When the first series of Tiger King aired back in April 2020, people were wowed by the out of this world characters, such as protagonist and big cat enthusiast Joe Exotic and his arch nemesis, Big Cat Rescue owner Carole Baskin.

Another person who took people by surprise was a man named Doc Antle, the founder and director of The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.).

Antle seemed to run his park like a cult, rather than an animal sanctuary, with the owner himself describing the Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina as “The Ritz Carlton wildlife facilities” in comparison to Joe’s less appealing Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park.

Following the series, Antle was indicted on 15 charges including animal cruelty and wildlife trafficking in October 2020 – claims he strongly denies.

If you were intrigued by Doc then, well, Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story may seem like the next best viewing option for you.

The three-part series, which arrived on Netflix today (10th December) hopes to reveal “the shocking truth behind Doc Antle’s eccentric, animal-loving facade” while “chronicling his lifelong abuses of power”.

“Over three episodes, Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story unpacks the truth about Doc, as witnesses come forward to share their troubling stories of abuse and intimidation that set him at the top of the food chain,” the official synopsis states.

However, if you were hoping for another binge-worthy doc to follow on from Tiger King saga, The Doc Antle Story may come as a shock.

From troubling stories of abuse and intimidation from some of his former staff members, ex-wives, and girlfriends, including Betsy ‘Brahmi’ Rogers, Sumati Steinberg, and Radha Hirsch, the docuseries is one revelation after the other, and it’s not to be taken lightly.

Much shorter than the first Tiger King series and the recent Tiger King 2, The Doc Antle Story packs a lot of information into three episodes with multiple claims against Antle.

Where Tiger King centred mostly around the animal parks – while weaving in some of the more terrifying stories, one of which saw Joe incarcerated for a murder-for-hire charge –  The Doc Antle Story is much darker in comparison.

It begins with some of Doc’s former staff such as Barbara Fischer sharing their claims of mistreatment, while working with him back in the 80s, and goes on to reveal alleged tales of abuse from Doc Antle’s former wives.

“I will never get over it. My mother always likes to bring that up. She goes, ‘He was the love of your life.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, he was!’” Betsy says in the doc.

The final episode introduces another devastating story about the death of Doc’s ex employee Mark Topping – who fell from a cliff while hiking one morning.

Doc himself isn’t actually a part of the documentary, with all footage of him appearing to be taken from the original Tiger King series or old tape recordings, so doesn’t actually get to respond to the accusations in the film.

The documentary concludes with the news of Doc’s previously mentioned indictments.

For his part, Doc has denied the claims made against him in the series, telling Metro.co.uk: “Netflix is at it again with their tabloid style fiction based docufantasy – Tiger King: A Doc Antle Story.

“It’s yet another one of Eric Goode’s silly, twisted and distorted stories of half-truths and many lies about my life from 25-35 years ago.

“The story is loosely strung together by Netflix producers who are always so factual… not! They conjure up a story about a small mist that they present as a category five hurricane.

“They’ve brought in a variety of colourful second and third tier characters from my long lost past, all of whom attempt to tell a tale that never happened.”

While The Doc Antle Story definitely provides more context to the two previous Tiger King series, it takes a very different route to its predecessors.

It is a far cry from the bleach blonde mullets and eccentric characters of the original series, which led to TikTok videos and hilarious Carole Baskin impressions, and offers a more serious insight into the world of the big cat enthusiast.

Containing very sensitive topics, The Doc Antle Story should be viewed with caution.

Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story is available to stream on Netflix. You can also check out the best best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix to keep you entertained or visit to our TV guide for more to watch.