Butterbean Trades His Boxing Gloves for a Sheriff's Badge in Investigation Discovery's First Docu-Series, BIG LAW: DEPUTY BUTTERBEAN

SILVER SPRING, Md., July 18, 2011 -- Former heavyweight boxer Eric Esch, more popularly known as Butterbean, barreled into the national ring in the '90s like a 400-pound wrecking ball clad in American flag shorts. Now, Butterbean is taking his hard-earned, tough guy reputation to the streets of his hometown: he's been deputized by the Walker County Sheriff's office, and he's on a one-man mission to bring back a sense of community safety... no matter how many butts he has to kick. In his first-ever television series, BIG LAW: DEPUTY BUTTERBEAN chronicles the Reserve Deputy as he joins his partner and best friend, Deputy Adam Hadder, on the Sheriff's Narcotics Unit in Jasper, Ala. Viewers follow the oversized deputy and get insider access to every training session, patrol ride and bad guy bust that Butterbean experiences, all in the hopes of making Jasper a safer and cleaner place for his kids and grandkids. Join Butterbean as he brings big-time justice to a small town in BIG LAW: DEPUTY BUTTERBEAN, with half-hour episodes premiering back to back every Tuesday beginning August 9 at 10 and 10:30 PM (ET) on Investigation Discovery.

"As the fastest growing network in all of cable, it's imperative that we continue to pursue different genres of programming, so I'm particularly proud to announce that BIG LAW: DEPUTY BUTTERBEAN will be Investigation Discovery's first foray into docu-series," said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager, Investigation Discovery. "Our cameras capture every moment of Butterbean in action and, although this deputy would be a little intimidating if he's the one knocking on your door, I think our viewers will find that he's just a big guy with an even bigger heart trying to make a difference in his community."

In the premiere episode, Deputies Butterbean and Hadder close in on a suspected meth lab but are rattled with disappointment when they discover it abandoned. Their luck turns when they catch a female suspect illegally buying pseudoephedrine for her boyfriend, a suspected meth maker. Butterbean's compassionate nature allows the young mother to open up to him, eventually leading police to their suspect. Then, to carry a Taser you need to be Taser certified - which requires getting shocked yourself. Butterbean has taken some tough blows in the ring, but will 50,000 volts be the force that finally knocks him down?

The ten-part series will culminate with a special episode chronicling the torrent of tornadoes that ripped through Alabama in April 2011. While Jasper itself remained relatively unscathed, neighboring suburbs of Birmingham were devastated. The episode follows Deputies Butterbean and Hadder as they conduct search-and-rescue and aid missions alongside their fellow Walker County police force.

ABOUT BUTTERBEAN:

Weighing in at over 400 pounds, boxer Eric "Butterbean" Esch is the former super heavyweight champion famous for his staple uniform of American flag shorts fastened around his round belly. Butterbean entered the world of professional fighting in 1994 with numerous World Toughman titles to his credit. After a successful stint in boxing (fight record stands at 95 wins with 65 knockouts, 19 losses and 5 draws), he transformed himself into a fan favorite of WWF and even ventured into Mixed Martial Arts, where he currently holds the 2011 Elite MMA Super Heavyweight Title. His success has earned him a cult following and made him a fixture in pop culture with his role in Jackass: The Movie, in which he knocked Johnnie Knoxville out cold. Butterbean also appeared as a playable character in all of the EA Sports boxing video games in the Knockout Kings series. He currently works as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for Walker County and resides in Jasper, Ala. with his wife and three kids.

BIG LAW: DEPUTY BUTTERBEAN is produced by Atlas Media for Investigation Discovery. For Atlas, Bruce David Klein is the executive producer and Cheryl Miller Houser and Lorri Leighton are co-executive producers. For Investigation Discovery, Thomas Cutler is executive producer, Sara Kozak is vice president of production, and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.

ABOUT INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY:

Investigation Discovery (ID) is America's leading investigation network and the fastest-growing network in television. As the source for fact-based analytical content and compelling human stories, ID probes factors that challenge our everyday understanding of culture, society and the human condition. ID delivers the highest-quality programming to more than 77 million U.S. households with viewer favorites that include On the Case with Paula Zahn, Disappeared, Unusual Suspects and Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets. For more information, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com, facebook.com/InvestigationDiscovery, or twitter.com/DiscoveryID. Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 210 countries and territories.