Eric Goode has done it again. In HBO’s upcoming docuseries Chimp Crazy, the filmmaker behind Netflix’s Tiger King has found an all-new bizarre exotic animal story — as well as another Carole Baskin-like figure, who actually refers to herself as “the Dolly Parton of chimps” — which forms the basis of his new four-part series about the private ownership of primates. This time, his central figure is Tonia Haddix, a former nurse-turned-exotic animal broker who compares her affection for her chimp with people’s devotion to God.
The series is set to debut on Aug. 18 with Episode 1, titled “Monkey Love,” in which Haddix fights to retain custody of her “kids” (aka seven chimpanzees at the Missouri Primate Foundation). You can check out a trailer for the season below, and I’ll say right off the bat that when Haddix is insisting to the camera that Tonka (her retired Hollywood chimp) “loved me just as much as I loved Tonka,” it almost feels like you’re watching a kooky, oblivious character in a Christopher Guest mockumentary.
Haddix, HBO’s official summary explains, “spends her days caring for animals in captivity. However, her limitless love for one chimpanzee in particular spins into a wild cat-and-mouse game with authorities and an animal rights group.
“Through Tonia’s and other “chimp mom” experiences, Chimp Crazy reveals the singular bonds that form between owners and their highly intelligent great ape pets. The series exposes the risks humans take when they try to raise these animals as members of their family, as well as the risks to the welfare of the animals themselves.”
Obviously, I don’t think Chimp Crazy stands even a remote chance of replicating the success of Goode’s Netflix blockbuster; too many things, not the least of which was a pandemic that kept us all stuck at home and desperate for a distraction, combined to make Tiger King a one-of-a-kind success. Having said that, Goode knows a great story when he sees one. And this one involves everything from a woman faking the death of a chimp to a lawsuit, a $20,000 reward, and the involvement of Kyle Rittenhouse’s attorney. Strap yourself in, folks.