# Tiger King (2020)

> A docuseries following eccentric big cat breeders and a zoo owner's spiral into a murder-for-hire scheme.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/84567

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 13
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: documentary, crime
- Created by: Eric Goode, Rebecca Chaiklin
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Joel McHale, O. J. Simpson, Mike Busey, Donald Trump, Jerry Mitchell, Doc Antle, Saff Saffery, Zuzana Kukol
- TMDB rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11823076/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: campy, tabloid, darkly comic, unsettling, riveting

## What critics say

Viewers found the bizarre cast and twisting true-crime story riveting, though the series is sprawling and uneven, with season two widely seen as weaker.

## Synopsis

Tiger King (2020-2021) is an American true crime documentary docuseries created by Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin for Netflix. Across two seasons and thirteen episodes, it follows a sprawling cast of eccentric big cat breeders and roadside zoo operators, anchored by the flamboyant zoo owner at its center and his rivalry with an animal rights activist. Host Joel McHale guides viewers through archive footage, interviews, and podcast commentary as the story spirals into a murder-for-hire plot rooted in the underworld of private big cat ownership. Each episode layers outlandish personal histories over the investigation, so the emotional register swings between darkly comic and genuinely unsettling. Subjects like Doc Antle and Saff Saffery appear as recurring figures in a world of gaudy showmanship, feuding personalities, and questionable animal care. The show's raw, tabloid-style energy and jaw-dropping revelations will appeal to viewers who enjoy Making a Murderer, The Jinx, and Fyre, offering a binge-friendly mix of spectacle, crime, and cultural curiosity set across rural Oklahoma and American roadside attractions.

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