Parents' Guide to

Zoo

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Patterson's tense doomsday thriller is campy but curious.

TV CBS Drama 2015
Zoo Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all
age 14+

Based on 10 parent reviews

Lizt3
Lizt3 Adult
September 25, 2020
age 14+

More than innuendo

I was enjoying watching this series, but common sense has failed with saying there is no sex. There is multiple kissing scenes, one very passionate one, after which the rest of the episode it’s mentioned multiple times that the characters “mated,” and there are comments about sexual noises coming from the bedroom of said character. There is a shower scene that was way too uncomfortably long with a female character, even if it doesn’t explicitly show nudity. There is enough innuendo, characters dating and “hooking up,” kissing scenes, and sexual undertones that it should be mentioned. Stopped watching on episode 9 of season 2, there was a sex scene with nudity. Brief or not, know that there is much more than “mention of previous relationships.”
Moxie272
Moxie272 Adult
May 8, 2021
age 16+

Good show

There was a scene i noticed a guy came to a girls apartment she was wearing only a towel and the two madeout for a moment but they didnt go any further. I had to skip this part so my brother didnt see it
See all 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In the African safari, animals begin exhibiting strange behavior that eventually proves fatal for an outlying camp of tourists. When zoologist Jackson (James Wolk) and his friend Abe (Nonso Anozie) set out to investigate, Abe is killed by an unusual group of male lions, leaving Jackson and the camp's lone survivor, Chloe (Nora Arnezeder), stranded and fighting for their lives while they try to understand the animals' odd behavior. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, a young journalist named Jamie (Kristen Connolly) teams up with veterinary pathologist Mitch Morgan (Billy Burke) to discover the cause of similar happenings in the local animal population, from neighborhood cats to the zoo's most fearsome predators. As the signs begin to point toward a mass animal uprising, Jackson turns to his late father's (Ken Olin) discredited research for answers to the mystery.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10 ):
Kids say (9 ):

ZOO is a tense apocalyptic thriller that skips more common plot devices, such as natural disaster or nuclear war, in favor of an extinction method that doesn't get a lot of play on-screen: mass animal retaliation. The potential is there, since animals in one form or another exist everywhere (who knew house cats could be so vindictive?), and a carefully coordinated plot on their part to exact revenge on our species certainly would catch the human population unaware. If you can overlook the preposterous science, the implications of such an event do make for some decent drama.

Patterson fans' curiosity about this book-inspired series likely will bring many to Zoo, but reactions may be mixed. Though the premise makes for good TV, stories never watch exactly the same as they read. To their credit, the show's cast members do a great job maintaining the tension as events unfold, but they can't entirely compensate for the somewhat implausible theory that sets this series in motion. If extinction drama is your thing, then Zoo is one to add to your viewing history. If not, you may find the whole thing a bit campy for your liking.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about conservation and the environment. How have humans' habits threatened the existence of wildlife? Which measures are being taken now to correct that? Why is it our responsibility to correct that?

  • Is the concept of this story in any way conceivable? Why are the doomsday and dystopian genres so popular in movies and TV?

  • If you've read the book, how does this show compare? What types of books best make the transition to the screen? Are you a fan of Patterson's work? Who are some of your favorite authors?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate