Fresh off the success of Netflix hit documentary, Tiger King, stars Jeff Lowe and his wife Lauren are getting their own reality TV show.
The zoo owner explains to People that the series will shed light on his relationship with now-imprisoned zookeeper Joseph “Joe Exotic” Maldonado-Passage. “It’ll be our narrative on the Tiger King with evidence to support our sides of the stories,” he said.
What Will Jeff’s Show be About?
At the end of the Netflix series, Jeff was in the process of building a new zoo. He says the upcoming reality series “will be about the transfer of all these beautiful animals from Joe’s facility to the new facility.”
The show will offer a closer look at a zoo’s operation. Jeff says the series will reveal “the day-to-day struggle of running something as big as a 60-acre animal park and all the intricacies of the employment of zookeepers and fighting all of the animal rights groups.”
One goal of the series is to show how to correctly run a zoo. “We have an immaculate reputation with the USDA who regulates all the zoos in the world,” he said. “We have a great relationship with Fish and Game. The state of Oklahoma, all the game wardens, they really like us, so I think it’ll be an interesting show.”
Lauren hopes to show the animals in more suitable habitats. “Just showing the animals going from small enclosures to bigger enclosures,” he said. “We just want to put a brighter light on things because everybody wants to put a horrible light on roadside zoos. Every zoo is off of a road.”
When Will the Series Air?
Jeff explains the show’s premiere date is to be determined. “They haven’t even given us an exact date of production,” he said. “It’s in pre-production right now. It’s with The Content Group in California, and it will prove to be very, very informative.”
Currently, the film crew is gathering more footage for the show. However, the coronavirus epidemic has presented issues for the production. “We’re filming B-roll right now,” Jeff said. “It’s hard with COVID-19 to put crews together and get them all out here, staying in hotels. It’s just a little bit difficult, but I think they anticipate a few more weeks before they start all of the big camera filming.”
At this time, it’s unclear what network the show will air on.
[H/T People]
