Joe vs Carole: UK release date, cast with Kate McKinnon and how to watch Tiger King TV drama on Sky or NOW

Joe vs Carole, a dramatization of the Tiger King documentary, is arriving on Sky and NOW TV in the UK on Friday March 4.

The series stars Kate McKinnon as Carole Baskin, and John Cameron Mitchell as the Tiger King Joe Exotic.

Here is everything you need to know about Joe vs Carole.

What is it about?

If you cast your mind back a million years, you might remember the Netflix documentary Tiger King – it landed on the streaming service right around when lockdown started for the first time, and so pretty much everyone started watching it.

Joe vs Carole is a biopic that dramatises the Tiger King story, looking at the death of Carole Baskin’s husband and the contentious relationship she had with Joe Exotic.

Who is in the cast?

Kate McKinnon stars as Carole Baskin. McKinnon is best known for her role on Saturday Night Live, but you might also recognise her from Ghostbusters, Bombshell, and Yesterday. McKinnon was set to star in Disney+ drama The Dropout, but herself dropped out of the project.

John Cameron Mitchell stars as Joe Exotic. Mitchell is best known for his musical theatre work – he wrote and starred in the first staging of Hedwig and the Angry Inch – but you might also recognise him from Girls, Shrill, and The Good Fight.

Kyle MacLachlan stars as Howard Baskin, Carole’s husband. You’ll know MacLachlan from Twin Peaks, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, How I Met Your Mother, and Portlandia.

They’re joined by Dean Winters (30 Rock, Girls5Eva), Nat Wolff (Paper Towns), and Brian Van Holt (Cougartown) amongst others.

Is there a trailer?

Yes, there is. You can watch it – and see the recognisable characters played by new actors – right here.

How and where can I watch it?

Joe vs Carole is available on Peacock, which is a standalone streaming service in the US but is folded into Sky and NOW TV in the UK.

The series is eight episodes in total, all of which will be available at once.

How many other Tiger King adaptations will there be?

After the popularity of the Netflix documentary, a number of different adaptations of the Tiger King story entered development. (Netflix itself is working on a sequel documentary.)

Alongside this version, there was also a planned series at Amazon, which would have starred Nic Cage as Joe Exotic. However, that version has since been scrapped.

Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Crime Story, The Politician) is developing a version starring Rob Lowe.

What do the reviews say?

Our review praised John Cameron Mitchell for playing Joe Exotic with a genuine pathos, but couldn’t get past the feeling that the show had missed its moment, comparing it to a Jackie Weaver biopic.

You can read the full review here.

Why should I watch it?

It’s a strange story, and this would be an interesting way to revisit it – or experience it for the first time, if you never watched the documentary.

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