Genre: | |
Creator: | Austin Winsberg |
Country: | United States |
Language: | English |
Num Seasons: | 2 |
Num Episodes: | 25 + film |
Location: | Richmond, British Columbia |
Camera: | Single-camera |
Runtime: | 43–44 minutes (season 1 and 2) 99 minutes (film) |
Network: | NBC |
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist is an American musical comedy-drama television series created by Austin Winsberg that premiered on January 7, 2020, on NBC. The series stars Jane Levy as Zoey Clarke, a software developer who discovers she has the ability to hear the innermost thoughts of people as songs. Each episode features multiple song-and-dance numbers that develop the storyline, with each cast member singing their own character's songs.[1] The series also stars Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart, Peter Gallagher, Mary Steenburgen, Lauren Graham, Andrew Leeds, Alice Lee, Michael Thomas Grant and Kapil Talwalkar, and Bernadette Peters. In June 2020, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on January 5, 2021. In June 2021, the series was canceled after two seasons.
In September 2021, it was announced that streaming service The Roku Channel officially commissioned a two-hour holiday film, which if successful, could lead to more episodes.[2] The film was released on December 1, 2021.[3] In addition to songs performed on Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas, a second original song for this series was composed — "North Star", written by Mary Steenburgen, Caitlyn Smith and Troy Verges and sung by Tori Kelly, and played during the end credit sequence.[4]
On January 12, 2019, the production officially received a pilot order.[11] The pilot was written by Austin Winsberg who executive produces alongside Richard Shepard, Paul Feig, Kim Tannenbaum, Eric Tannenbaum, David Blackman and Daniel Inkeles. Production companies involved with the pilot include Lionsgate Television and Universal Television. On May 12, 2019, it was announced that the production had been given a series order.[12] A few days later, it was announced that the series would premiere as a mid-season replacement in the mid-season of 2020.[13] The series premiered as a special preview on January 7, and moved to its regular time-slot on February 16, 2020.[14] On June 11, 2020, NBC renewed the series for a second season, following significant gains among digital viewership[15] and strong fan support in USA Today
In February 2019, it was announced that Jane Levy, Skylar Astin, Alex Newell and Mary Steenburgen had been cast in the pilot's leading roles.[21] [22] [23] The pilot was ordered. In March 2019 it was reported that Peter Gallagher, John Clarence Stewart and Carmen Cusack had joined the cast.[24] [25] On May 23, 2019, Andrew Leeds was cast as David in a recurring role.[26] On August 27, 2019, it was announced that Lauren Graham had replaced Cusack in the role of Joan.[27] On September 6, 2019, Michael Thomas Grant, Kapil Talwalkar and Stephanie Styles were cast in recurring capacities.[28] In September 2020, it was announced that Kapil Talwalkar, Andrew Leeds, Alice Lee, and Michael Thomas Grant had been promoted to series regulars while Harvey Guillén was cast in a recurring role for the second season.[29] [30] On October 29, 2020, Jee Young Han and Felix Mallard were cast in recurring roles for the second season.[31]
Graham's character was written out in the second season as moving to Singapore, since Graham was busy filming .[32] On March 18, 2021, Katie Findlay joined the cast in a recurring role for the second season.[33]
Principal photography for the first season began on September 3, 2019, and ended on January 30, 2020, in Richmond, British Columbia.[34] The closing credits note that the pilot was partially filmed in San Francisco, with a number of open air musical productions shot on the downtown streets of The Embarcadero and North Beach.[35] Mandy Moore serves as a producer and the choreographer for the series.[36] [37] Filming for the second season began on September 21, 2020, and concluded on March 26, 2021.[38] Filming for Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas ran from September 15, 2021, to October 8, 2021.[39]
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist premiered on Tuesday, January 7, 2020, in the 10:00 p.m. (EDT) hour. The series returned on Sunday, February 16, 2020, at 9:00 p.m. and maintained that timeslot for the remainder of the first season. The second season premiered on Tuesday, January 5, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist went on hiatus on February 9, 2021, and was replaced by Young Rock and Kenan.[40] The series returned to its original timeslot on Sunday, March 28, 2021.[41]
In the United Kingdom, the series was picked up by Channel 4 for broadcast on their E4 channel, though after a few episodes of season 2 the show was moved, at short notice, out of primetime to around 2:00am, being replaced by a repeat of Naked Attraction.[42] [43] [44] [45] In addition to E4, Channel 4 have also re-run season 1 on their 4Music channel.
In Australia, the series premiered on streaming service Stan on February 17, 2020 with each episode being released the week after its US premiere.[46]
This is a list of songs that have been performed on the show. The series features "musical performances that explore the innermost feelings of its characters" as they "break out into song and (sometimes) dance". Mae Abdulbaki of Cinemablend, said the show "cleverly tackles pent-up emotions and storylines through song".[47]
Episode | Song | Performer(s) |
---|---|---|
1.1 | "Angel of the Morning" by Juice Newton[48] | Alex Newell as Mo |
"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham![49] | ||
"All by Myself" by Eric Carmen | Malinda Farrington as Lonely Woman | |
"Whatta Man" by Salt-N-Pepa | Connie Chen, Karriyma Pekary, and Carolyn Fluehr as Three Ogling Women | |
"Help!" by The Beatles | Various as Crowd | |
"Lean on Me" by Bill Withers[50] | Alex Newell as Mo | |
"Morning Has Broken" by Eleanor Farjeon | ||
"Mad World" by Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules | John Clarence Stewart as Simon | |
"All I Do Is Win" by DJ Khaled | Michael Thomas Grant as Leif | |
"True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper | Peter Gallagher as Mitch | |
"Good Morning" by Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor[51] [52] | Alex Newell as Mo | |
"I Think I Love You" by The Partridge Family | Skylar Astin as Max | |
1.2 | "I've Got the Music in Me" by Kiki Dee[53] | Jane Levy as Zoey |
"Sucker" by Jonas Brothers | Skylar Astin as Max | |
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston | Various as Crowd | |
"Moondance" by Van Morrison | Peter Gallagher as Mitch | |
1.3 | "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones | Lauren Graham as Joan |
"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" by The Bee Gees | Mary Steenburgen as Maggie | |
"Superstar" from Jesus Christ Superstar | Michael Thomas Grant, Kapil Talwalkar, various as Coders | |
"NO" by Meghan Trainor | John Clarence Stewart as Simon | |
"Roar" by Katy Perry | Lauren Graham as Joan | |
1.4 | "Great Pretender" by The Platters | Alex Newell as Mo |
"Con te partirò" by Andrea Bocelli | Skylar Astin as Max | |
"Margaritaville" by Jimmy Buffett | Naoko Mori as Bonnie | |
"Kokomo" by The Beach Boys | ||
"Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus | Lauren Graham as Joan | |
"This Little Light of Mine" by Harry Dixon Loes | Alex Newell as Mo | |
1.5 | "Just Give Me a Reason" by P!nk (ft. Nate Ruess) | Andrew Leeds as David and Alice Lee as Emily |
"(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!)" by The Beastie Boys | Andrew Leeds as David | |
"Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M. | Michael Thomas Grant as Leif | |
"It's Your Thing" by The Isley Brothers | Peter Gallagher as Mitch | |
"Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash | John Clarence Stewart as Simon | |
1.6 | "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi | Stephanie Styles as Autumn |
"Tik Tok" by Ke$ha | Lauren Graham as Joan | |
"Say My Name" by Destiny's Child | India de Beaufort as Jessica | |
"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers | Skylar Astin as Max | |
1.7 | "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Presley | Mary Steenburgen as Maggie |
"If I Can't Have You" by Shawn Mendes | Skylar Astin as Max | |
"Don't Speak" by No Doubt | Kapil Talwalkar as Tobin | |
"Bailamos" by Enrique Inglesias | Alex Newell as Mo and Patrick Ortiz as Eddie | |
"I Put a Spell on You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins | Michael Thomas Grant as Leif | |
1.8 | "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley | Jane Levy as Zoey |
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Jimmy Boyd | ||
"Pressure" by Billy Joel | Jane Levy as Zoey and Skylar Astin as Max | |
"I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz | Jane Levy as Zoey | |
"I Want You to Want Me" by Cheap Trick | ||
"How Do I Live?" by LeAnn Rimes | ||
1.9 | "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel | Zak Orth as Howie and Peter Gallagher as Mitch |
"Buttons" by The Pussycat Dolls | Alice Lee as Emily | |
"Fight Song" by Rachel Platten | Sandra Mae Frank as Abigail | |
"The Trouble with Love Is" by Kelly Clarkson | Alex Newell as Mo | |
"Happier" by Marshmello (ft. Bastille) | John Clarence Stewart as Simon and India de Beaufort as Jessica | |
1.10 | "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake | Skylar Astin as Max and John Clarence Stewart as Simon |
"Let's Stay Together" by Al Green | Michael Thomas Grant as Leif | |
"Mad World" by Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules | John Clarence Stewart as Simon | |
"The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy & Monica | Lauren Graham as Joan and Renée Elise Goldsberry as Ava | |
"Perfect" by Ed Sheeran | Mary Steenburgen as Maggie and Peter Gallagher as Mitch | |
1.11 | "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" by The Animals | Mary Steenburgen as Maggie, Andrew Leeds as David, various as crowd |
"Feeling Good" by Nina Simone | Bernadette Peters as Deb | |
"All Out of Love" by Air Supply/ "Bye Bye Bye" by
| Michael Thomas Grant as Leif & Skylar Astin as Max | |
"Issues" by Julia Michaels | Alex Newell as Mo | |
"Get Together" by The Youngbloods | Lauren Graham as Joan and Renée Elise Goldsberry as Ava | |
1.12 | "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival | Jane Levy as Zoey |
"Jealous" by Nick Jonas | John Clarence Stewart as Simon | |
"I Will Follow Him" by Peggy March | Alex Newell as Mo | |
"All of Me" by John Legend | Skylar Astin as Max | |
"I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" by Pitbull | ||
"Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel)" by Billy Joel | Peter Gallagher as Mitch and Andrew Leeds as David | |
"Dream a Little Dream of Me" | Mary Steenburgen as Maggie | |
"American Pie" by Don McLean | Various as Crowd |
Episode | Song | Performer(s) |
---|---|---|
2.1 | "Rise Up" by Andra Day | Alex Newell as Mo |
"Hello, Dolly!" from Hello Dolly! | Various | |
"Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet | Skylar Astin as Max and John Clarence Stewart as Simon | |
"Don't Cry Out Loud" by Melissa Manchester | Harvey Guillén as George | |
"Carry On" by fun. | Mary Steenburgen as Maggie, Alice Lee as Emily, and Andrew Leeds as David | |
2.2 | "Poison" by Bell Biv DeVoe | Alice Lee as Emily |
"Too Good at Goodbyes" by Sam Smith | Alex Newell as Mo | |
"Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" by Chris Isaak | Michael Thomas Grant as Leif | |
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game", music by Albert Von Tilzer, lyrics by Jack Norworth | Skylar Astin as Max | |
"I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men | ||
"A Moment Like This" by Kelly Clarkson | Skylar Astin as Max and Jane Levy as Zoey | |
2.3 | "Nowhere to Run" by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas | Jane Levy as Zoey |
"Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi | Mary Steenburgen as Maggie | |
"One Call Away" by Charlie Puth | Jee Young Han as Jenna | |
"It's the Hard-Knock Life" from Annie | Michael Thomas Grant as Leif, Kapil Talwalkar as Tobin, and Harvey Guillén as George | |
"Say Something" by A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera | Skylar Astin as Max | |
2.4 | "I Want to Break Free" by Queen | Andrew Leeds as David |
"Juice" by Lizzo | John Clarence Stewart as Simon | |
"Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul | Alex Newell as Mo and Skylar Astin as Max | |
"Stronger" by Britney Spears | Harvey Guillén as George | |
"I'll Stand by You" by The Pretenders | Alice Lee as Emily | |
"Sex and Candy" by Marcy Playground | Felix Mallard as Aiden | |
2.5 | "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield | Felix Mallard as Aiden |
"Starships" by Nicki Minaj | Jane Levy as Zoey, Felix Mallard as Aiden, Noah Weisberg as Danny, Various as Crowd | |
"Numb" by Linkin Park | Skylar Astin as Max | |
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by Nina Simone | John Clarence Stewart as Simon | |
2.6 | "Black Man in a White World" by Michael Kiwanuka | John Clarence Stewart as Simon |
"No More Drama" by Mary J. Blige | Alex Newell as Mo | |
"The Tracks of My Tears" by The Miracles | Kapil Talwalkar as Tobin | |
"Tightrope" by Janelle Monáe | John Clarence Stewart as Simon, Alex Newell as Mo, Alvina August as Tatiana | |
2.7 | "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray | Andrew Leeds as David |
"Tainted Love" by Gloria Jones | Michael Thomas Grant as Leif | |
"Let's Get Loud" by Jennifer Lopez | Alex Newell as Mo and Skylar Astin as Max | |
"Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles | Felix Mallard as Aiden | |
2.8 | "Need You Tonight" by INXS | Skylar Astin as Max and Katie Findlay as Rose |
"Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston | John Clarence Stewart as Simon, Kapil Talwalkar as Tobin, Morgan Taylor Campbell as McKenzie, Various as Coders | |
"Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer | Alex Newell as Mo, David St. Louis as Perry, Alice Lee as Emily, Andrew Leeds as David, Morgan Taylor Campbell as McKenzie, Alvina August as Tatiana, Various as Crowd | |
"Crimson Love" (original song)[54] | Felix Mallard as Aiden and Andrew Leeds as David | |
"Into You" by Ariana Grande | John Clarence Stewart as Simon | |
2.9 | "Anyone" by Demi Lovato | Skylar Astin as Max |
"One" by Harry Nilsson | Kapil Talwalkar as Tobin, Morgan Taylor Campbell as McKenzie, Michael Thomas Grant as Leif, Various as Coders | |
"Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)" by Irving Berlin | Mary Steenburgen as Maggie | |
"The More I Drink" by Blake Shelton | Alex Newell as Mo | |
"The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" by Ylvis | John Clarence Stewart as Simon | |
"IDGAF" by Dua Lipa | Katie Findlay as Rose | |
"Love on the Brain" by Rihanna | Rocco Morris as August | |
"Rosanna" by Toto | Alice Lee as Emily | |
"Anyone" by Demi Lovato | ||
2.10 | "Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan | Andrew Leeds as David |
"Cheap Thrills" by Sia | Bernadette Peters as Deb | |
"Tearin' Up My Heart" by NSYNC | John Clarence Stewart as Simon, Alex Newell as Mo, and Skylar Astin as Max | |
"Gasoline" by Halsey | Alice Lee as Emily | |
"I Look to You" by Whitney Houston | Alex Newell as Mo, Various as Choir | |
2.11 | "Overwhelmed" by Royal & the Serpent | Noah Galvin and Becca Tobin as Therapy Patients |
"Unwell" by Matchbox Twenty | David St. Louis as Perry | |
"Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen | John Clarence Stewart as Simon, Katie Findlay as Rose, Various as Crowd | |
"New York State of Mind" by Billy Joel | Skylar Astin as Max | |
"Suspicious Minds" by Mark James | John Clarence Stewart as Simon | |
"Rich Girl" by Gwen Stefani featuring Eve | Bernadette Peters as Deb and Mary Steenburgen as Maggie | |
2.12 | "Pure Imagination" by Gene Wilder | Noah Weisberg as Danny Michael Davis |
"The Climb" by Miley Cyrus | SPRQ Point Employee | |
"Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran | Skylar Astin as Max and Michael Thomas Grant as Leif | |
"Shut Up and Drive" by Rihanna | Alex Newell as Mo | |
"Dream a Little Dream of Me" | Peter Gallagher as Mitch and Mary Steenburgen as Maggie | |
2.13 | "Sing" by Joe Raposo | Various as Crowd |
"Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift | Various as Crowd | |
"We Can Work It Out" by The Beatles | Alex Newell as Mo and David St. Louis as Perry | |
"I Lived" by OneRepublic | Peter Gallagher as Mitch | |
"When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge | Skylar Astin as Max | |
"I'm Still Standing" by Elton John | John Clarence Stewart as Simon | |
"I Melt with You" by Modern English | Jane Levy as Zoey | |
Song | Performer(s) |
---|---|
"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Andy Williams | Alex Newell as Mo |
"Bad Blood" by Taylor Swift | Jane Levy as Zoey |
"Home Sweet Home" by Mötley Crüe | Michael Thomas Grant as Leif, Kapil Talwalkar as Tobin, Morgan Taylor Campbell as McKenzie, Various as Crowd |
"Just the Two of Us" by Grover Washington Jr. & Bill Withers | Skylar Astin as Max |
"We Need A Little Christmas" by Jerry Herman | Jane Levy as Zoey |
"Mele Kalikimaka" by Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters | Bernadette Peters as Deb |
"Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen | Mary Steenburgen as Maggie |
"Underneath the Tree" by Kelly Clarkson | Alex Newell as Mo |
"Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd | Jane Levy as Zoey, Andrew Leeds as David, Alice Lee as Emily and Mary Steenburgen as Maggie |
"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland | Peter Gallagher as Mitch |
"Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper | Jane Levy as Zoey and Skylar Astin as Max |
"What Christmas Means to Me" by Stevie Wonder | Amarah Taylor as Amirah and David St. Louis as Perry |
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 76% approval rating with an average rating of 7.18/10, based on 34 reviews for the first season. The website's critical consensus states, "Though it hits the occasional sour note, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist manages to carry a pretty enjoyable tune, thanks in large part to the always charming Jane Levy."[55] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[56] Mae Abdulbaki of CinemaBlend, said the show "cleverly tackles pent-up emotions and storylines through song".
On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has an approval rating of 83% based on 6 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8.37/10.[57]