Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist

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. The series also stars Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart, Peter Gallagher, Mary Steenburgen, Lauren Graham, Kapil Talwalkar, Andrew Leeds, Alice Lee, and Michael Thomas Grant. In June 2020, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on January 5, 2021.

Cast

Main

Jane Levy as Zoey Clarke, a programmer who has been recently promoted to engineering manager at San Francisco–based SPRQ Point, a tech firm specializing in smart devices and apps. An earthquake occurs while she is getting an MRI, 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.
Skylar Astin as Max, Zoey’s coworker at SPRQ Point and her closest friend, who has feelings for her. It is later revealed his surname is Richman.
Alex Newell as Mo, Zoey’s genderfluid neighbor and a DJ, who tries to help her understand the extent of her power.
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, special guest star season 2), Zoey’s father. He has PSP, 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 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; recurring season 1), Zoey’s older brother and a public defender
Alice Lee as Emily Kang (season 2; recurring season 1), David’s wife who is pregnant with their child and is a corporate lawyer
Michael Thomas Grant as Leif (season 2; recurring season 1), a coder and professional rival of Zoey, who is part of her engineering team
Kapil Talwalkar as Tobin (season 2; recurring season 1), a coder at SPRQ Point and Leif’s best friend. He is also part of Zoey’s team

Recurring

Stephanie Styles as Autumn (season 1), a barista who briefly dates Max at Zoey’s insistence
India de Beaufort as Jessica (season 1), Simon’s ex-fiancée
Noah Weisberg as Danny Michael Davis, a mercurial tech billionaire and the owner 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
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), 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 as Rose (season 2), a childhood friend of Max’s from camp

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 dauntless and erudite daughter who longs to go to Kenya. Despite her being deaf, Zoey is still able to observe her heart-song (performed in American Sign Language; in “Zoey’s Extraordinary Silence”).
Bernadette Peters as Deb, a recently widowed woman who Zoey meets at the funeral home (in “Zoey’s Extraordinary Mother” and “Zoey’s Extraordinary Girls’ Night”)
Chip Zien as Alan, Max’s father and a successful dentist who wants Max to return home and join the family business (in “Zoey’s Extraordinary Trip”)
Ashlie Atkinson as Nova, a medium Zoey visits before her powers start glitching (in “Zoey’s Extraordinary Mystery”)

Episodes

Series overview

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
Season		Episodes	First aired	Last aired
	1	12	January 7, 2020	May 3, 2020
	2	13	January 5, 2021	TBA

Season 1 (2020)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S viewers (millions)
1	1	“Pilot”	Richard Shepard	Austin Winsberg	January 7, 2020	2.66
Zoey is dealing with a lot in her life: she is vying for a promotion at work, and her beloved father is slowly dying from a neurological disease. Fearing that she might be developing symptoms herself, she undergoes an MRI. An earthquake during the procedure alters her brain patterns so she can now essentially read minds as people begin “singing” their private thoughts and feelings to her. She uses her power to emotionally connect with a hurting co-worker, Simon, whom she has a crush on, though she later learns that he is engaged. Later, her gift allows her to communicate with her father for the first time in months. Zoey organizes a sailing trip to lift her father’s spirits, and takes charge at work in dealing with a system software bug. This impresses her boss, Joan, who agrees to give her the promotion. When she tells some of this to her close friend Max, her gift reveals that he has been secretly in love with her.
2	2	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Best Friend”	Adam Davidson	Austin Winsberg	February 16, 2020	2.01
Hoping to draw Max’s affections away from her, Zoey sets him up with Autumn, her favorite barista. Her latest project at work, a virtual scavenger hunt designed as part of a company promotion, goes horribly wrong when her overbearing leadership fails to motivate her team. Out of desperation, she finishes the whole project herself, upsetting Joan, who is disappointed at her inability to be an effective manager. At home, Zoey’s father sings “Moondance” to her mother. Zoey believes it’s a sign he wants to get intimate. She tells her mother, who is delighted, since her husband, despite gaining more control over his muscle movements thanks to improved medication, is still unable to effectively communicate with her. Zoey takes Simon’s advice and tells her team members how much she appreciates them to win their trust. Later, she and Mo discuss her power, and Zoey realizes that she may be able to use it to help people with their problems.
3	3	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Boss”	Daisy von Scherler Mayer	Sam Laybourne	February 23, 2020	1.96
Zoey learns Joan is having issues with her marriage. Initially, she decides not to get involved, but finds herself hounded by Joan’s song: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”. Zoey opens a dialogue with Joan, who shares about her neglectful, controlling husband Charlie. Zoey also notices her mother, Maggie, is feeling unappreciated at home, constantly caring for Mitch without taking time for herself. After Maggie instigates an altercation at a grocery store, Zoey and her brother stage an intervention and suggest taking turns caring for Mitch. At the launch party where Charlie is scheduled to debut SPRQ’s new smartwatch, Joan tells him their marriage is finished. At Zoey’s urging, she does the product demo herself, which is well-received. Zoey overcomes her earlier reluctance and joins Simon in a dance.
4	4	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Neighbor”	Adam Davidson	Gretchen J. Berg & Aaron Harberts	March 1, 2020	2.06
Zoey discovers that Mo, a choir singer in his spare time, dresses as a man while performing; when she tries to intervene, Mo angrily tells her to stay out of it. Joan becomes depressed and starts fasting, leaving Zoey concerned that her efforts to help others are backfiring. David, noticing that Mitch is upset at the thought of being unable to celebrate the birth of his grandchild, decides to throw a gender-reveal party for him. Maggie is hired to help prepare Simon’s wedding, and Zoey confesses to her that her feelings for Simon stem partially from their shared experience of losing fathers. Mo stops attending church, feeling like a hypocrite, but when he sees Zoey help an agoraphobic neighbor leave her apartment for the first time, it inspires him to finally accept who he is and perform dressed as a woman.
5	5	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Failure”	Darnell Martin	Jack Kenny & Austin Winsberg	March 8, 2020	1.93
A rift opens between Zoey and her brother when she reveals his fear of fatherhood to his wife Emily, harming their relationship. When she calls him to mend fences, he tells her that they need some time apart before he can forgive her. Max makes the decision to break up with Autumn after realizing that they want different things in life. Leif receives a negative peer review at work and falls into despair as he doesn’t know how to handle criticism, so Zoey lets him blame her for the review (which Joan actually wrote) to help him move past it. Maggie contemplates shutting down the garden design business she founded with Mitch, but changes her mind when Zoey intervenes. That night, Simon comes over to her apartment to share his feelings about the anniversary of his father’s death, and sings her a heart song, leading to a moment of deep mutual attraction.
6	6	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Night Out”	Rose Troche	Lindsey Rosin	March 15, 2020	1.93
Max learns through Zoey that Autumn is furious at him for ending their relationship; he turns to Mo, who advises him to forget the past and gives him a makeover so he can move on. Zoey decides not to attend Simon’s engagement party out of fear that his fiancée Jessica believes she and Simon have feelings for each other. Instead, she goes out drinking with Joan, which eventually winds up taking them right to Simon’s party. While drunk, Joan and Leif come up with a new tech idea. Mo meets Eddie, one of Jessica’s bridesmen. Jessica publicly accuses Zoey of sleeping with her soon-to-be husband, and kicks her out. She then receives a call from Maggie that Mitch has injured his back while going up the stairs. Max steps up, taking Zoey to see her father, and she begins to contemplate whether they might still have a future together.
7	7	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Confession”	Richie Keen	Davah Avena	March 22, 2020	1.95
Zoey decides to tell Max the truth about her power. He believes she’s mocking him and his feelings, so she tries to convince him by helping Leif and Tobin fix their friendship, which has been impacted by Leif’s new project. Leif admits that he wants to focus more on work, and that he expects Tobin to do the same. Max remains unconvinced, so Zoey then tells him she always knew he loved her but never said anything. This proves to be the last straw, and he walks out. Zoey is torn and she tries to fix things for herself and Max. While Zoey is able to save their relationship by confessing her fears of commitment, Max tells her it’s not enough to fix things. Maggie hires a nurse to care for Mitch, but when she ignores his wishes, Maggie fires her and hires a more laid-back caregiver. Zoey catches Leif and Joan discussing their growing attraction towards each other and start kissing.
8	8	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Glitch”	Jon Turteltaub	Samantha McIntyre	March 29, 2020	1.88
While in the midst of extreme stress to meet an impossible schedule at work, and having to make a major presentation to the CEO, Zoey receives devastating news about her father. His condition is beginning to deteriorate rapidly again, and he may have only a few weeks left to live. The extreme stress and sad news cause her power to “reverse”, so that rather than hearing other people’s most intimate feelings as song, Zoey herself uncontrollably sings her own innermost feelings. Ultimately she breaks into Pressure by Billy Joel when she’s supposed to be presenting her timeline for a project to the CEO. Zoey and Joan assume they will both be fired as a result of her outburst, but the CEO is impressed by her “weirdness” and not only greenlights the project, but accepts her one year timeline. Zoey also sings out loud to both Simon and Max, revealing that she has feelings for both of them. Simon briefly kisses Zoey, and Zoey faces her father so that her powers can return to normal.
9	9	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Silence”	Charles Stone III	Matthew Irving Epstein	April 5, 2020	1.94
Zoey’s powers are back to normal, but she wants clarity from Simon about the kiss they shared. She hears Howie, her father’s caregiver, sing and discovers he has a difficult relationship with his daughter, Abigail. Zoey goes with Howie to see Abigail at college and discovers she is deaf and pursuing coding, but Howie doesn’t want Abigail to go abroad to Kenya to further her career. Meanwhile, Mo and Eddie have Simon and Jessica over for brunch so Mo can “read Simon the riot act” about what he is doing to Jessica and Zoey, but it becomes clear that Simon is a good guy who just doesn’t know what to do. Emily receives advice from Maggie about how to let her husband know that she wants to have sex again. Max receives a job offer from Ava Price on Floor 6, which he accepts with Zoey’s approval. Zoey and Tobin talk to Abigail about her relationship with her father and about a potential internship at SPRQ Point; ultimately Zoey helps convince Howie to let Abigail study abroad. Zoey conveys to Simon that she “can’t and won’t do this anymore.” When Zoey returns to work the next day, she witnesses Simon and Jessica (presumably) break up.
10	10	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Outburst”	Tristram Shapeero	Adam Armus	April 19, 2020	1.98
Zoey and Simon attempt to redefine their relationship following his engagement breaking; but she believes his grief is back to square one after hearing him sing the same song that connected them in the first place. Max quickly grows accustomed to his new job on the sixth floor, even deciding to stay and help his new team work on the fourth floor’s project when they went up to take him back. Zoey thinks he’s torturing her for not supporting him, but he retorts that he wants to focus on his own happiness now rather than everyone else’s. Zoey then blows up at Howie for sedating her father so he could sleep better, the drawback being that he’s less responsive, and to Zoey, is one less moment to bond with him. Following a screaming match with Simon over his grief and a cathartic little dance party orchestrated by Mo, both Simon and Zoey help each other to acknowledge their own griefs. When Joan breaks off her relationship with Leif (despite him genuinely loving her), he copes by asking Max if he could move to the sixth floor with him. All the while, Mitch and Maggie’s anniversary was looming over, with their typical plans derailed due to his condition. The day of, Zoey and Howie craft an intimate dinner for them so they can share one last romantic night together.
11	11	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Mother”	Adam Davidson	Gretchen J. Berg & Aaron Harberts & Sam Laybourne	April 26, 2020	1.70
Zoey and family begin preparations for the funeral, but Maggie especially is not ready for any of it or what follows emotionally. A well-off widow named Deb is encountered by Zoey. She enlists Deb to help Maggie acknowledge the inevitability of her husband being gone. When Joan notices Zoey is unable to hold her own during the floor competition, she assures her to not let work get in the way of family and to take her time in the later transition. Max and Leif unexpectedly bond over their rejected love for Zoey and Joan respectively. Mo wants to break up with his boyfriend when he announces the possibility of an 8-month commitment for a show; despite his heart-singing otherwise, Mo ends it. Joan and Ava learn that Leif has been transferring data for the big project to the fourth floor; they respond by calling the competition off and agreeing to start working together. This inspires Zoey and Max to begin mending their friendship. However, Ava confronts Max for his decision of allowing Leif to join the sixth floor, and fires him on the spot.
12	12	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Dad”	Jon Turteltaub & Adam Davidson	Austin Winsberg	May 3, 2020	1.98
Zoey heard a song, which unsettled her, so she’s waiting for the worst to happen. What’s more, Zoey’s going to make a huge decision about her feelings and share them with Max and Simon. Mitch’s condition is not going well and the family is preparing to go through the worst possible scenario. At the end, Zoey and her family and friends attend Zoey’s father’s funeral and say goodbye.

Season 2 (2021)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S viewers (millions)
13	1	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Return”	John Terlesky	Austin Winsberg	January 5, 2021	3.01
After Mitch’s death, Zoey has been staying with Maggie, she returns to work six weeks later and is upset over how things have changed. Zoey meets her new colleague George, and Joan offers her the job of executive of the fourth floor. Max struggles to find inspiration for his new company and stumbles upon the idea of creating a restaurant that orders food from other restaurants. Maggie struggles with Mitch’s passing. David and Emily adjust to being new parents, and Maggie confesses to Zoey she feels bad about not holding Miles because she and Mitch were supposed to be grandparents together. Later, Zoey and Max kiss.
14	2	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Distraction”	Anya Adams	Sam Laybourne	January 12, 2021	2.66
Zoey and Max finally get together, but their attempts at spending private time are continually thwarted by Mo and work problems. The SPRQ Point watch is malfunctioning, and Zoey’s team is tasked with coming up with a fix. Max and Mo decide to go into business together, but Mo is reluctant to sign a partnership agreement. Emily’s sister Jenna comes to town and is a handful.
15	3	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Dreams”	John Terlesky	Samantha McIntyre	January 19, 2021	2.41
Zoey has a recurring nightmare where she sings “Nowhere to Run” in her mom’s empty house. Max suggests it may be time for Zoey to move home, but she doesn’t want to leave Maggie in a lurch. Zoey and Max decide it may be a good thing to press pause on their relationship. Feeling stuck, Jenna helps Maggie find her creative spark again. David and Emily look forward to Jenna leaving but are disappointed upon learning she’ll be sticking around to help Maggie with the new project while Max and Mo look at spaces for their new business.
16	4	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Employee”	Anya Adams	Robert Sudduth	January 26, 2021	2.31
Zoey decides to “choose happiness” but is thrown upon learning she has to fire 10 percent of the fourth floor including one of her favorite employees. Simon, as the new company spokesman, is interviewed by Tatiana, a female reporter. Maggie’s new landscaping client, Roger, flirts with her and asks her out, but Maggie feels it’s too soon to date after Mitch’s death, and Jenna reminds Maggie that it’s okay to want to be wanted. Max feels Mo isn’t pulling his weight, something which is intensified when Mo holds a karaoke cleansing. Later, Mo and Max set aside their differences and make up. Zoey discovers her childhood friend, Aiden, just moved back in the neighborhood.
17	5	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Trip”	John Terlesky	Joe Port & Joe Wiseman	February 2, 2021	2.24
Zoey takes the advice of Aiden and takes a day off, doing drugs. Danny, who just got released from his house arrest, joins them. Meanwhile, Max and Mo struggle to attract investors for their restaurant which forces Max to seek help from his rich father. Max’s father provides him the money but does not believe his restaurant would work. Max refuses the aid. Roger lashes out on Maggie after she refused to date him. Jenna vandalizes his car as a revenge but Maggie both leaves Roger’s project and fires Jenna, upsetting her. Later, they make up and Jenna leaves for home. Simon realizes that his new designation is only a facade for the lack of racial diversity in the company. Disappointed, Simon blows up the company’s cover.
18	6	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Reckoning”	Anya Adams	Zora Bikangaga	February 9, 2021	2.19
After Simon reveals the company’s truth, Danny forces Zoey to talk him into retracting his statement. She confronts Simon who refuses to draw back. She also discovers that Tobin faces racial comments on his Indian ethnicity and tries to encourage him to support Simon but he initially declines. Simon decides to quit his job, on which Zoey supports him. But when Zoey and Simon find out that Tobin opened up about his experiences and started a hashtag on the internet, and that people have opened up from several branches of the company worldwide, Simon inspires the board to bring a change in the workplace culture, that leads to ultimate success. Meanwhile, Max and Mo succeed in securing funds from Danny.
19	7	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Memory”	John Terlesky	Emily Fox	March 28, 2021	1.20
20	8	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Birthday”	Shasta Spahn	Lindsey Rosin	April 4, 2021	1.18
A celebratory bash to mark Zoey’s 30th birthday features Aiden performing “Crimson Love”, the first original song of the series.
21	9	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Mystery”	John Terlesky	Samantha McIntyre	April 11, 2021	TBD
22	10	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Girls’ Night”	TBA	TBA	April 18, 2021	TBD
23	11	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Double Date”	TBA	TBA	May 2, 2021	TBD

Production

Development

On January 12, 2019, the production officially received a pilot order. 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. 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‘s annual Save Our Shows poll. The second season premiered on January 5, 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 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 joined the cast in a recurring role for the second season.

Filming

Principal photography for the first season began on September 3, 2019, and ended on January 30, 2020, in Richmond, British Columbia. 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 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.

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, to be replaced by Young Rock and Kenan. The series will return to its original timeslot on Sunday, March 28, 2021.

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”.

Season 1

Episode	Song	Performer(s)
1.1	“Angel of the Morning” by Juice Newton	Alex Newell as Mo
	“Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” by Wham	Alex Newell as Mo
	“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	Alex Newell as Mo
	“Morning Has Broken” by Eleanor Farjeon	Alex Newell as Mo
	“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	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	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, etc. 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	Naoko Mori as Bonnie
	“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	Jane Levy as Zoey
	“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, etc.
	“Feeling Good” by Nina Simone	Bernadette Peters as Deb
	“All Out of Love” by Air Supply/ “Bye Bye Bye” by *NSYNC	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 Credence 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	Skylar Astin as Max
	“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

Season 2

Episode	Song	Performer(s)
2.1	“Rise Up” by Andra Day	Alex Newell as Mo
	“Hello, Dolly!” from Hello Dolly!	Full company
	“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	Skylar Astin as Max
	“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 Kate 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)	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	Kate Findlay as Rose
	“Love on the Brain” by Rihanna	Rocco Morris as August
	“Rosanna” by Toto	Alice Lee as Emily
	“Anyone” by Demi Lovato	Alice Lee as Emily

Reception

Critical response

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.” On Metacritic, 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

Viewership and ratings per season of *Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist*
Season	Timeslot (ET)	Episodes	First aired		Last aired		TV season	Viewership rank	Avg. viewers (millions)
Season	Timeslot (ET)	Episodes	Date	Viewers (millions)	Date	Viewers (millions)	TV season	Viewership rank	Avg. viewers (millions)
1	Sunday 9:00 p.m.	12	January 7, 2020	2.66	May 3, 2020	1.98	2019–20	102	3.06
2	Tuesday 8:00 p.m. (1−6) Sunday 9:00 p.m. (7−TBA)	TBA	January 5, 2021	3.01	TBA	TBD	2020–21	TBD	TBD

Season 1

Viewership and ratings per episode of *Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist*
No.	Title	Air date	Rating (18–49)	Viewers (millions)	DVR (18–49)	DVR viewers (millions)	Total (18–49)	Total viewers (millions)
1	“Pilot”	January 7, 2020	0.6	2.66	N/A	1.05	N/A	3.71
2	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Best Friend”	February 16, 2020	0.4	2.01	0.3	1.06	0.7	3.08
3	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Boss”	February 23, 2020	0.5	1.96	0.2	1.01	0.7	2.96
4	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Neighbor”	March 1, 2020	0.4	2.06	0.3	1.14	0.7	3.20
5	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Failure”	March 8, 2020	0.3	1.93	0.3	0.89	0.6	2.82
6	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Night Out”	March 15, 2020	0.4	1.93	0.3	1.06	0.7	2.99
7	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Confession”	March 22, 2020	0.4	1.95	0.3	1.03	0.7	2.98
8	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Glitch”	March 29, 2020	0.4	1.88	0.3	1.01	0.7	2.89
9	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Silence”	April 5, 2020	0.4	1.94	0.3	1.10	0.7	3.05
10	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Outburst”	April 19, 2020	0.4	1.98	N/A	1.16	N/A	3.14
11	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Mother”	April 26, 2020	0.3	1.70	0.3	1.22	0.6	2.92
12	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Dad”	May 3, 2020	0.4	1.98	0.3	0.99	0.7	2.96

Season 2

Viewership and ratings per episode of *Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist*
No.	Title	Air date	Rating (18–49)	Viewers (millions)	DVR (18–49)	DVR viewers (millions)	Total (18–49)	Total viewers (millions)
1	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Return”	January 5, 2021	0.5	3.01	0.2	0.81	0.7	3.82
2	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Distraction”	January 12, 2021	0.5	2.66	0.2	0.71	0.7	3.37
3	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Dreams”	January 19, 2021	0.4	2.41	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
4	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Employee”	January 26, 2021	0.5	2.31	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
5	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Trip”	February 2, 2021	0.4	2.24	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
6	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Reckoning”	February 9, 2021	0.4	2.19	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
7	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Memory”	March 28, 2021	0.2	1.20	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
8	“Zoey’s Extraordinary Birthday”	April 4, 2021	0.2	1.18	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result
2020	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming	Mandy Moore	Won
2020	TCA Awards	Outstanding New Program	Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist	Nominated
2021	Critics’ Choice Television Awards	Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Alex Newell	Nominated
2021	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actress – Television Series, Musical or Comedy	Jane Levy	Nominated