HISTORY(R) TURNS UP THE HEAT THIS AUGUST WITH A BRAND NEW SEASON OF 'FORGED IN FIRE' FOLLOWED BY BACK-TO-BACK EPISODES OF NEW ORIGINAL SERIES 'MILWAUKEE BLACKSMITH'

SEASON THREE OF 'FORGED IN FIRE' PREMIERES AUGUST 23 AT 9PM ET/PT 'MILWAUKEE BLACKSMITH' PREMIERES AUGUST 23 AT 10PM ET/PT

New York, NY - August 4, 2016 - HISTORY's(R) hottest competition series "Forged In Fire" returns this summer for a third season, followed by new original series, "Milwaukee Blacksmith." "Forged In Fire" kicks off with a special champions edition, bringing back four former Forged champions to battle it out for the ultimate title when it returns Tuesday, August 23 at 9PM ET/PT with an eight episode run. "Milwaukee Blacksmith" follows with back-to-back episodes at 10PM ET/PT and 10:30PM ET/PT on HISTORY.

The season three premiere of hit competition series "Forged in Fire" features former champions, Matthew Parkinson (season one), Burt Foster (season two), Ben Abbott (season two) and Salem Straub (season two) competing in an unprecedented head-to-head battle. Hosted by weapons expert and US Army and Air Force veteran Wil Willis, the new season continues to feature more world-class bladesmiths creating history's most iconic edged weapons. In each episode, four new master competitors put their skills and reputations on the line, trying to avoid elimination and win the $10,000 prize. The panel of experts includes returning judges J. Neilson, Doug Marcaida and David Baker, plus newcomer, master bladesmith Jason Knight.

On the all-new series "Milwaukee Blacksmith," Kent Knapp and his children make their living in the 5,000 year-old craft of blacksmithing. Behind the power of his hundred year-old screw press, and 135 year-old anvil, Kent built his business from the ground up. These expert craftsmen forge everything from bank vaults to bike frames and any large steel piece you can dream up. Kent has made it his mission to pass the trade down to his children, but to carry the business into the future they will have to learn to work together as a team.

"Forged in Fire" is produced for HISTORY by Outpost Entertainment, a Leftfield Entertainment company. Jodi Flynn, David George, Shawn Witt and Simon Thomas are executive producers for Outpost Entertainment. Tim Healy and Jim Pasquarella are executive producers for HISTORY.

"Milwaukee Blacksmith" is produced for HISTORY by NorthSouth Productions. Charlie DeBevoise and Mark Hickman are executive producers for NorthSouth Productions. Jim Pasquarella is executive producer for HISTORY.

About HISTORY(R)

HISTORY(R), now reaching more than 96 million homes, is the leading destination for award-winning series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across all platforms. The network's all-original programming slate features a roster of signature series including "Pawn Stars," "American Pickers," "The Curse of Oak Island," "Alone" as well as the hit drama series "Vikings." The HISTORY website is located at history.com. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/history and Facebook at facebook.com/history.