Stream It Or Skip It: ‘That Animal Rescue Show’ On CBS All Access, A Richard Linklater-Produced Docuseries

The matter-of-factly titled That Animal Rescue Show is a docuseries produced by Richard Linklater, as well as Phil and Jay McGraw, highlighting ten different animal rescue operations in and around Linklater’s hometown of Austin, Texas. What kind of heart and dedication does it take to devote your lives to animals in need? That was what Linklater set out to discover.

THAT ANIMAL RESCUE SHOW: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: A woman wearing a cow-patterned jump suit goes out into her farm to feed some pigs.

The Gist: In the first episode, we’re introduced to Jamie Wallace-Griner and her husband David Griner, who own Safe In Austin, an animal rescue ranch. The couple and their children live there with over 100 animals, all rescued from abusive situations or situations where they had disabilities that weren’t being taken care of. They have opened up their ranch to the public, especially people and kids who have special needs, who can relate to the animals that are on the ranch. There’s a turkey with a gnarled foot, for instance; there’s a dog who is trying out prosthetics because she was born without front paws and another one who can’t digest food unless he’s sitting in a chair.

Jamie started down this road when they were looking for a support dog for her autistic son Jackson. When they got a “discounted” dog named Angel, one that its previous owners didn’t think was good enough of a support dog, Angel and Jackson clicked. Jamie and David not only saw the power of support that animals can bring, but they realized there were plenty of animals out there who aren’t getting the care they needed because of their disabilities. But they’re not expert ranchers or farmers, and are running their rescue ranch by the seat of their pants, mostly because other ranchers raise livestock to “process” for meat, not to keep alive for their full life span.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? That Animal Rescue Show is fairly unique in its low-key manner, but also because of its subject matter. The Dog House UK on HBO Max comes close in tone and content.

Our Take: It’s not an exaggeration to say that the first episode of That Animal Rescue Show melted our icy little hearts as we watched it. It could have been the scene where Jamie and David helped a baby goat get his head unstuck from a fence, or when a young boy with cerebral palsy meets a dog with no hind legs, and they compare walkers. Or it could have been the scene where Jamie cuddles with the cows to help ease her pain over the suffering she sees when her dog is fitted with those prosthetics.

Linklater and director Bill Guttentag are making sure that, in telling these stories, they utilize the low-key style that Linklater has made famous over the past three decades. They ensure the stories are uncluttered, that the owners of the rescue organizations tell their own stories, and that they get personal. You see the joy on Jamie’s face when she’s able to see the enjoyment kids get from the animals she’s rescued and vice versa; it’s an amount of joy that supersedes the fact that the ranch, which depends on donations, runs at a deficit and that David acknowledges that they have to tap into family funds in order to keep it going.

None of that matters to either of them; David, a patent attorney, seems just as invested in these animals as his wife, even if his manner comes off as more observational during his interviews. It’s an overall passionate portrait of two people doing some good in the world, run through Linklater and Guttentag’s ability to tell a story. It makes for an end product that’s inspirational as well as interesting, even though there’s no conflict or people gossiping behind other people’s backs.

What Age Group Is This For?: Kids of all ages should like this show, especially considering all the adorable animals crammed in each episode.

Parting Shot: Jamie and David in bed, surrounded by their dogs, goats and some of their other rescue animals.

Sleeper Star: A teenage Jackson talks about his “existential crisis” when he thinks about how his pet turtle will likely outlive him, and we think that the kid has a heck of a future in front of him.

Most Pilot-y Line: Nothing we can see.

Our Call: STREAM IT. That Animal Rescue Show takes a low-key, realistic look at people who give their lives to animals that need help. In a sea of negativity in media, such a positive show is a welcome, refreshing change of pace.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.

Stream That Animal Rescue Show On CBS All Access