‘Joe Exotic’ Series Starring Kate McKinnon as Carole Baskin Finds a Streamer Home

The forthcoming Joe Exotic series starring Kate McKinnon as Carole Baskin has found an exclusive home on NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock. According to Deadline, the scripted series was originally set to be a cross-platform project which would have been available on the streamer, as well as being aired on NBC and USA Network. NBCUniversal has reversed course on that decision, however, and will now send the series directly to Peacock.

Susan Rovner, Chairman of Entertainment Content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, issued a comment on the company’s decision, explaining that as the series has taken shape, it feels best suited for the streaming service. “Joe Exotic is shaping up to be a bold and provocative drama and perfectly suited for Peacock, where we can push the envelope and truly bring the story to life in a way that we would be unable to do on broadcast television.” Rovner added, “Moving Joe Exotic to Peacock exclusively is just one example of the strengths of our new structure, which gives us the ability to let the art dictate the platform and not the other way around.”

An official synopsis of the new series reads: “She sets out to shut down his venture, inciting a quickly escalating rivalry. But Carole has a checkered past of her own and when the claws come out, Joe will stop at nothing to expose what he sees as her hypocrisy. The results prove dangerous.” While the show will feature real-life people from the Netflix docu-series, Tiger King, it will actually be based on Wondery’s Joe Exotic podcast. In addition to starring in the series, McKinnon will also serve as an executive producer. Etan Frankel (Shameless, Animal Kingdom) will write the show, and will also serve as an executive producer.

In addition to McKinnon, the series has also found its Joe Exotic in Shrill actor John Cameron Mitchell. “I’m thrilled to take on the role of this modern folk antihero,” Mitchell said in a previous statement on his acting. “Joe and I are the same age and like him, I grew up queer in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas so I feel like I know a little bit about this guy and his desperate attempt to conquer an inhospitable world.” At this time, the new series does not have an announced premiere date.