Thursday, October 13, 2016

A Modern Classic: Behind The Music (1997)

When the Arts & Entertainment Network (later shortened to A&E) revived the documentary series, Biography, it set off a wave of imitators fashioned for specific genres. For example, ESPN commissioned SportsCentury. VH-1, on the other hand, still has Behind the Music, although new episodes aren't as frequent as they once were.

At its peak, the series aired weekly, but now pops up sporadically. Given that VH-1 and its sister networks are gradually re-embracing music, this could change. Everything you wanted to know about your favorite artists, past or present, was open to perusal.

Jim Forbes serves as narrator, and even guested on The Simpsons when the Fox series parodied Behind. Forbes has rarely been substituted for, most notably by former MTV personality Matt Pinfield for an episode on KISS which is now not considered part of the series in general.

Let's take a look at an episode from the first year revisiting the life & career of the late Harry Chapin.



Some episodes have been released on DVD and/or VHS, but not all, insofar as I know.

Rating: A.

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