Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist

Did You Know?

• The series was inspired in part by creator Austin Winsberg's experiences with his own father, who had progressive supranuclear palsy, the same condition as Zoey's father Mitch.
• The pilot was partially filmed in San Francisco, with open air musical productions shot on the downtown streets of The Embarcadero and North Beach.

Cast

Jane Levy portrays Zoey Clarke, a programmer promoted to engineering manager at San Francisco–based SPRQ Point. After an earthquake during an MRI, a playlist downloads into her brain, letting her perceive others' thoughts as songs and dance, which she calls "heart songs." Skylar Astin plays Max Richman, Zoey's coworker and close friend who later becomes her boyfriend and inherits her power. Alex Newell is Mo, Zoey's genderfluid neighbor and a DJ who helps her understand her ability; Mo and Max later open a dining concept called MaxiMo's. John Clarence Stewart plays Simon, a new employee who bonds with Zoey over shared tragedies. Peter Gallagher appears as Mitch Clarke, Zoey's father with progressive supranuclear palsy, who cannot speak but can type; Zoey's gift gives him a temporary singing voice. Mary Steenburgen plays Maggie Clarke, Zoey's mother and Mitch's wife, who ran a landscape design business with him. Lauren Graham is Joan, Zoey's boss who leaves for Singapore and promotes Zoey. Andrew Leeds plays David Clarke, Zoey's older brother and a public defender. Alice Lee is Emily Kang, David's wife and a corporate lawyer. Michael Thomas Grant plays Leif, a coder and Zoey's professional rival. Kapil Talwalkar plays Tobin, a coder and Leif's best friend. Stephanie Styles appears as Autumn, a barista who briefly dates Max. India de Beaufort plays Jessica, Simon's fiancée. Noah Weisberg is Danny Michael Davis, the founder and CEO of SPRQ Point.

Production

The pilot for this series was ordered on January 12, 2019, with Austin Winsberg writing the script. Winsberg also served as an executive producer alongside Richard Shepard, Paul Feig, Kim Tannenbaum, Eric Tannenbaum, David Blackman, and Daniel Inkeles. Lionsgate Television and Universal Television handled production. A full series order came on May 12, 2019, and it was slated to debut as a mid-season replacement in 2020. A special preview aired on January 7, 2020, before the show settled into its regular time slot on February 16, 2020. NBC picked up a second season on June 11, 2020, after strong digital viewership and a win in USA Today's Save Our Shows poll. That season premiered on January 5, 2021. The network canceled the series on June 9, 2021, but planned to offer it to other outlets. By August 5, 2021, The Roku Channel was close to a deal for a two-hour wrap-up movie, with the possibility of more episodes. TVLine reported on September 8, 2021, that the movie, titled Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas, would start production in Vancouver that month. A clip appeared on YouTube on November 1, 2021, promoting the full release on December 1, 2021. Casting began in February 2019 with Jane Levy, Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, and Mary Steenburgen in lead roles. Peter Gallagher, John Clarence Stewart, and Carmen Cusack joined in March 2019. Andrew Leeds was cast in a recurring part on May 23, 2019. Lauren Graham replaced Cusack as Joan on August 27, 2019. Michael Thomas Grant, Kapil Talwalkar, and Stephanie Styles were added in recurring roles on September 6, 2019. In September 2020, Talwalkar, Leeds, Alice Lee, and Grant became series regulars, while Harvey Guillén took a recurring role. Jee Young Han and Felix Mallard were cast in recurring parts on October 29, 2020. Graham's character was written out in the second season, moving to Singapore, because Graham was busy with The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. Katie Findlay joined in a recurring capacity on March 18, 2021.

Broadcast

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist first aired on January 7, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. After its debut, the show shifted to Sundays at 9:00 p.m. starting February 16, 2020, for the rest of season one. Season two began on January 5, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, paused on February 9, 2021, and resumed on March 28, 2021. In the UK, Channel 4 broadcast it on E4, but after a few season two episodes, it was bumped from primetime to around 2:00 a.m., with a Naked Attraction repeat taking its slot. Channel 4 also aired season one reruns on 4Music. In Australia, the series launched on Stan on February 17, 2020, with each episode arriving one week after its US release.

Reception

Critics gave the first season of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist a 76% score on Rotten Tomatoes, averaging 7.18 out of 10 from 34 reviews, with the site noting the show is mostly charming thanks to Jane Levy. Mae Abdulbaki of CinemaBlend praised how the series uses songs to smartly address bottled-up emotions and plots. The second season scored higher on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 83% approval and an 8.37 average from 6 reviews.