Mr. Matthew Almeida reports

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: CTV ACQUIRES ZOO, THE EVENT SERIES OF THE SUMMER

The new event series of the summer has arrived. As the first pickup from the L.A. Screenings, BCE Inc.'s CTV has acquired the new, much-buzzed-about drama, Zoo, for its summer 2015 lineup. The 13-episode event series airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV and CTV Go, beginning June 30, 2015. Based on James Patterson's No. 1 bestselling novel, which has been translated in six languages and has sold more than four million copies worldwide, Zoo is a global thriller about a wave of violent animal attacks against humans that is sweeping the planet. Zoo stars James Wolk (Mad Men), Kristen Connolly (House of Cards), Billy Burke (Revolution), Nonso Anozie (Dracula, Cinderella) and Nora Arnezeder (Safe House). The drama will also be available live and on demand on the CTV website and CTV Go.

"CTV is excited to unleash the action-packed Zoo for Canadian viewers this summer," said Mike Cosentino, senior vice-president, programming, CTV Networks. "Originally eyed for the big screen, Zoo is a television event thriller like nothing we have ever seen. The adventure and suspense in this adaptation is the perfect complement to CTV's Tuesday nights this summer."

Animals once ruled the earth, but what if they decided to take it back? In Zoo (Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV and CTV Go, beginning June 30, 2015), Jackson Oz (James Wolk, Mad Men), a young, renegade American zoologist, spends his days running safaris in the wilds of Africa, when he begins noticing the strange behaviour of the animals. As the assaults become more cunning, co-ordinated and ferocious, he is thrust into the race to unlock the mystery of the pandemic before there are no places left for people to hide. Kristen Connolly (House of Cards) plays Jamie, a passionate young journalist intent on uncovering the story behind the mysterious animal behaviour she has been tracking. Billy Burke (Revolution) stars as Mitch, an off-kilter animal veterinarian who prefers the simple company of animals to navigating the complexities of humans. Series regular Nonso Anozie (Dracula, Cinderella) stars as a Botswanan safari tour guide named Abraham, with a deep understanding of wildlife, and Nora Arnezeder (Safe House) plays Chloe Tousignant, a former diplomat who is concerned about the unusual animal activity and takes refuge with Jackson. Zoo also stars Carl Lumbly (Alias) in a guest-starring role as Delavane, an enigmatic, veteran Interpol agent embedded within the hierarchy of the general secretariat who takes matters into his own hands when faced with what he believes to be a global animal crisis.

Zoo is executive produced by Jeff Pinkner (Fringe, Lost), Josh Appelbaum (Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol, Alias, Life on Mars), Andre Nemec (Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Michael Katelman (Rizzoli and Isles) and Scott Rosenberg (High Fidelity, Life on Mars), alongside James Mangold (Walk the Line; Girl, Interrupted), Cathy Konrad (Girl, Interrupted; Scream), bestselling author James Patterson, Bill Robinson, Leopoldo Gout and Steve Bowen. Brad Anderson (The Killing, Fringe) is directing and also serves as an executive producer. Zoo is a CBS Television Studios production.

Zoo joins previously announced CTV summer series Masterchef (May 20, 2015), So You Think You Can Dance (June 1, 2015), and Mistresses (June 18, 2015).