Sunday Nights Are About To Get Manlier

Have you ever been forced to watch American Idol and wished the contestants were armed with sharp-shooting weaponry? Well, your wish will be fulfilled this Sunday night, with the premiere of Top Shot, the new marksmanship reality show on HISTORY.

For its first-ever competition series, HISTORY is tapping into legendary feats of sharp-shooting: Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show; Annie Oakley using a mirror to shoot a rifle over her shoulder; William Tell shooting an apple off his son's head with a crossbow; the Romans unleashing flaming arrows; the Barbarians slinging stones—you get the idea.

Sixteen of the nation's most skilled marksmen have been carefully selected to compete for the title of Top Shot. Some have professional shooting experience, some are amateurs—and all will showcase breathtaking timing, speed and accuracy in their quest to win. The winner will have to be skilled in everything from muzzle-loading muskets and modern pistols to slingshots and throwing knives.

Click here to meet the contenders (pictured)—including the first woman in the history of the Chicago Police Department to become "Top Gun" of her graduating class, world-record holders, a Wild West entertainer, a historical firearms collector, a radio gun show host, a 22-year-old rifle prodigy, and a 47-year-old retired city cop—vying for a $100,000 prize package and the title of Top Shot.

In each episode, contenders will face team and elimination challenges inspired by real events in history, from Wild West shootouts to modern-day sniper missions. Every challenge will reveal the weapons, technologies and tactics of a different era, while hi-speed HD cameras capture the skillful execution of each test with breathtaking precision in extreme slow-motion.

The bad-assery that is Top Shot premieres Sunday June 6 at 10/9 c on History. Trailer below.

Tune in to History early (9/8 c) for the season 4 premiere of Ice Road Truckers, the chronicles of big-rig drivers facing treacherous Alaskan ice road challenges new and familiar. The slip-sliding, -70-degree, mustachioed trailer below.