Animal Planet Teams with Mike Tyson for New Series

NEW YORK: Animal Planet has unveiled a new show with Mike Tyson, tentatively titled Taking on Tyson, which will feature the former heavyweight champion taking viewers into the world of pigeon racing.

Scheduled to film this spring in New York City and debut in early 2011, the series will give an insider’s look at pigeon rearing and racing, a sport that has not exactly been in the mainstream arena. Tyson, a novice pigeon racer, goes up against several individuals, as he enters the sport as an underdog. Taking on Tyson was created and produced by Touch Productions in association with Tyrannic Productions for Animal Planet.

"Tyson’s passion for his pigeons takes my breath away," said Marjorie Kaplan, the president and general manager of Animal Planet Media. "For years, he has been inspired by these birds that he feels have the biggest hearts in the animal kingdom. Taking on Tyson peels back new layers of the remarkable persona and deep humanity of Mike Tyson while also showing us a whole world we never knew existed right on the rooftops of New York City."

"I’m honored to be a part of this monumental show on Animal Planet," commented Tyson. "I feel a great pride acting as an official representative for all the pigeon fancier’s out there. I want people to see why we love these birds. It feels good returning to the rooftops of the city where it all started for me, New York."