CBS premieres thriller Zoo—based on a James Patterson novel—June 30 at 9 p.m. ET. The series follows a young zoologist and news reporter as they try to unlock the mystery behind a wave of violent animal attacks against humans. James Wolk, Kristen Connolly, Billy Burke, Nonso Anozie and Nora Arnezeder star in the series. The following are reviews from TV critics around the web, compiled by B&C.
“At least initially, the two far-flung storylines — one involving a safari guide/zoologist in Botswana, the other a reporter in Los Angeles — aren’t exactly hair-raising. Zoo might build toward something more satisfying, but based on the premiere, there’s not particularly strong incentive to take the bait.”
—Brian Lowry, Variety
“Zoo, however, is being pitched as an open-ended series — and with CBS' own Under the Dome yawning before us as a daunting example, many may balk at leaping into yet another show that may go on too long and become ludicrous. The book ended, and one fears you may quickly find yourself wishing Zoo would do the same.”
—Robert Bianco, USA Today
“Mutating Wild Kingdom into a subversive fun-time apoca-thriller, Zoo is a worthy small-screen complement to a Jurassic World summer.”
—Jeff Jensen, Entertainment Weekly
“Based on the novel of the same name by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge, Zoo is fun, escapist fare. The kind of show that will make you want to pop some popcorn and plop down on the couch.”
—Amy Amatangelo, The Hollywood Reporter
“If there is such a thing as a cozy dystopia, that’s what Zoo is: an Animal Planet spectacle for people who don’t like reality television but who aren’t in the mood for anything too surreal.”
—Alessandra Stanley, New York Times
