Kevin Michael Connolly to Host New Travel Channel Series "Armed & Ready"

Debuts with Back-to-Back Premieres on Tuesday, February 26 at 10:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT

Host Kevin Michael Connolly of Travel Channel's new original series, "Armed & Ready."

CHEVY CHASE, MD --December 12, 2012 - Only a handful of people can train with elite Army Rangers, scale trees with lumberjacks in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains and dive off cliffs in Hawaii. Even fewer can do these things without legs. But that's never stopped Kevin Michael Connolly - an author, photographer and self-proclaimed thrill seeker. Travel Channel's new original series "Armed & Ready" features Connolly as he creates new rigs to travel anywhere, conquer anything and push the limits of the world around him. With his impressive arm strength, his skateboard, the help of backyard engineers and real scientists - and without a wheelchair or prosthetics - Connolly tackles adventure after adventure. This six half-hour episode series premieres on Tuesday, February 26 at 10:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

"In 2013, we will be rolling out a diverse palate of travel-entertainment programming representing the unique perspectives of our talented hosts," said Laureen Ong, President, Travel Channel. "Kevin Michael Connolly joins the fresh faces who encapsulate this genre."

"Kevin is a true adventurer," added Andy Singer, General Manager, Travel Channel. "He experiences the world unlike anybody else and Travel Channel's audience will be fascinated to see his journey through his eyes and point of view."

The unofficial co-stars of the series are Connolly's rigs - the inventions that help him conquer his adventures to their fullest potentials. They include a turkey roasting pan for wakeboarding, a modified saddle with extra straps for horse jousting, and an airline-grade seatbelt and hand brake for street luging.

In the first premiere at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, Connolly is in the Great Smoky Mountains. Not only does he strive to climb a 50-foot tree with lumberjacks, but he's out to conquer Tennessean activities and sports including zorbing (rolling down a hill in a giant inflatable hamster ball), traversing the daunting Class 4 rapids of the Pigeon Forge River - solo - on a custom cataraft, and tossing razor sharp axes at a target that is 30-feet away.

In the second all-new episode at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, Connolly is in Hawaii. He travels to the Big Island on a mission to attempt an epic 40-foot cliff dive - head first - into the Pacific Ocean. Although he trains with a world-champion cliff diver, he still needs to set aside his fear and actually make the leap himself... using only his arms. Along the way, he skateboards on hardened lava, hits the beach for some surfing, zip-lines 300 feet above the jungle to explore breathtaking waterfalls and shreds the ATV trails on Hawaii's tallest mountain, Mauna Kea, with his one-of-a-kind motorized mountain board.

"Armed & Ready" is produced by Crazy Legs Productions for Travel Channel. For Crazy Legs Productions, the executive producers are Tom Cappello and Kelly Hefner. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is David E. Gerber.

TRAVEL CHANNEL (http/::www.travelchannel.com) is a multiplatform travel lifestyle brand with the core mission of providing inspiring and compelling programming that takes viewers beyond their everyday destinations, making the unfamiliar familiar, whether it's around the world or around the block. A dual feed network that is also available in HD, Travel Channel is the world's leading travel media brand, and is available in over 94 million U.S. cable homes. Owned and operated by Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), Travel Channel has offices in Chevy Chase, MD, and New York, NY. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI) also owns and operates HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel and Great American Country.