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Top of the food chain: The animals are going rogue in CBS' thrilling new drama

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Jacqueline Spendlove / TV Media
Nora Arnezeder, James Wolk, Billy Burke, Kristen Connolly and Nonso Anozie in “Zoo”

Nora Arnezeder, James Wolk, Billy Burke, Kristen Connolly and Nonso Anozie in “Zoo”

Aren’t we lucky that our pets love us? I grew up with a Rottweiler, who could have done major damage to the soft, juicy little 10-year-old who dressed him in her brother’s jacket, used him as a pillow and pretended to eat his treats. My family fed him, housed him, petted him and spoiled him, but when you get down to it, the only reason I got through any given day without getting mauled was because he chose not to.

Animal attacks do happen, of course, domestically and otherwise, but considering how many potentially lethal beasts are roaming the planet, they’re not exactly hurting the human population. Humans may be the dominant species, but we’re by no means the strongest.

If the lions, tigers and bears of the world were to suddenly get it into their heads to push back against the people that are steadily encroaching on their turf, we’d find ourselves in a mess of trouble (oh my!). It’s a situation that is the focus of “Zoo,” a new drama coming to CBS. Based on James Patterson’s No. 1 bestselling novel of the same name, the series follows a wave of vicious animal attacks on humans throughout the globe. As these attacks become more cunning and violent, it becomes clear that this is far from normal animal activity. “Zoo” premieres Tuesday, June 30, on CBS.

Patterson has sold more than 300 million copies of his books, and 10 of his novels have been adapted for the screen, including “Kiss the Girls,” “Along Came a Spider,” “Women’s Murder Club” and “Alex Cross.” “Zoo” -- which has sold more than four million copies worldwide and is available in six languages -- was originally intended for the big screen actually, but execs thought there was enough material to warrant a longer story.

The author himself is more than confident that his work will translate well to the small screen: “People always say that the book is always better than the movie,” he said at CBS’s summer press event. “In this case, I think the series is going to be better than the book.”

“Mad Men’s” James Wolk leads the cast as American zoologist Jackson Oz, who offers safaris in the African wild. He begins to notice unusual behavior in the animals he works with on a regular basis, and before long, he’s wrapped up in the desperate race to figure out what’s causing them to suddenly turn against humans en masse.

Starring alongside Wolk is French actress Nora Arnezeder (“Safe House,” 2012) as former diplomat Chloe Tousignant, who takes refuge and teams up with Wolk as things start to get hairy (no pun intended) with the animals. “Revolution’s” Billy Burke plays Mitch, a veterinarian who generally prefers to spend his time with animals than with other people. Kristen Connolly (“House of Cards”) plays Jamie, a young journalist who has noted and been tracking the unusual animal behavior and is out to get the whole story behind it.

James Wolk stars in “Zoo”

James Wolk stars in “Zoo”

Not all of the show’s characters are lifted from the novel, and, as is always the case with a book’s screen adaptation, the series won’t line up with Patterson’s work exactly.

“We used some of the characters very specifically, then adjusted them a little bit and created some characters of our own,” said executive producer Jeff Pinkner in a recent interview with CBS.

“It’s impossible to do an adaptation and be completely beholden to the book, because there are some things that work well on the page that just won’t work in filmed entertainment,” he said. “But the idea behind the book and the characters in the book were so strong, we had a really fun leaping-off point.”

Pinkner explains that the show’s structure is notably different from that of the original story as well, with the book’s plot moving into the future, while the show remains in the present. He also revealed to the “Hollywood Reporter” that season 1’s 13-episode arc will not leave off where the book does, and that the current plan is to have the series span five seasons, if not more.

Filming began in January in New Orleans, but the long list of shooting locations helps demonstrate the truly pandemic nature of the crisis. The first season alone takes the story to Alabama, Africa, Tokyo, Paris, Antarctica and more.

“[The actors] literally have no idea what country they’re going to, what animal they may be dealing with,” Pinkner said in the “Hollywood Reporter” piece, voicing his hope that the constant change in location will help keep things fresh for the cast and audience alike. So if polar bears aren’t your thing, just wait a week and you may get to see someone eaten by an alligator instead.

Mankind’s superior intelligence has taken us a long way, but if “Jurassic Park” has taught us anything, it’s that this by no means makes us invincible against things with pointy teeth and razor-sharp claws. OK, so “Zoo” doesn’t have dinosaurs, but it has teeth and claws aplenty. Catch the premiere Tuesday, June 30, on CBS -- and maybe stop using your Rottweiler as a pillow.