Animals gone wild on TV’s new “Zoo”

CBS’ idea of summer escapism has an interesting bent toward, as they put it in “Zoo,” a “possible extinction event”.

Jackson Oz, played by James Wolk, is an American zoologist running safaris in Africa. As the assaults become more cunning, coordinated and ferocious, the story becomes a race to unlock the mystery of the global pandemic before it’s too late. I suspect in the first draft, it was something like Rugged O’Scruffington, and somebody just went, “Mm, tone that down, but only about five percent”. But this time, he says he’s proud to be associated with the project.

The series, therefore, will quickly move beyond the bounds of Patterson’s source material, much like the approach CBS’ Under the Dome took with the Stephen King book on which it is based.

Patterson, best known for his Alex Cross franchise, boasted to the Los Angeles Times that the adaptation “should give the summer movies a run for their money”. In other words, this summer has turned into a banner season for the 34-year-old actress who first made small-screen waves alongside Corey Stoll on Netflix’s House of Cards. This manages to work on multiple levels: If you’re seriously invested in that question, you’ll seriously enjoy the series.

In fact, we didn’t [shoot on location]. “Each season will be like its own chapter with a beginning, middle and an end and each one suggests the one that comes after it”.

“I think because it’s so visual, and it’s so unusual”, he says. No matter how well trained an animal is it’s still unpredictable. That happened a few times. Their only clue is a dropped videocam suggesting some sort of animal attack. It’s been very eye-opening. There is actual fear there. Don’t expect to see the same narrative in the television show. That can be very comforting in a lot of ways. I love both shows for different reasons, but it wasn’t a deliberate decision. Maybe there needs to be more action sequences.

In Los Angeles, two men relieving themselves in an alley wonder the same thing – well, they would, if two escaped lions from the local zoo did not make canapés out of them. That’s what gets my attention, aside from wanting to know why the animals are acting this way. I’m not being literal at all when I’m saying this, but imagine the same story in an alternate universe. I do not anticipate any backlash.

When Extant returns for Season 2, you’ll see a major revamp. “The bear was supposed to open a refrigerator and the fridge would not open so he ended up pulling it over instead and when he did that he went screaming from the set,” Pinkner laughs.

We haven’t really done an analysis, but [the balance] is probably 70/30 real [animals] to CGI. “They want food. They want shelter”.

According to Deadline, PETA was insured by CBS for the minimalist use of real animals before the shooting began earlier this year. Does the premise intrigue you like it did with me?

There’s just no talking to the animals. I do not think anybody is indifferent. What they say about dogs being man’s best friend is true. Our cast was in frame and everybody just kind of has to wait.

How closely are you working with James Patterson on the TV show since it is a separate entity?

The new CBS drama Zoo, premiering Tuesday night, is about an animal uprising.