The challenges are fiercer for marksmen facing off for a $100,000 prize package and the title of... TOP SHOT Original competition series from HISTORY(R) returns for Season Two on Tuesday, February 8 at 10pm ET

Hosted by Survivor Contestant Colby Donaldson

New York, Tuesday, January 18, 2011 - The hit competition series from HISTORY is rearmed and reloaded. Sixteen fearless marksmen, carefully selected from thousands of applicants, will aim for the $100,000 prize package and the title of "Top Shot." The all-new cast of 14 men and two women includes a 10-time NRA pistol champ, two former world shooting champs, a Texas cop, a Jersey shore Air Force sniper, a Bronze Star recipient, and representatives from four branches of the military.

The 13-week series premieres Tuesday, February 8 at 10pm ET on HISTORY.

TOP SHOT's second season will see more intense challenges and surprising twists inspired by history. Trials include shooting from the back of a moving vehicle, based on a WWII training exercise, shooting while hanging from a 125 foot crane and even shooting while being turned upside down. Firearms in the contestants' arsenal will include the iconic "Tommy Gun,".44 Magnum and a .50 caliber sniper rifle, as well as primitive weapons like the Tomahawk and blow gun. High-speed HD cameras capture the skillful execution of each test in extreme slow-motion.

Survivor contestant, athlete and adventurer Colby Donaldson returns as host of HISTORY'S second season of the elimination series.

The season two premiere (Tuesday, February 8) opens with a surprise straight from Civil War history from 150 years ago: marksmen will face the same test that soldiers had to pass to get into the Union Army's first sharpshooting regiment. The two contestants with the best shots will then get to choose their own teams. The episode also includes a game of extreme billiards and an elimination challenge which sends the first marksman home in tears. Every contender must possess incredible speed, precision and skill, but in the end, only one winner will earn the "Top Shot" title.

Based on the past success of TOP SHOT, casting for a season 3 of the series is already under way. To find out more information on season 3 casting, visit: http://www.history.com/topshotseason3casting

TOP SHOT is produced for HISTORY by Pilgrim Films & Television. Executive Producers for HISTORY is Paul Cabana. Craig Piligian is Executive Producer for Pilgrim Films & Television.

HISTORY(R) and HISTORY HD(R) are the leading destinations for revealing, award-winning original non-fiction series and event-driven specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. Programming covers a diverse variety of historical genres ranging from military history to contemporary history, technology to natural history, as well as science, archaeology and pop culture. Among the network's program offerings are hit series such as American Pickers, Ax Men, The Universe, Ice Road Truckers, Top Gear, Pawn Stars and Top Shot, as well as acclaimed specials including America the Story of Us, WWII in HD, 102 Minutes That Changed America, The President's Book of Secrets and Life After People. HISTORY has earned four Peabody Awards, seven Primetime Emmy(R) Awards, 12 News & Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History(R) campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. Take a Veteran to School Day is the network's latest initiative connecting America's schools and communities with veterans from all wars. The HISTORY website, located at www.history.com, is the leading online resource for all things history, featuring over 20,000 videos, images, audio clips, articles and interactive features that allow visitors to dig deeper into a broad range of thousands of historical topics.