TUESDAY, JUNE 2

The Truth Behind Joe Exotic: The Rick Kirkham Story

9/8c, Investigation Discovery

Five years after fleeing Oklahoma’s G.W. Exotic Animal Park, TV producer Rick had been working with erratic zoo owner “Joe Exotic,” aka Joe Maldonado-Passage, to launch a reality show. When a mysterious 2015 fire destroyed most of his footage, Kirkham escaped with just his memories of Maldonado-Passage abusing animals and brandishing guns. Or so we thought. In this new special, Kirkham, who lives in Norway, previews surviving footage that shows him being attacked by a tiger and the brash Maldonado-Passage—now serving 22 years behind bars for hiring a man to kill animal-rights activist Carole Baskin—fearful of his animals. After this interview airs, exec producer Ulrika Bokstad says, Kirkham “wants to leave it all behind.”