I just finished watching two full tapes of Zoo Life with Jack Hanna, which I recorded in 2000 during their re-run on Animal Planet; this series was produced in the early 1990s and lasted for about 40 episodes. I even found an episode guide online:
ZooLife With Jack Hanna - TV Show, Episode Guide & Schedule
In his new book 'Jungle Jack: My Wild Life' Hanna briefly mentions the series (p. 176):
"I had done features for local stations, like the first one on Anna Merz, and even the local series, Hanna's Ark. But when I was approached to do a nationally-syndicated show, Zoo Life, I thought, "Hey, this stuff could get series." Zoo Life was the real deal. But after we had taped about forty episodes, financial problems arouse, and that deal soon ended."
Zoo Life has not been put on DVD and probably never will due to their age (his newer series are on DVD though: Animal Adventures and Into the Wild) although they went on video at the time, which can be bought second-hand on Amazon and eBay.
Zoo Life was special in that the host was a professional zoo man making visits to zoos around the USA and the world to introduce zoo animals, zoo people and zoo exhibits to viewers. Jack Hanna is an amazing man and my first idol in the zoo world. Not only is he a great speaker who can reach the audience with his conservation message; he was also a professional zoo person at the time (i.e. not an actor or an entertainer) and since he left Columbus Zoo he has always been there for zoos at hard times, for instance after the San Francisco tiger attack and after the trainer was killed at SeaWorld this year. On a personal note, it was through his show that I heard of many of America's best zoos for the first time.
Most zoo-based TV series are not the same because they are filmed in one or at most two zoos; and feature even the smallest things in the daily operation. I have seen scenes where the garbage cleaners were followed around and the lawns were being mown. I no longer have cable (waste of money and time) but I remember series like Aspinall's Animals (Howletts and Port Lympne), Zoo Story and Zoo Chronicles (London and Whipsnade) as well as ones about Longleat, Paignton, San Diego Wild Animal Park, etc. While the producers are usually careful not to bore viewers too much with such scenes (low ratings can mean unemployment) even more interesting features have been taken too far at times. Zoo Story for instance managed to extend a dental operation on a Sulawesi Black Macaque into two or three episodes. It was then that I stopped watching the series, and soon after I cancelled the cable.
Do you know of any other series, from any time in any country, built up like Zoo Life? I.e. the host (a pro zoo person or an actor) going between zoos (in one country or many countries) instead of just staying at one zoo. And if you know of any series, my next question would be if they are available on DVD for online purchase? Maybe a long shot but you never know unless you have a go!
ZooLife With Jack Hanna - TV Show, Episode Guide & Schedule
In his new book 'Jungle Jack: My Wild Life' Hanna briefly mentions the series (p. 176):
"I had done features for local stations, like the first one on Anna Merz, and even the local series, Hanna's Ark. But when I was approached to do a nationally-syndicated show, Zoo Life, I thought, "Hey, this stuff could get series." Zoo Life was the real deal. But after we had taped about forty episodes, financial problems arouse, and that deal soon ended."
Zoo Life has not been put on DVD and probably never will due to their age (his newer series are on DVD though: Animal Adventures and Into the Wild) although they went on video at the time, which can be bought second-hand on Amazon and eBay.
Zoo Life was special in that the host was a professional zoo man making visits to zoos around the USA and the world to introduce zoo animals, zoo people and zoo exhibits to viewers. Jack Hanna is an amazing man and my first idol in the zoo world. Not only is he a great speaker who can reach the audience with his conservation message; he was also a professional zoo person at the time (i.e. not an actor or an entertainer) and since he left Columbus Zoo he has always been there for zoos at hard times, for instance after the San Francisco tiger attack and after the trainer was killed at SeaWorld this year. On a personal note, it was through his show that I heard of many of America's best zoos for the first time.
Most zoo-based TV series are not the same because they are filmed in one or at most two zoos; and feature even the smallest things in the daily operation. I have seen scenes where the garbage cleaners were followed around and the lawns were being mown. I no longer have cable (waste of money and time) but I remember series like Aspinall's Animals (Howletts and Port Lympne), Zoo Story and Zoo Chronicles (London and Whipsnade) as well as ones about Longleat, Paignton, San Diego Wild Animal Park, etc. While the producers are usually careful not to bore viewers too much with such scenes (low ratings can mean unemployment) even more interesting features have been taken too far at times. Zoo Story for instance managed to extend a dental operation on a Sulawesi Black Macaque into two or three episodes. It was then that I stopped watching the series, and soon after I cancelled the cable.
Do you know of any other series, from any time in any country, built up like Zoo Life? I.e. the host (a pro zoo person or an actor) going between zoos (in one country or many countries) instead of just staying at one zoo. And if you know of any series, my next question would be if they are available on DVD for online purchase? Maybe a long shot but you never know unless you have a go!
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