A DRIVING FORCE: BARBARA WALTERS

Her distinctive interviewing style has made her one of the most successful TV personalities ever. But as a pioneering woman with a fiercely independent streak, she has attracted her share of criticism and detractors as well.Barbara Walters rose to the top of the TV heap through hard work, dedication and a unerring knack of getting the high-profile celebrities and figures she interviews to expose their innermost emotions. As one of the first women in television--her first job in the industry was in 1955--she has served as a role model to countless aspiring journalists, and she remains a force as she approaches her 70th birthday. This incisive, feature-length profile follows Barbara from her days as a self-proclaimed ""poor little rich girl"" through the broadcast milestones that have highlighted her career. Colleagues detail how she has handled criticisms of her journalistic credibility, while family members and friends offer a view of the TV legend that her fans rarely see. And, in a probing, far-ranging interview, Ms. Walters talks extensively about her life and career.Join BIOGRAPHY® for an extraordinary portrait of the ""First Lady of Television.""