A&E (an initialism of its original name, the Arts & Entertainment Network) is an American

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

and

satellite A satellite or an artificial satellite is an object, typically a spacecraft, placed into orbit around a celestial body. They have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation ( GPS), broadcasting, scient ...

television network A television broadcaster or television network is a telecommunications network for the distribution of television show, television content, where a central operation provides programming to many television stations, pay television providers or ...

and the flagship property of

A&E Networks A&E Television Networks, LLC, doing business as A+E Global Media (formerly A+E Networks) is an American multinational broadcasting company owned and operated as a 50–50 joint venture between Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company th ...

, a joint venture between

Hearst Communications Hearst Corporation, Hearst Holdings Inc. and Hearst Communications Inc. comprise an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate owned by the Hearst family and based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan in New York ...

and

the Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...

(through the

Disney General Entertainment Content Disney General Entertainment Content (DGEC), formerly ABC Group, Disney–ABC Television Group and the second incarnation of Walt Disney Television, is a division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company that ove ...

division of

Disney Entertainment Disney Entertainment is one of the three major divisions of the Walt Disney Company created on February 8, 2023. It consists of the company's entertainment media and content businesses, including its motion picture film studios, television divi ...

). A&E was launched on February 1, 1984, as a block on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

. The network originally focused on

fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creativity, creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function ...

, documentaries,

dramas Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been c ...

, and

educational entertainment Educational entertainment, also referred to by the portmanteau edutainment, is media designed to educate through entertainment. The term has been used as early as 1933. Most often it includes content intended to teach but has incidental entert ...

. Today, it deals primarily in non-fiction programming, including

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...

true crime True crime is a genre of non-fiction work in which an author examines a crime, including detailing the actions of people associated with and affected by the crime, and investigating the perpetrator's Motive (law), motives. True crime works often ...

, documentaries and miniseries, thus de-emphasizing its full name in the process. Since 1985, it is no longer a programming block, due to its joint owners spinning it off into a 24-hour channel while Nickelodeon later launched

Nick at Nite Nick at Nite (stylized as nick@nite since 2009) is an American nighttime programming block on Nickelodeon. List of programs broadcast by Nick at Nite, The block's programming broadcasts from prime time to Late-night television, late night, with ...

to fill in the time slot A&E formerly held. , A&E is available to approximately 63,000,000 pay television households in the United States – down from its 2011 peak of 100,000,000 households. The American version of the channel is being distributed in Canada while international versions were launched for

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, Latin America, and Europe.

History

1984–2002

A&E launched on February 1, 1984, initially available to 9.3 million

cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...

homes in the U.S. and Canada. The network is a result of the 1984 merger of Hearst/

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

Alpha Repertory Television Service The Alpha Repertory Television Service (ARTS) was an American cable television network that was owned by Hearst/ABC Video Services (now A+E Networks), a joint venture between the Hearst Corporation and the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). Th ...

(ARTS) and (pre–

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston. Over the year ...

merger)

RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...

-owned The Entertainment Channel. It was originally available in two versions, one in an 8-hour version, which was to follow

on RCA Satcom III-R, the other was a full 20-hour version, on another satellite provider, the

Westar Westar was a fleet of geosynchronous communications satellites operating in the C band which were launched by Western Union from 1974 to 1984. There were seven Westar satellites in all, with five of them launched and operating under the Westar ...

V. In 1984, the signal split off from Nickelodeon, once A&E picked up its 20-hour signal on RCA Satcom III-R. In response, Nickelodeon launched its own nighttime block

to displace A&E on many signals. In 1986, the network premiered one of the first classical music videos to be broadcast in the United States and Canada, the Kendall Ross Bean: Chopin Polonaise in A Flat. By 1990, original programming accounted for 35 to 40 percent of A&E's content.

Hoover's D&B Hoovers was founded by Gary Hoover and Patrick Spain in 1990 as an American business research company that provided information on companies and industries through their primary product platform named "Hoover's". In 2003, it was acquired b ...

Company Records, July 12, 2011 ''

Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...

'', a one-hour documentary series that was revived in 1987, was considered to be the network's signature show.Gay, Verne (''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...

''), "Biography: Top Show on Cable's A&E Network"; ''

St. Louis Post-Dispatch The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the '' Belleville News-Democra ...

'', August 21, 1996 In 1994, airings of ''Biography'' went from weekly broadcasts to airing five nights a week, which helped boost A&E's ratings to record levels. The nightly series became A&E's top-rated show and one of cable television's most notable successes. ''Biography'' received

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

s in 1999 and 2002. In 1993,

Rockefeller Group Rockefeller Group International, Inc. is an American private company based in New York City, primarily involved in real estate operations in the United States and it is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Group. The company began with Construction of Roc ...

’s

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall (also known as Radio City) is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York C ...

sold its 12.5% stake of A&E to

Capital Cities/ABC Capital Cities/ABC Inc. was an American media company. It was founded in 1985 when Capital Cities Communications purchased the much larger American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. It was eventually acquired by The Walt Disney Company and re-branded i ...

, Hearst &

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

, NBC owns 25% stake of A&E, while the others 37.5% stake of the two. In 1994, the channel picked up reruns of ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...

'' on an eight-year agreement, which would help bring in additional viewers. In May 1995, the channel's name officially changed to the ''A&E Network'',Carmody, John, "The TV Column"; ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'', May 2, 1995. "The Arts & Entertainment cable network has officially changed its name to A&E Network." to reflect its declining focus on arts and entertainment. The following year, the network had branded itself as simply A&E, using the slogans "Time Well Spent" and in 1998, "Escape the Ordinary." "The word 'arts,' in regard to television, has associations such as 'sometimes elitist,' 'sometimes boring,' 'sometimes overly refined' and 'doesn't translate well to TV, Whitney Goit, executive vice president for sales and marketing, stated. "Even the arts patron often finds arts on TV not as satisfying as it should be ... And the word 'entertainment' is too vague. Therefore, much like ESPN uses its letters rather than what they stand for – Entertainment Sports (Programming) Network – we decided to go to just A&E." Of the network's tagline, Goit said, "Intellectually, 'Time well spent' defines a comparison between those who view a lot of television as a wasteland, and their acknowledgment that there are good things on TV and that they'd like to watch more thought-provoking TV." A&E and

Meridian Broadcasting ITV Meridian (previously Meridian Broadcasting) is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station was launched at midnight on 1 January 1993, replacing previous broadcaster Television South, and is owned ...

commissioned ''

Horatio Hornblower Horatio Hornblower is a fictional officer in the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, the protagonist of a series of novels and stories by C. S. Forester. He later became the subject of films and radio and television programmes, and ...

'' (1999), winner of two

Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

, and the seven subsequent dramas in the series; '' Dash and Lilly'' (1999), which received nine Emmy nominations; and '' The Crossing'' (2000), which won the

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

. The network created two original weekly drama series,

Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. Lumet started his career in theatre before moving to film, where he gained a reputation for making realistic and gritty New York City, New York dramas w ...

's ''

100 Centre Street ''100 Centre Street'' is an American legal drama created by Sidney Lumet and starring Alan Arkin, Val Avery, Bobby Cannavale, Joel de la Fuente and Paula Devicq. Premise The show takes its name for the Manhattan street address of the New Y ...

'' and ''

Nero Wolfe Nero Wolfe is a brilliant, obese and eccentric fictional armchair detective created in 1934 by American mystery (fiction), mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolfe was born in Principality of Montenegro, Montenegro and keeps his past murky. He lives in a ...

'', both of which lasted from 2001 to 2002.

2002–2013

In 2002, the contract for ''Law and Order'' had expired with the renewal asking price at four times the original per episode fee. Dropping that show allowed the channel to move to more "brand-defining scripted and nonfiction series." That same year, A&E would shift its focus toward

in order to attract a younger demographic and cancelled the network's two original scripted series. In May 2003, A&E launched a marketing campaign with the network's new tagline, "The Art of Entertainment." Between 2003 and 2007, the channel gradually retired several long-running series, moving several shows to

The Biography Channel FYI (stylized as fyi,) is an American basic cable channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between the Disney Entertainment subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications (each owns 50%). The network features lifestyle p ...

and introducing new reality programming. In 2005, A&E launched their feature film production arm A&E IndieFilms. The

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television show, television and feature film, film, which features Drama (film and television), dramatized Historical reenactment, re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of docu ...

Flight 93 United Airlines Flight 93 was a domestic scheduled passenger flight that was hijacked by four al-Qaeda terrorists on the morning of September 11, 2001, as part of the September 11 attacks. The hijackers planned to crash the plane into a feder ...

'', about the hijacking of the plane which crashed in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

during the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

, was the most watched program on the network; it attracted 5.9 million viewers for its initial telecast on January 30, 2006. This was later surpassed by ''

Duck Dynasty ''Duck Dynasty'' is an American reality television series that aired on A&E from 2012 to 2017. The series portrays the lives of the Robertson family, who became successful from their family-operated business, Duck Commander. The West Monroe, ...

s third season premiere. The previous record-holder for the network was a

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

docudrama, ''Ike: Countdown to D-Day'', starring

Tom Selleck Thomas William Selleck (; born January 29, 1945) is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations fo ...

and broadcast in 2004, with 5.5 million viewers. A&E later acquired rights to rerun the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

series ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The series follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey American Mafia, Mafia boss who suffers from panic attacks. He reluct ...

''; its A&E premiere on January 10, 2007, averaged 3.86 million viewers, making it the most-watched premiere of a rerun off-network series in cable television history at the time. The series continued to perform well for A&E, and led the network to regularly rank in the top ten basic U.S. cable channels in prime time ratings. On May 26, 2008, in conjunction with the premiere of the original film ''

The Andromeda Strain ''The Andromeda Strain'' is a 1969 novel by American writer Michael Crichton, his first novel under his own name and his sixth novel overall. It documents the outbreak of a deadly extraterrestrial microorganism in Arizona and the team of scie ...

'', A&E rebranded with a new logo and slogan, ''Real Life. Drama.'', representing its shift to a more contemporary network with a focus on scripted programming. Additional shows in this major scripted push were drama series ''The Cleaner'' and ''The Beast'', which both lasted two seasons. A&E ordered several dramas for Fall 2009, including projects from

Jerry Bruckheimer Jerome Leonard Bruckheimer (born September 21, 1943) is an American film and television producer. He has been active in the genres of action, drama, comedy, fantasy, horror and science fiction. After working in advertising out of college, Bruck ...

Shawn Ryan Shawn Ryan (born October 11, 1966) is an American screenwriter and television producer. He has created and/or produced a number of television series including '' The Shield'' (2002–2008), '' The Unit'' (2006–2009), '' Lie to Me'' (2009– ...

and

Lynda Obst Lynda Rosen Obst (April 14, 1950 – October 22, 2024) was an American film producer and author. Her notable works include ''Sleepless in Seattle'' and ''Interstellar''. Obst founded the production companies Hill/Obst Productions in 1986 and L ...

, and a Western miniseries from

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Costner, various accolades, including two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Primeti ...

. On July 10, 2012,

NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC (abbreviated as NBCU and Trade name, doing business as NBCUniversal or Comcast NBCUniversal since 2013) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Show business, entertainment conglomerate (comp ...

announced it would sell 15.8% stake of A&E Networks to Disney and Hearst, making the company a 50-50 joint venture.

2013–2019

On December 11, 2013, A&E unveiled a new on-air brand identity built around the slogan "Be Original", emphasizing the network's lineup of original productions and positioning it as a "much lighter, more fun place to come and spend time". The success of ''Duck Dynasty'', '' Bates Motel'' and ''

Storage Wars ''Storage Wars'' (stylized as ''STORAGE WAR$'') is an American reality television competition series that airs on the A&E network. It premiered on December 1, 2010. A 16th season is scheduled to premiere on June 7, 2025. When rent is not p ...

'' put A&E fourth in 2013 among cable channels in the key 18-to-49 age demographic. On February 20, 2014, A&E Networks UK announced a UK version of the channel to launch on Sky channel 168 on March 24, with a Virgin Media launch date planned for next year. In Spain and Portugal, the channel was launched on October 1, 2014, replacing The Biography Channel in that market. In 2015, A&E picked up the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

drama ''

Unforgettable Unforgettable may refer to: Film * ''Unforgettable'' (1996 film), a thriller starring Ray Liotta * ''Unforgettable'' (2014 film), a Bollywood film * ''Unforgettable'' (2016 film), a South Korean film * ''Unforgettable'' (2017 film), an America ...

'' for a fourth season as well as the second season of docuseries '' Married at First Sight'', which will move from sister network

FYI "FYI" is a common abbreviation of "for your information". The term, originally a wire service abbreviation used by journalists, is commonly used in email, instant messaging and other messages to indicate an informational message or explanatory stat ...

. The network also announced the revival of ''Intervention'' following its cancellation in 2013. In October 2016, A&E premiered ''

Live PD ''Live PD'' is an American television program that aired on the A&E Network from 2016 to 2020. It follows police officers in the course of their patrols live, broadcasting interactions with the public. The show was hosted by Dan Abrams with a ...

'', a

live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film * ''Live'' (2023 film), a Malayalam-language film *'' Live: Phát Trực Tiếp'', a Vietnamese-langua ...

series that followed U.S. police departments on patrol in real-time. The show would quickly garner commercial success; in 2018, a survey by

Inscape Inscape and instress are complementary and enigmatic concepts about individuality and uniqueness derived by the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins from the ideas of the medieval philosopher Duns Scotus.Chevigny, Bell Gale. Instress and Devotion in the P ...

found ''Live PD'' to be the most-watched program among non-live (DVR and VOD) and over-the-top viewers in 2018. ''Live PD'' was among the most-watched programs on cable television during its run and was credited for allowing A&E to reverse the trend of systematic viewership declines seen across cable television networks. On January 19, 2017, A&E announced a reboot of ''

Cold Case Files ''Cold Case Files'' is a reality legal show/documentary on the cable channel A&E Network and a rebooted series. It is hosted by Bill Kurtis and the original series produced by Tom Golden. The show documents the investigation of many long ...

'', over a decade after its final season premiered in 2006. A revival of the ''Biography'' franchise would also launch on June 28, 2017, with ''The Notorious Life of Biggie Smalls''.

2020–present

In June 2020, amid a suspension in light of the

George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests, riots, and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as Reactions to the mu ...

, A&E cancelled ''Live PD'' after reports were confirmed that the show's producers had recorded and then deleted footage of the

killing of Javier Ambler On March 28, 2019, Javier Ambler II died of heart failure while being arrested by police in Austin, Texas, after fleeing from deputies who sought to stop him for a traffic violation. Ambler was tased multiple times by authorities. Video of Ambl ...

under police custody. The footage was erased after the Austin Police Department conducted an investigation using the body cam footage they had from the officers. While defending the show in a statement, host

Dan Abrams Daniel Abrams (born May 20, 1966) is an American media entrepreneur, television host, and author. He is currently the host of '' On Patrol: Live'' on Reelz, and ''The Dan Abrams Show: Where Politics Meets The Law'' on SiriusXM's P.O.T.U.S. ch ...

said that "contrary to many incorrect reports, neither A&E nor the producers of ''Live PD'' were asked for the footage or an interview by investigators from law enforcement or the District Attorney's office." A&E's over-reliance on the series to fill its schedule resulted in the network losing half of its audience; up until that point, A&E's primetime viewership had been up by 4% year-over-year. In 2021, A&E began a partnership with the

professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...

promotion

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

to develop original content chronicling the company's history and performers, including eight episodes of ''Biography'' focusing on WWE figures, and '' WWE's Most Wanted Treasures''—a series following

Stephanie McMahon Stephanie Marie McMahon Levesque ( ; ; born September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is known for her various roles within WWE between 1998 and 2023. The daughter of Vince McMahon, Vince and Lind ...

and

Paul "Triple H" Levesque Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer. Levesque began his wre ...

in their search of wrestling memorabilia. ''Most Wanted Treasures'' was A&E's most-watched new series in 2021, while the premiere of a ''Biography'' episode on

Stone Cold Steve Austin Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson and later Steven James Williams; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, producer and retired Professional wrestling, profes ...

attracted the franchise's highest viewership in 16 years. In 2022, WWE and A&E announced a 24-episode renewal for ''Most Wanted Treasures'', an additional 35 ''Biography: WWE Legends'' episodes, and the new series ''

WWE Rivals ''WWE Rivals'' is a professional wrestling documentary series produced by WWE Studios. The series premiered on A&E on July 10, 2022. Premise The series features round table discussions discussing the most iconic rivalries in WWE, featuring WWE ...

''. ''Rivals'' was renewed for a second season that premiered in February 2023, alongside the third season of ''Biography: WWE Legends''. In December 2024, WWE announced a new reality series—''

WWE LFG ''WWE LFG'' (meaning "Legends & Future Greats") is an American professional wrestling reality competition series produced by WWE Studios and broadcast by A&E. The series follows up and coming wrestlers from WWE's developmental system, competing ...

''—to premiere in 2025, as well as the new documentary series ''WWE's Greatest Moments'' and renewals for ''WWE Rivals''. In March 2025, A&E renewed ''WWE LFG'' and ''WWE's Greatest Moments''.

Programming

Notable original series seen on A&E have included '' Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath'', ''

Breakfast with the Arts ''Breakfast with the Arts'' is a television program that aired on A&E (Arts & Entertainment) from 1991 until 2007. Overview In its first decade the program focused on classical music, dance, opera, jazz, the visual arts, theater, and film. Ame ...

'', ''

The First 48 ''The First 48'' is an American documentary news magazine television series on A&E filmed in various cities in the United States, offering an insider's look at the real-life world of homicide investigators. While the series often follows the inv ...

'', ''

'', '' Intervention'', ''

'', ''

'', and ''

Wahlburgers Wahlburgers (stylized as wahlburgers) is a casual dining burger restaurant and bar chain. It is owned by chef Paul Wahlberg and his brothers, actors Donnie and Mark. , there are 90+ Wahlburgers locations in the United States, Canada, Aus ...

''.

Original and co-produced movies and miniseries

* ''

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is the second published novel (but third to be written) by English author Jane Austen, written when she was age 20-21, and later published in 1813. A novel of manners, it follows the character development of Elizabe ...

'' (1995) * '' Emma'' (1996) * ''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The firs ...

'' (1997) * ''

The Pale Horse ''The Pale Horse'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 6 November 1961,Chris Peers, Ralph Spurrier and Jamie Sturgeon. ''Collins Crime Club – A checklist of ...

'' (1997) * ''

The Ebb-Tide ''The Ebb-Tide. A Trio and a Quartette'' is an 1894 novella written by Robert Louis Stevenson and his stepson Lloyd Osbourne. It was published the year Stevenson died. Plot Three beggars operate in the port of Papeete on Tahiti. They are Herri ...

'' (1998) * ''

Tess of the D'Urbervilles ''Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman'' is the twelfth published novel by English author Thomas Hardy. It initially appeared in a Book censorship, censored and Serialized novel, serialised version, published by the British illustrated newsp ...

'' (1998) * '' Hornblower'' (1998–2003) * '' Vanity Fair'' (1998) * ''

Murder in a Small Town ''Murder in a Small Town'' is 1999 American television mystery crime thriller film produced and broadcast by A&E. The period film stars Gene Wilder as Larry "Cash" Carter, a stage director, theater manager, former actor, and unofficial consulti ...

'' (1999) * ''

The Lady in Question ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' (1999) * ''

P.T. Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding with James Anthony Bailey the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He w ...

'' (1999) * ''

The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with her husband Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in Lo ...

'' (1999–2000) * '' Small Vices'' (1999) * '' The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery'' (2000) * ''

The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' () is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with Jay Gatsby, a mysterious mi ...

'' (2000) * ''

Longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east- west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lett ...

'' (2000) * ''

Lorna Doone ''Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor'' is a novel by R. D. Blackmore, first published in three volumes in London in 1869. It is a romance based on a group of historical characters and set in the late 17th century in Devon and Somerset, particu ...

'' (2000) * '' Thin Air'' (2000) * '' The Lost Battalion'' (2001) * '' The Lost World'' (2001) * '' Victoria & Albert'' (2001) * '' Walking Shadow'' (2001) * '' Lathe of Heaven'' (2002) * ''

The Magnificent Ambersons ''The Magnificent Ambersons'' is a 1918 novel by Booth Tarkington, the second in his ''Growth'' trilogy after '' The Turmoil'' (1915) and before ''The Midlander'' (1923, retitled ''National Avenue'' in 1927). It won the Pulitzer Prize for fict ...

'' (2002) * ''

Napoléon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of mi ...

'' (2002) * ''Shackleton (TV serial), Shackleton'' (2002) * ''Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor'' (2003) * ''The Mayor of Casterbridge'' (2003) * ''Murderball (film), Murderball'' (2005) * ''Jesus Camp'' (2006) * ''My Kid Could Paint That'' (2007) * ''Cartel Land'' (2015) * ''Life, Animated'' (2016)

Criticism and controversy

''Secrets of Playboy''

Beginning in January 2022, A&E broadcast a 12-part series entitled "Secrets of Playboy." This included allegations that Hugh Hefner himself had committed rape and sexual assault. The show also included claims that other men in the Playboy orbit, such as Bill Cosby, had committed rape. One of the women coming forward was Sondra Theodore, Hefner's girlfriend in the late 1970s and early '80s. She stated that many people in fact believed the reports and accusations, but tended to blame the women anyway because of the reputation of the Playboy Mansion, even though Playboy tried to put forward a healthy "Girl Next Door" attitude. This A&E series also include claims by Dr. Mark Saginor's estranged daughter, by Theodore, and by former butler Mitch Rosen that the doctor was not only Hefner's live-in physician, but also his male lover. Dr. Saginor said this was not the case.The most appalling allegations in A&E’s Hugh Hefner docuseries ‘Secrets of Playboy'
, ''USA Today'', Maria Puente, " . . comprises 12 hours of people talking about Hefner and the Playboy empire he created. And in none-too-flattering terms. . ," February 7, 2022 Some Playboy employees signed a statement which read: “ . . Our time within Hugh Hefner's Playboy and the organization's subsidiaries remains a period all of us are fond of. I proudly sign this letter in recognition of Hugh Hefner's character amid unfounded allegations in the A&E show.” In response, A&E issued a statement which read: “The stories shared in Secrets of Playboy are the personal experiences of the documentary's participants and deserve to be told despite how difficult they may be for some to hear. Signatures on a letter, or a different experience with Mr. Hefner or the Playboy culture, do not negate the experiences of those who have come forward . . ”

''Longmire''

The 2014 cancellation of ''Longmire (TV series), Longmire'' drew viewer backlash over the network citing that the show skewed an older audience as one of the reasons. The series was later picked up by Netflix.

''Duck Dynasty''

On December 19, 2013, A&E attempted to place Phil Robertson from ''

'' on an indefinite hiatus following remarks on Homosexuality, homosexuals in an interview with ''GQ''. A&E said in a statement, "We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson's comments in ''GQ'', which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series ''Duck Dynasty''. His personal views in no way reflect those of A&E Networks, A+E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community." On December 27, 2013, A&E announced they would begin filming again with the entire Robertson family after an outcry from show viewers and discussions with the Robertson family and numerous advocacy groups, a decision which itself resulted in more criticism of the network for refusing to stand by its original statement.

''Nero Wolfe''

Earlier, A&E had been criticized for extreme channel drift from its original focus on the fine arts. For example, Maury Chaykin reflected on the cancellation of the A&E original series ''A Nero Wolfe Mystery'' in a 2008 interview: "I'm a bit jaded and cynical about which shows succeed on television. I worked on a fantastic show once called ''Nero Wolfe'', but at the time A&E was transforming from the premiere intellectual cable network in America to one that airs ''Dog the Bounty Hunter'' on repeat, so it was never promoted and eventually went off the air."Farquharson, Vanessa, "Whole lot of Chaykin going on"; ''National Post'', August 21, 2008. "After some initial advertising for the April second season premiere, A&E stopped publicizing the show," ''Scarlet Street (magazine), Scarlet Street'' magazine (No. 46, p. 20) reported in late 2002.

References

External links

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A&E Latin America Site

AETN Corporate Site

Biography

History
{{DEFAULTSORT:AandE (TV channel) A&E Networks Former General Electric subsidiaries Television networks in the United States Former Comcast subsidiaries Companies based in Manhattan English-language television stations in the United States Mass media companies based in New York City Television channels and stations established in 1984 1984 establishments in the United States