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A&e Network’s Emmy Award-winning “Biography” banner will premiere a new documentary special celebrating one of rock’s biggest stars. Featuring exclusive interviews and archival footage, Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne delves into the many lives and incredible career of the man who has personified rock and roll rebellion for decades. Biography: The Nine Lives of […] More...

In a Gold Derby exclusive, we have learned the category placements of the key Emmy Awards contenders for A&e, History and Lifetime. For this season, the network group has such scripted series as “Project Blue Book” and “Vikings.” TV Movie stars include Niecy Nash, Aunjanue Ellis, Megan Hilty and Jessie Mueller as part of their 2020 campaign.

Below, their list of submissions for all scripted and unscripted programs. More names might be added by the networks on the final Emmy ballot. Also note that performers not included on this list may well be submitted by their personal reps.

Scripted —

Abducted: The Mary Stauffer Story (Lifetime)

Movie/Limited Actress – Alyson Hannigan

The Clark Sisters: First Ladies Of Gospel (Lifetime)

TV Movie

Movie/Limited Actress – Aunjanue Ellis

Movie/Limited Supporting Actress – Christina Bell, Angela Birchett, Shelea Frazier, Raven Goodwin, Kierra Sheard

The College Admissions Scandal (Lifetime)

Movie/Limited Actress – Penelope Ann Miller

I...

As the 1980s began, country superstar Kenny Rogers was fast becoming that genre’s most successful pop crossover artist. In September 1980, after a streak of major hits helmed by producer Larry Butler, Rogers enlisted songwriter Lionel Richie, of the Commodores, to write him a song. “Lady,” also produced by Richie, would soon become the biggest hit in Rogers’ solo career and one of the best-selling songs of the decade.

Not long before he died last month at 81, Rogers would record his last on-camera interview for the upcoming A&e Biography: Kenny Rogers special.

A&E Network is partnering with WWE Studios to produce five original two-hour documentaries under the award-winning “Biography” banner showcasing some of the most iconic WWE Superstars of all time, including “Macho Man” Randy Savage®, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Booker T®, Stone Cold Steve Austin® and Shawn Michaels®. Through these in-depth films helmed by some of the industry’s top directors and storytellers, “Biography” continues its focus on meaningful events and personalities as well as their impact on our culture. Through new and archival interviews and never-before-seen footage, each feature length film will give fans an in-depth look at the early lives, rise to fame and careers of some of the most influential stars in WWE history.

“We are thrilled for the tremendous opportunity to partner with WWE Studios to produce these special films that honor some of the most impactful personalities who have left a lasting imprint on pop culture,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant,...

A&E Network and WWE Studios are teaming up to produce five original two-hour documentaries about wrestlers under the “Biography” banner. The docs will dive into the lives and careers of former WWE Superstars “Macho Man” Randy Savage, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Booker T, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels.

Through new and archival interviews and never-before-seen footage, each feature-length film will give fans an in-depth look at the early lives, rises to fame, and careers of some of the most influential stars in professional wrestling history.

Macho Man’s, Piper’s and Booker T’s docs are currently in production. Directors and descriptions for each of those Spring 2020 docs are below.

We’ll get more info on the “Stone Cold” and Michaels’ “Biography” episodes at a later date. Fans will have to wait for 2021 for those two.

Also Read: WWE's Seth Rollins on How The Stomp Came Back and the...

A&E and WWE Studios will partner to produce five documentaries about some of the most iconic wrestlers of all time in new installments of the “Biography” series.

The two-hour original documentaries will profile “Macho Man” Randy Savage, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Booker T, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Shawn Michaels. As is the standard with the long-running “Biography” series, fans will get an in-depth look at the lives of the wrestlers through new and archival interviews and never-before-seen footage.

“We are thrilled for the tremendous opportunity to partner with WWE Studios to produce these special films that honor some of the most impactful personalities who have left a lasting imprint on pop culture,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive vice president and head of programming at A&E Network.

Billy Corben will direct the documentary on the larger-than-life “Macho Man” Randy Savage. The notorious villain “Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s episode will be helmed by Joe Lavine.

A+E Networks brought out an eclectic group of personalities — from George W. Bush to Sylvester Stallone to Salt-n-Pepa to Garth Brooks — Wednesday night to tout new programming and initiatives coming to History, A&E and Lifetime.

The program pitch at A+E’s upfront presentation at Jazz at Lincoln Center seemed like a back-to-basics approach for the cable group, with distinct programming niches for the company’s three pillar channels.

Paul Buccieri, A+E Networks Group president, emphasized the “strong relationship” the channels have with their target audiences. “That loyalty makes us relevant on every platform,” he told the crowd of media buyers.

The core A+E Networks channels have been seeing improvements after a long slump. Like other major ad-supported cablers, A+E is still buffeted by the fast-changing TV marketplace and viewers’ embrace of on-demand platforms. But each of A+E’s Big Three have successes to point to — as...

Notorious pedophile Mary Kay Letourneau told Australia’s Sunday Night, a news and current affairs show on the Seven Network, that she had no idea what she did was a crime.

The former American schoolteacher, who twice went to jail over her affair with a 12-year-old student she later married and had children with, plead guilty in 1996 to two counts of felony second-degree rape of a child. Letourneaou was 34, married, and had four children.

Letourneau’s saga was made into a USA Network movie in 2000, All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story. The story has also been chronicled on numerous news features, including Biography’s documentary, Mary Kay Letourneau: Autobiography,

She began a relationship with student Vili Fualaau during summer school. Now, she claims, she had no idea it was wrong.

“If someone had told me, if anyone had told me, there is a specific law that says this is a crime,...

Original Productions has hired veteran executive Jeff Hasler as president of the prolific unscripted TV production company owned by FremantleMedia. Hasler will oversee all development, production, business and strategic aspects of the company along with Ernie Avila, COO and Evp, Business Affairs and Sarah Whalen, Evp Development and Programming. Avila and Whalen, who have been running Original Prods. in the past couple of years, will now report into Hasler.

Hasler joins Original Productions from National Geographic Studios where he served as Evp of production and development, overseeing original non-scripted television, feature documentary and other projects including the acclaimed documentary Jane, directed by Brett Morgen, as well as the Emmy-nominated series StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson, Explorer, series Chain of Command, documentary Gender Revolution with Katie Couric, and the recently Sports Emmy-nominated Breaking 2.

Previously, Hasler also spent nearly five years as Svp of Development and Production for Discovery Channel, managing all programming for the broadcaster,...

A+E Networks plans an all-woman slate of presenters at its annual upfront presentation to ad buyers tonight at the New York Public Library. Toni Braxton will appear on behalf of Lifetime, as will Mallory Pugh and Queen Latifah. Marcia Clark and Leah Remini will represent A&E. Other presenters include Kristin Davis for Biography, Meg Gill for Viceland and Olivia Munn for History. "Over the last three years we have made a concerted effort to work with the best female…...