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''Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist'' is an American
jukebox musical A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known, pre-existing popular music songs, rather than original music composed for the musical. Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while ...
comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...
television series created by Austin Winsberg that premiered on January 7, 2020, on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
. The series stars Jane Levy as Zoey Clarke, a
software developer Software development is the process of designing and Implementation, implementing a software solution to Computer user satisfaction, satisfy a User (computing), user. The process is more encompassing than Computer programming, programming, wri ...
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. Except for the season 2 song "Crimson Love," the soundtrack consists entirely of previously written popular songs. The series also stars Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart, Peter Gallagher, Mary Steenburgen,
Lauren Graham Lauren Helen Graham (born March 16, 1967) is an American Actor, actress and author. She is best known for portraying Lorelai Gilmore on The WB series ''Gilmore Girls'', for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – ...
, 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 The Roku Channel is an over-the-top video streaming service available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the UK. The service was launched in 2017, and is owned and operated by Roku, Inc. It is the most popular free ad-supported streaming televisio ...
officially commissioned a two-hour holiday film. The film was released on December 1, 2021. In addition to songs performed on ''Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas'', the second original song in the series — "North Star", written by Mary Steenburgen, Caitlyn Smith and Troy Verges and sung by
Tori Kelly Victoria Loren Kelly (born December 14, 1992) is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained recognition on YouTube before making it through to Hollywood week on the ninth season of ''American Idol'' in 2010 and eventually releasing her debu ...
— played during the end credit sequence. Television shows filmed in Vancouver


Cast


Main

* Jane Levy as Zoey Clarke, a
programmer A programmer, computer programmer or coder is an author of computer source code someone with skill in computer programming. The professional titles Software development, ''software developer'' and Software engineering, ''software engineer' ...
who has been recently promoted to engineering manager at
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
–based SPRQ Point, a tech firm specializing in
smart device A smart device is an electronic device, generally connected to other devices or networks via different wireless protocols (such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, near-field communication, Wi-Fi, NearLink, Li-Fi, or 5G) that can operate to some extent inte ...
s and apps. An
earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
occurs while she is getting an
MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and rad ...
, and a huge playlist of songs on file is downloaded into her brain; she subsequently discovers her mind can now perceive the innermost thoughts of others in the form of popular songs and dance, which she refers to as "heart songs". * Skylar Astin as Max Richman, Zoey's coworker at SPRQ Point and her closest friend, who has romantic feelings for her. They later become a couple and he inherits her power to hear "heart songs". * Alex Newell as Mo, Zoey's
genderfluid Gender fluidity (commonly referred to as genderfluid) is a non-fixed gender identity that shifts over time or depending on the situation. These fluctuations can occur at the level of gender identity or gender expression. A genderfluid person m ...
neighbor and a DJ, who tries to help her understand the extent of her power. Mo and Max open a business, a dining concept called "MaxiMo's" where food orders from different apps are coordinated, plated, and served. * John Clarence Stewart as Simon, a new employee at SPRQ Point who bonds with Zoey over their shared tragic experiences * Peter Gallagher as Mitch Clarke (season 1 and film, special guest star season 2), Zoey's father. He has
progressive supranuclear palsy Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disease involving the gradual deterioration and death of specific volumes of the brain, linked to 4-repeat tau pathology. The condition leads to symptoms including Balance di ...
, which causes him to lose muscular faculties (based in part on Winsberg's experiences with his own father). Mitch is unable to speak, but he can type short phrases on a computer. Zoey's new gift provides a temporary voice for him to sing out what he's really thinking. * Mary Steenburgen as Maggie Clarke, Zoey's mother and Mitch's wife. She and Mitch ran a landscape design business prior to his diagnosis. *
Lauren Graham Lauren Helen Graham (born March 16, 1967) is an American Actor, actress and author. She is best known for portraying Lorelai Gilmore on The WB series ''Gilmore Girls'', for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – ...
as Joan (season 1, special guest season 2), Zoey's boss at SPRQ Point. She leaves for Singapore and promotes Zoey to her position in the second season. * Andrew Leeds as David Clarke (season 2 and film; recurring season 1), Zoey's older brother and a public defender * Alice Lee as Emily Kang (season 2 and film; recurring season 1), David's wife who is pregnant with their child and is a corporate lawyer * Michael Thomas Grant as Leif (season 2 and film; recurring season 1), a coder and professional rival of Zoey, who is part of her engineering team * Kapil Talwalkar as Tobin (season 2 and film; recurring season 1), a coder at SPRQ Point and Leif's best friend, who is also part of Zoey's team


Recurring

* Stephanie Styles as Autumn (season 1), a barista who briefly dates Max as a result of Zoey's suggestion * India de Beaufort as Jessica (season 1), Simon's fiancée * Noah Weisberg as Danny Michael Davis, a mercurial tech billionaire and the founder and CEO of SPRQ Point * Patrick Ortiz as Eddie (season 1), Mo's new boyfriend and a friend of Jessica * Zak Orth as Howie (season 1), Mitch's home health aide * Hiro Kanagawa as Dr. Hamara (season 1), who treats Mitch for his PSP * Bernadette Peters as Deb, a recently widowed woman who Zoey meets at the funeral home. She later befriends Maggie. * Harvey Guillén as George (season 2), a new programmer at SPRQ Point * Jee Young Han as Jenna Kang (season 2), Emily's older sister * Morgan Taylor Campbell as McKenzie (season 2 and film), a coder at SPRQ Point who is moved into Zoey's team * Alvina August as Tatiana Morris (season 2), a reporter who befriends Simon * Felix Mallard as Aiden (season 2), Zoey's neighbor and childhood friend *
Katie Findlay Katie Findlay is a Canadian actor known for portraying Rosie Larsen in the American crime drama television series '' The Killing''. From 2013 to 2014, Findlay portrayed Maggie Landers in the CW's teen drama '' The Carrie Diaries''. From 2014 to ...
as Rose (season 2), a childhood friend of Max's from camp * David St. Louis as Perry (season 2 and film), a fire marshal and love interest for Mo


Guest

* Justin Kirk as Charlie, Joan's high-profile and demanding husband (in "Zoey's Extraordinary Boss") * Renée Elise Goldsberry as Ava Price, Joan's business rival and ambitious manager on the sixth floor of SPRQ Point (in "Zoey's Extraordinary Silence", "Zoey's Extraordinary Outburst", and "Zoey's Extraordinary Mother") * Sandra Mae Frank as Abigail, Howie's daughter and an aspiring coder (in "Zoey's Extraordinary Silence"). She is deaf, and Zoey observes her heart-song performed in
American Sign Language American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States and most of Anglophone Canadians, Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that i ...
. *
Chip Zien Jerome Herbert "Chip" Zien (born March 20, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for originating the lead role of the Baker in the original Broadway production of the musical ''Into the Woods'' by Stephen Sondheim. He appeared in all of ...
as Alan, Max's father, a dentist who wants Max to return to New York and join the family business (in "Zoey's Extraordinary Trip") * Ashlie Atkinson as Nova, a
medium Medium may refer to: Aircraft *Medium bomber, a class of warplane * Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Medium'' (1921 film), a German silent film * ''The Medium'' (1951 film), a film vers ...
Zoey visits (in "Zoey's Extraordinary Mystery") * Rocco Morris as August, Perry's son (in "Zoey's Extraordinary Mystery", "Zoey's Extraordinary Girls' Night" and film) * Amarah Taylor as Amirah, Perry's daughter (in "Zoey's Extraordinary Mystery", "Zoey's Extraordinary Girls' Night", "Zoey's Extraordinary Goodbye" and film) *
Oscar Nunez Óscar Núñez (born November 18, 1958), sometimes credited as Oscar Nunez, is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as the Dunder Mifflin accountant Óscar Martínez on NBC's ''The Office''. The accolades he has recei ...
as Dr. Tesoro, Zoey's therapist (in "Zoey's Extraordinary Girls' Night", "Zoey's Extraordinary Double Date", and "Zoey's Extraordinary Session") * David James Elliott as Jack, the owner of a Christmas tree lot, who attracts Maggie's interest (in "Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas")


Episodes


Series overview


Season 1 (2020)


Season 2 (2021)


Film (2021)


Production


Development

On January 12, 2019, the production officially received a
pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
order. The pilot was written by Austin Winsberg who executive produces alongside
Richard Shepard Richard Shepard (born 1965) is an American film and television director and screenwriter. Biography Shepard was born in New York City, New York. Shepard's father was from an Austro-Hungarian-Jewish background and his mother was of Armenian des ...
, Paul Feig, Kim Tannenbaum, Eric Tannenbaum, David Blackman and Daniel Inkeles. Production companies involved with the pilot include
Lionsgate Television Lionsgate Television is the television division of the American production company Lionsgate Studios. History The company was established in July 1997 as Lions Gate Television, Inc. with the establishment of Lionsgate Films. In June 1998, it ...
and
Universal Television Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a division of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming#Universal Studio Group, Universal Studio Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which, in turn, is ...
. On May 12, 2019, it was announced that the production had been given a series order. A few days later, it was announced that the series would premiere as a mid-season replacement in the mid-season of 2020. The series premiered as a special preview on January 7, and moved to its regular time-slot on February 16, 2020. On June 11, 2020, NBC renewed the series for a second season, following significant gains among digital viewership and strong fan support in ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'''s annual Save Our Shows poll. The second season premiered on January 5, 2021. On June 9, 2021, NBC canceled the series after two seasons, but was expected to shop to other networks. On August 5, 2021, it was announced that streaming service
The Roku Channel The Roku Channel is an over-the-top video streaming service available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the UK. The service was launched in 2017, and is owned and operated by Roku, Inc. It is the most popular free ad-supported streaming televisio ...
was nearing a deal for a two-hour wrap-up movie, with potential of leading to more episodes. ''
TVLine ''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs. It covers various topics including the latest news on television, reviews, latest releases, and more. History In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s ...
'' reported on September 8, 2021, that the movie — ''Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas'' — was scheduled to begin production in Vancouver within the month. An excerpt of the movie was posted to YouTube on November 1, 2021, promoting a full release of the movie on December 1, 2021.


Casting

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. The pilot was ordered. In March 2019 it was reported that Peter Gallagher, John Clarence Stewart and Carmen Cusack had joined the cast. On May 23, 2019, Andrew Leeds was cast as David in a recurring role. On August 27, 2019, it was announced that
Lauren Graham Lauren Helen Graham (born March 16, 1967) is an American Actor, actress and author. She is best known for portraying Lorelai Gilmore on The WB series ''Gilmore Girls'', for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – ...
had replaced Cusack in the role of Joan. On September 6, 2019, Michael Thomas Grant, Kapil Talwalkar and Stephanie Styles were cast in recurring capacities. 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. On October 29, 2020, Jee Young Han and Felix Mallard were cast in recurring roles for the second season. Graham's character was written out in the second season as moving to Singapore, since Graham was busy filming '' The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers''. On March 18, 2021,
Katie Findlay Katie Findlay is a Canadian actor known for portraying Rosie Larsen in the American crime drama television series '' The Killing''. From 2013 to 2014, Findlay portrayed Maggie Landers in the CW's teen drama '' The Carrie Diaries''. From 2014 to ...
joined the cast in a recurring role for the second season.


Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
for the first season began on September 3, 2019, and ended on January 30, 2020, in
Richmond, British Columbia Richmond is a city in the coastal Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Mainly a suburban city, it occupies almost the entirety of Lulu Island (excluding Queensborough, New Westminster, Queensborough), between the two estuarine dis ...
. 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.
Mandy Moore Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her 1999 debut single "Candy (Mandy Moore song), Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot ...
serves as a producer and the choreographer for the series. Filming for the second season began on September 21, 2020, and concluded on March 26, 2021. Filming for ''Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas'' ran from September 15, 2021, to October 8, 2021.


Broadcast

''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''. The series returned to its original timeslot on Sunday, March 28, 2021. 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''. 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.


List of songs performed on the show

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". The seven-minute finale song for the first seasona performance of " American Pie"featured all the lead actors, singing individually or in harmony, filmed in a one-shot, after the funeral for Zoey's father.


Season 1


Season 2


Film


Reception


Critical response

The
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
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." On
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, it has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". 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.


Ratings


Season 1


Season 2


Accolades


See also

*
Jukebox musical A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known, pre-existing popular music songs, rather than original music composed for the musical. Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while ...


Notes


References


External links

* * {{IMDb title 2020 American television series debuts 2021 American television series endings 2020s American comedy-drama television series 2020s American musical comedy television series American English-language television shows Jukebox musicals NBC comedy-dramas Television series by Lionsgate Television Television series by Universal Television Television shows filmed in British Columbia Television shows set in San Francisco