The BEST episodes of Biography season 2009

#1 - Woody Harrelson

Season 2009 - Episode 27 - Aired 11/24/2009

Portrait of the actor who was plucked from obscurity and found stardom on the hit TV sitcom Cheers. Harrelson became a violent youth when his father was sent to jail. He started acting in high school, and nailed the audition for Cheers after hearing about the casting call from a friend. He went on to star in White Men Can't Jump and such controversial movies as Natural Born Killers and The People vs. Larry Flynt. Harrelson also became a vegan, took up yoga, and became an activist--he was arrested for climbing the Golden Gate Bridge in an effort to protect California's redwoods.

#2 - Three's Company

Season 2009 - Episode 4 - Aired 8/11/2009

#3 - Pope Benedict XVI

Season 2009 - Episode 44 - Aired 4/28/2009

#4 - Green Day

Season 2009 - Episode 43 - Aired 10/1/2009

#5 - Bono

Season 2009 - Episode 36 - Aired 5/7/2009

#6 - J.W. Marriott

Season 2009 - Episode 35 - Aired 11/10/2009

#7 - Norman Rockwell: An American Portrait

Season 2009 - Episode 34 - Aired 10/30/2009

This Biography video spotlights Norman Rockwell, the complicated painter who produced the glorious and uncomplicated illustrations that thrilled readers for decades and helped to shape the nation. In a career spanning 60 years, Norman Rockwell produced over 320 covers for the Saturday Evening Post.

#8 - Jules Verne

Season 2009 - Episode 33 - Aired 10/15/2009

#9 - Beverly Hills, 90210

Season 2009 - Episode 16 - Aired 9/8/2009

"Beverly Hills, 90210" invents the genre of primetime teenage soap opera and paves the way for a generation of imitators. In 1990 Beverly Hills 90210 was the most exciting teen drama that had ever hit the airwaves-it was also the most controversial. In this revealing behind-the-scenes look at one of the most iconic television series from the '90s relive the friendships the scandals and the gutsy storylines that brought 90210 cast members unbridled fame. Learn how the stars of the show were originally cast and why the program was initially panned by critics. Discover how the show created a new genre-the prime-time teenage soap opera-and how it paved the way for a generation of angst-ridden dramas from Party of Five to Felicity to Dawson's Creek. Finally find out what happened to the cast after they stepped off the set for the final time in 2000. Featuring no-holds-barred interviews with cast members and critics as well as archival footage from some of the show's most notable moments BIO-® presents the real story behind BEVERLY HILLS 90210.

#10 - David Letterman

Season 2009 - Episode 17 - Aired 9/17/2009

David Letterman has been called the crown prince of the current age of irony. His unconventional humor and brash on-air antics have inspired numerous comedians and talk show hosts who have followed in his footsteps.

#11 - Joaquin Phoenix

Season 2009 - Episode 24 - Aired 12/23/2009

#12 - Sean Penn

Season 2009 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/27/2009

#13 - Heath Ledger

Season 2009 - Episode 22 - Aired 1/28/2009

#14 - Kurt Cobain

Season 2009 - Episode 21 - Aired 7/30/2009

#15 - Robert DeNiro

Season 2009 - Episode 20 - Aired 7/22/2009

Widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time, this is the story of two-time Academy Award-winner Robert DeNiro. DeNiro grew up in his New York's Little Italy, the son of divorced parents, known then simply as "Bobby Milk." We'll follow him as he drops out of school, joins a local street gang before finding his way to the stage and subsequently to the big screen. We'll go inside his over-the-top method acting rituals, look at how he snagged famous roles in such films as The Godfather II, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The Goodfellas as well as his more recent comedic performances in Meet the Parents.

#16 - Kirstie Alley

Season 2009 - Episode 19 - Aired 10/7/2009

Kirstie Alley won an Emmy for playing Rebecca Howe, the neediest soul in the bar where everyone knows your name, and then won a second in the made-for-TV movie, David's Mother. She has also starred in the enormously popular Look Who's Talking movies as well as her own sitcom vehicle, Veronica's Closet. Now, though, she's more known for her continuing struggle to keep her weight under control - a battle she has both won and lost over the years.

#17 - Diff'rent Strokes

Season 2009 - Episode 12 - Aired 4/1/2009

What do a softcore porn star-turned-armed robber, a rehabilitated coke addict, and a bankrupt 4'8" 40-year-old have in common? They were the child stars of Diff'rent Strokes, the popular NBC/ABC sitcom that aired from the late '70s to the mid '80s. From what happened behind the scenes to what went wrong after the cameras stopped rolling, we'll find out what the gang was really talkin' about when Gary Coleman would ask, "Wha'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?"

#18 - Tragic Side of Comedy

Season 2009 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/24/2009

Why do those who make us laugh the hardest seem to have the most troubled souls? This two-hour event will look at the fantastic rises and fatal descents of such stars as John Belushi, Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, and others uncovering the reasons why the gift of laughter often comes with such a steep price tag. We'll hear from friends, lovers, colleagues, psychiatrists, authors and more going deep inside the troubled lives and hysterical work of some of the greatest comic minds of our time.

#19 - Moses and the Ten Commandments

Season 2009 - Episode 10 - Aired 4/28/2009

Although chosen by God to receive the Ten Commandments and lead the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt, Moses was often plagued by self-doubt. This A&E Biography special examines the complex life of this Biblical figure, telling his story through interviews with experts and illustrating it with images of rare paintings and artifacts, as well as beautiful location photography. Though born of Hebrew slaves and always a reluctant prophet, Moses nonetheless managed to free God's people from the Pharaoh's chains of slavery, under which they had lived for centuries.

#20 - Metallica

Season 2009 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/3/2009

#21 - The Mamas and the Papas

Season 2009 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/28/2009

#22 - Child Star Heart Throbs

Season 2009 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/8/2009

#23 - Bruce Springsteen

Season 2009 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/6/2009

#24 - Aerosmith

Season 2009 - Episode 8 - Aired 6/4/2009

#25 - Bill Gates

Season 2009 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/12/2009

From college dropout to the world's richest man, follow the amazing journey of the sultan of software. He dropped out of Harvard to build a software business. The company he founded is one of the biggest in the world, and his programs now run on 95% of computers. Bill Gates is an American icon for the silicon age, a tech nerd who turned his genius into the world's largest personal fortune, an entrepreneur who built a dominant company from the ground up according to his vision. From his privileged childhood to his recent battles with the Justice Department, BIOGRAPHY® profiles the "Sultan of Software" through interviews with those who know him best, including his mother and father. Get a glimpse of Gates the businessman through the eyes of Microsoft Co-Chairman Steven Ballmer, while childhood and college friends offer a more personal portrait. From the birth of MS-DOS to his increasing ventures beyond the world of computing, this is a compelling profile of one of the most influential businessmen of the century.