that, though, the focus shifts. And slowly, one of “Biography’s” strengths--diversity--becomes a bit of a weakness.

Over the years, the show has profiled more than 900 people, ranging from Attila the Hun to Frank Zappa. Tonight’s program covers quite a few of them, grouped into themes both relatively innocuous (child stars and celebrities before they were famous) and sinister (career crashes and criminals).

But, after more than an hour, this quick-hit approach can become wearying. Indeed, by the show’s end, some viewers might find their interest heading south. Or, in Guedalla’s words, heading west.