ACTOR MICHAEL KENNETH WILLIAMS OF HBO'S "BOARDWALK EMPIRE" AND "THE WIRE" TO NARRATE ANIMAL PLANET'S SIX-PART SERIES "TAKING ON TYSON"

-- Animal Planet's 'Taking on Tyson' Premieres on Sunday, March 6 at 10 PM ET/PT --

(New York, New York, February 4, 2011) - Animal Planet today announced that character actor Michael Kenneth Williams will narrate the network's upcoming series TAKING ON TYSON debuting March 6 at 10 PM (ET/PT). Most notably known for his roles as Chalky White on "Boardwalk Empire" and Omar Little on "The Wire," Williams' extensive stage and screen career combined with his genuine yet gritty tone was an obvious standout and a perfect match for the series. Over the past decade, Williams has appeared in numerous long-running network television series and feature films including "Alias," Martin Scorsese's "Bringing Out the Dead," "Boston Legal," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "The Sopranos." Williams grew up in Flatbush, Brooklyn - just minutes away from Tyson's hometown of Brownsville.

From the rooftops of Jersey City to the streets of Brooklyn, TAKING ON TYSON profiles enigmatic Mike Tyson as the boxing legend reconnects with his roots and returns to his childhood neighborhood to face his next challenge. Tyson's pigeons have provided him with tranquility and escape throughout his tumultuous life. Now, along with a band of close friends who share his love for these avian athletes, he enters the realm of pigeon racing. TAKING ON TYSON is an enriching window into Mike Tyson's complex life, where the road to self-awareness, the path to inner peace and the vision into the future... is with these birds.

TAKING ON TYSON was created and produced by Touch Productions in association with Tyrannic Productions for Animal Planet. Malcolm Brinkworth is the executive producer for Touch Productions, Mike Tyson is the executive producer with Tyrannic Productions, and Jason Carey is the executive producer for Animal Planet. Charlie Foley is the vice president of development for Animal Planet.

Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment. APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 97 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.