TLC To Premiere New Series 'BBQ PITMASTERS' On December 3

TLC today confirmed that the new docu-series BBQ PITMASTERS premieres December 3 at 10 PM on TLC, following an all-new episode of AMERICAN CHOPPER. The eight-part series, produced by Original Media, takes viewers into the high-stakes world of competitive barbecue. Following some of the biggest names on the circuit, each one-hour episode travels to a different competition and shows viewers what it takes to win big in BBQ.
 
BBQ PITMASTERS transports viewers to the competitive BBQ subculture, where an estimated 10 million people visit competitions each year to get up-close and personal with the leading chefs of America's burgeoning barbecue circuit. Like an all-star poker tournament or a championship car race, it is at these events that reputations and respect are gained and lost. For pit masters, the honor rides on the virtues of one perfectly charred rib, and hundreds of thousands of dollars trade hands after a single, mouth-watering bite of brisket.
 
The men and women featured are part chef, part athlete, and part five-star general. They not only talk a big game, but walk it every step of the way: with grease on their hands, sweat on their brows, and meat on their minds from sun-up to sundown.
 
The cooks featured in the series include:
* Jamie Geer, owner of Jambo Pits from Fort Worth, TX.
* Myron Mixon, three-time world champion from Albany, GA.
* Paul Petersen, executive chef at Rick's Chop House in McKinney, TX
* Harry Soo, head cook of team Slap Yo' Daddy BBQ in Diamond Bar, CA
* Tuffy Stone, owners of Q Barbecue and A Sharper Palate in Richmond, VA
* Johnny Trigg, considered the "godfather of BBQ" from Alvarado, TX
* Lee Ann Whippen, owner of Wood Chick's BBQ in Chesapeake, VA
 
"For the competitors we follow, barbecue isn't a hobby - it's a passion. Countless hours of work, hundred of miles of travel, and years perfecting recipes go into making one perfect bite of food - with the hopes of winning the title and millions of dollars in prizes," explains Eileen O'Neill, President & GM, TLC. "BBQ PITMASTERS adds to our menu of programming, sharing stories of passionate real-life characters with the wildly popular BBQ backdrop."
 
The series documents the following competitions:
* Mesquite, NV: Smokin' in Mesquite Nevada Open BBQ Championship
* Decatur, AL: Decatur Jaycees 15th Annual Riverfest
* Murphysboro, IL: Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off
* Kansas City, MO: 30th Annual American Royal Barbecue
* Dover, DE: Diamond State BBQ Championship
* Vienna, GA: The Big Pig Jig
 
In addition, the cooks come together for a special even hosted by Johnny Trigg.
Original Media CEO Charlie Corwin adds, "The colorful characters and deeply competitive spirit of the American barbecue subculture is truly something to behold, and we have captured this captivating competitive action and bold egos in vivid detail. With this series, we are excited to be further expanding our relationship with TLC who has been a great partner on such series as LA INK and MASTERS OF RECEPTION."