Plot Synopsis

BIG BABOON HOUSE -- a cross between an animal documentary, BIG BROTHER, and a science experiment -- documents what baboons do when they break into a house, use household items, respond to changing conditions, and interact with each other. A small South African village is overrun with baboons, and a local baboon-loving hotel owner offered his establishment, which National Geographic rigged with cameras, microphones and one-way mirrors, so that they could learn more about these animals. The crew, whose producers included a veteran of BIG BROTHER, created the appearance of a normal holiday cottage, complete with furniture, electricity, running water, books, a Christmas tree and a flat screen TV. Just like humans, the baboons "always go for the simplest options," according to one of the producers, who was describing how baboons figured out how to feed themselves in a human kitchen or use a vending machine that dispensed fruit with the push of a button. In fact, "They try everything, it's always trial and error learning, they'll figure out a way, it's not so much a sign of planning or intelligence or anything like that." The baboons provided all the typical trappings of a reality TV show: nasty political alliances, the occasional slap fight and rampant sex. Plus, producers provided a comedic tone for the series by adding baboon dialog to supplement their natural vocalizations, which portrayed more emotional clarity than any words. The house residents include: Rambo, a muscular dominant male and street-smart bully, who likes to be in charge and make others do his dirty work; Rocky, a not-so-bright dominant male, who is in the mix during every competition; Lefty, a submissive male and a lovable loner, who lost his left arm -- and spends most of the day by himself, foraging for scraps that the others leave behind; Harry, a strong and noble dominant male, who is an excellent leader and well liked by the other baboons, waiting until he has a strategic advantage before trying to become Top Banana; Cheeky, a clever and crafty young male, who often outsmarts the larger baboons and is willing to trash talk the big boys; Ziggy & Ray, a loving and committed couple, who are always seen together; Nookie, an adult female, who is attracted to strong, powerful baboons like Rambo and his willing to use her feminine wiles to get what she wants; Scar, a dominant male with a "battle wound" under his left eye, who is in the middle of every major battle for Top Banana, but can't seem to figure out that brute strength is not enough; and Rikki, a mongoose with annoying hyperactive energy, who is helpful to have around if a snake shows up.