News On 6 Goes Behind The Scenes Of CBS's New Show 'Zoo'

Animals turn on humans in organized, violent attacks. That's the premise of the new CBS show "Zoo" based on a best-selling novel. We traveled to New Orleans where the show is filming -- to talk one-on-one with the cast.

What happens when animals, which once ruled the Earth, start taking it back?

"It's like Jurassic Park, meets Lost, meets Indiana Jones, meets like ten other things but it's very exciting," said James Wolk, who plays "Jackson Oz" on the show.

Wolk says his character has a dark past. His father was a famous zoologist who predicted animals would start attacking humans, but no one believed him...until now.

"The scripts are great, they're dark, they're interesting, there is adventure, there is action, there are live animals," said Wolk.

“Jackson” goes on a mission to prove his father's work correct when animals mysteriously start to act differently and their relationships with humans change.

And you know when the main character is named Oz, you can expect live animals like lions, tigers and bears.

"We are twenty feet away from bears right now, there's two bears sitting out there," said Billy Burke, who plays "Mitch Morgan" on the show. "Lions, tigers, bears, OH MY! Yeah, look at that."

"It's intense," said Kristen Connolly, who plays "Jamie Campbell." "I just walked by in the parking lot and there were these two bears out there which has not really happened on other jobs I've done."

The crew tried to use live animals as much as possible, which enticed Billy Burke, who plays the veterinary pathologist.

"I had just never heard of a show that I had seen before that was doing that," said Burke. "So, I was automatically intrigued saying, like well, I'm in for doing something different."

Connolly plays a reporter who thinks a global corporation's products may be behind the animals' bizarre behavior.

"I knew that the story would be really suspenseful and then I just loved this character and I love how sort of tenacious she is," said Connolly, whose character teams up with Burke's character to investigate.

The show started production in January. Each episode takes eight days to shoot - two on a sound stage and six days on location. The show features six continents, but all the scenes are shot in New Orleans.

"We're globetrotting all over the world, via New Orleans," said Wolk.

The story starts simultaneously in Africa and Los Angeles then goes to Tokyo, Slovenia and more.

"New Orleans has been Japan, it's been Rio, it's been, this week it's Washington, D.C.," said Burke.

The animals turn on mankind in a different location every week.

"I think as an audience, it's going to be an exciting hour of television," said Wolk.

The cast says this show is unlike anything else they've ever done and you can expect a cliffhanger every week.