Shark Week Debuts Larger-Than-Life 2020 Lineup Featuring Mike Tyson, Will Smith, Shaq and More

Shark Week is back for 2020 with a lineup that features the scariest creatures of the deep, plus celebs like Mike Tyson, Will Smith, Shaquille O’Neal and Snoop Dogg.

The annual TV event will air on the Discovery Channel from Aug. 9 to 16.

“With more than 20 hours of shark programming throughout the week, SHARK WEEK 2020’s fincredible lineup will deliver magnificent shark stories and celebrate the 20th anniversary of ‘Air Jaws,’ ” reads a release. “This year, the pop culture phenomenon will take viewers to oceans around the world revealing phenomenal insights into the mysterious world of these brilliant creatures.”

The “jawesome programming schedule” will kick off with a celebration of the 20th anniversary of Air Jaws, a series of Discovery Channel films about great white sharks who soar out of the surf for food in the waters near South Africa.

The second Shark Week event is Tyson vs. Jaws: Rumble on the Reef, featuring the pro boxer going “head to head” with the ocean predators, including the blacktip reef shark.

“With famed ring announcer Michael Buffer calling the shots, these two heavyweights will square off underwater, where Mike Tyson will try to score a TKO over the massive shark … all in the name of research,” reads a description of the show, airing Aug. 9 at 9 p.m. EST. "And don’t worry, no sharks were harmed (or bitten) in the making of this episode."

This year’s Shark Week will also be exploring the effects of the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on our oceans. In Shark Lockdown on Aug. 9 at 10 p.m. EST, researchers in New Zealand track how hunting patterns among female great white sharks — nicknamed “747s” for their large size — have changed.

Basketball star Shaquille O’Neal will appear in ShaqAttack on Aug. 10 at 9 p.m. EST, embarking “on a mission to determine what shark has the perfect predatory attack,” and actor Will Smith is featured in Will Smith: Off the Deep End the following night at 9 p.m. EST.

In his Aug. 12 special, airing at 9 p.m. EST, Snoop Dogg “takes a look at why great white sharks are taking up residence along America's shores.”

“Snoop will breakdown the craziest shark encounters caught on tape, marvel at the wild and unpredictable reactions, and meet with the leading experts who are trying to unlock the secrets behind this great white shark invasion,” the description for Jaws of America reads.

Take a bite out of the big week when Shark Week kicks off Sunday, Aug. 9, on the Discovery Channel.