‘A Big Gay Hairy Hit!’ Where The Bears Are documentary comes to life

Your favorite gay bears are BACK with an all-new documentary about their world-wide hit web series entitled, “A Big Gay Hairy Hit! Where the Bears Are: The Documentary”

Once upon a time, there were three older, gay, “bears” working in Hollywood, who all had their share of successes, but grew tired of having their gay-themed ideas rejected by the studios. So they decided to self-produce their own web series. The result was “Where the Bears Are,” one of the most successful web shows ever made with over 70 Million Views online and winner of the Queerty Award for “Best Gay Web Series” of 2012 and 2018.

The comedy-mystery series was best described as “The Golden Girls” meets “Murder, She Wrote,” with big, hairy, gay men! And from the moment the trailer dropped on YouTube, it became an internet sensation for an under-served audience of bears, but also appealing to the entire LGBTQ+ community and straight people as well. Since it was translated into over a dozen different languages, it quickly garnered a world-wide fanbase.

Each of the seven seasons were full-length feature films, but were released as three to five minute “webisodes” with cliff-hanger endings that kept the audience guessing. Then, when each season ended, the full-length feature version with more risque content was released on streaming and DVD.

This hilarious and touching new documentary tells the story of how creators and stars, Rick Copp, Joe Dietl and Ben Zook, made the show happen. A hit on the gay festival circuit, the creators have been blown away by the response to the film. “People are saying it makes them laugh, makes them cry and makes them want to have sex,” remarked co-writer, Ben Zook, “You can’t do any better than that.”

Featuring guest stars Margaret Cho, Tuc Watkins (Unconventional, The Boys in the Band) Peter Paige (Queer as Folk) Brooke Dillman (The Great North, Bob’s Burgers) Missi Pyle (Galaxy Quest) and Kevin Chamberlin (Jesse, Duster) the film examines ageism, body-shaming, sex-positivity, the creative process and how friendship and community can ultimately create something beloved all over the world.

“A Big Gay Hairy Hit! Where the Bears Are: The Documentary” will be available on streaming platforms
iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and Vimeo on Demand: abiggayhairyhit.com/documentary

In a candid conversation, I had the chance to chat with Ben Zook, the co-creator of the groundbreaking web series, as he reflects on the show’s incredible seven-season run and its lasting impact on the bear community. He shares fond memories of the set, highlighting the laughter and fun that permeated even the long, difficult shooting days, fueled by the immense love and support from the wider gay community.

Zook fondly recalls the stellar lineup of guest stars, including his college friend Tuc Watkins and comedy greats like Margaret Cho and Missi Pyle, but admits the biggest surprise was the explosive contribution of Ian Parks as “Hot Toddy,” whose sexiness, charisma, and professionalism were integral to the show’s success. He emphasizes that the show’s global success, amplified by multi-language translation, affirmed the timely need for the bear community to see themselves reflected on screen, a need he believes is even more crucial today for promoting body positivity and showcasing talented bear creators.

Ultimately, the new documentary about the series, initially approached with hesitancy, has allowed Snook to view their “underdog story” as a truly ground-breaking journey that addressed ageism, body-shaming, and sex positivity, proudly realizing how much the “funny, sexy, and exciting” show helped and inspired fans around the world.

Richard Jones: What are your fondest memories of making the show?

Ben Zook: We loved shooting the series. Our days on set were long and sometimes difficult, but we had so much fun! And, so much laughter. We have never laughed so hard in our lives than when we were shooting “Where the Bears Are.” We also look back fondly on all of the incredible love and support we received from the bear community and gay community at large. Those years were special and magical for all of us. 

Rj: Who are the stand out guest stars, guest bears?

BZ: We had quite a few terrific guest stars on the series and who also appear in our new documentary. We love Tuc Watkins, who is a life-long friend from college, whose career is really blossoming as of late. He played my character’s nemesis on the series, Dickie Calloway, and was kind enough to do interviews for the doc too. We also were lucky to have Brooke Dillman as Honey Garrett, as well as Missi Pyle, Margaret Cho, Peter Paige, and Karamo Brown, who all appear in the new documentary too. “Where the Bears Are” also featured guest actors from the bear community who were hilarious, sexy and talented and elevated the show to a different level. 

RJ: What or who surprised you the most in the run?

BZ: When we cast Ian Parks as “Hot Toddy” we knew he was very handsome and sexy and a good actor, but we had no clue as to just how much he would contribute to make our series a hit. We owe Ian a huge debt of gratitude for his work on the show. He was so good and professional and fun to work with every single episode and season! He would come to set with great ideas and always knew his and everyone else’s lines. The audience completely fell in love with him because he’s so sexy and charismatic. We just were so fortunate that he auditioned and was a part of the show for all seven seasons. 

RJ: Has the global success of the show changed your minds in any way about the bears and the need for the show?

BZ: We are still amazed that our little series became such a worldwide hit in the bear community. That’s really due to the fact that we translated it into many different languages. I think we came at a time when the bear community needed to see themselves and their stories reflected on screen, and our timing was perfect. I do think we still need to have our community represented in film and TV, perhaps more so now than ever. Body positivity is more prevalent now and bear creators are talented and funny and smart and need to be creating for wider audiences. 

RJ: To have a documentary made, must be surreal. What are your thoughts about the journey and has the documentary made you look at the show overall in any new way?

BZ: Our editor of the series, Eduardo Aquino, approached us about doing a documentary and we were hesitant at first, because we didn’t want to come off as self-aggrandizing in any way. But then we realized that our journey as creators was an underdog story and could be inspiring to people in all walks of life. The doc examines ageism, body-shaming, sex positivity, the creative process and how friendship and community can ultimately create something beloved all over the world. Now as we look back on the show, we really see it as ground-breaking and unique. Often gay bears come up to us and tell us how much the show helped them in their own lives and that is a wonderful accomplishment, and we are really proud of that. It also is just a really funny, sexy, and exciting series. We hope young bears will continue to discover it as the years progress. 

A Big, Gay, Hairy Hit! Where The Bears Are: The Documentary