The star of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Jane Levy, called out NBC for its decision to cancel the series. Premiering in January 2020 from creator Austin Winsberg, the series combined dramedy with musical numbers as it followed Zoey Clarke (Levy), a software developer who discovers she has the ability to hear people’s inner-thoughts in the form of popular music. The show also starred Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart, Mary Steenburgen, Kapil Talwalkar, Andrew Leeds, Alice Lee, and Michael Thomas Grant. In the first season, Peter Gallagher and Lauren Graham also appeared in prominent supporting roles.
Although it was widely expected that Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist would not be returning to NBC for season 3, it was believed that the series could move to Peacock. NBCUniversal’s streaming service already includes shows like Girls5Eva and We Are Lady Parts, both of which incorporate music into their main storylines. Lionsgate TV, the studio which produces the series, had been negotiating with NBCUniversal to continue Zoey’s story on Peacock. However, talks fizzled and hopes for season 3 remain in limbo while Lionsgate looks for a new home for Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. In the meantime, Levy has opened up about her thoughts on the cancellation in a new interview.
Speaking with Vanity Fair, Levy reflected on the impact the show has had on her and on the fans. The actress, who received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the series, also called out the network for its prioritization of crime procedurals. In her comments, which you can be read below, Levy referred to Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist as a show about love.
“I’m sorry, but I have to say this: I look at the new NBC lineup, and it’s like, ‘Okay, we could watch a lot of shows about crime and guns.’ Our show is about love. It’s a real shame to take that off the air… I feel like it’s the wrong move.”
In her remarks, Levy seems to be addressing the prevalence of Law & Order spinoffs and other procedurals on NBC’s schedule. In addition to Dick Wolf’s burgeoning Chicago Med franchise on Wednesday nights, NBC will feature Law & Order heavily on Thursdays. The franchise, also created by Wolf, will be represented on the network’s lineup by new seasons of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Organized Crime, alongside the premiere of the recently-ordered Law & Order: For the Defense. These procedurals are reliably successful to the point of pushing out more experimental titles like Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. Despite its awards buzz and critical acclaim, the musical dramedy never quite performed as strongly in linear ratings as Wolf's dramatic procedurals.
This preference for procedurals is not a new TV trend. Back in the 1990s, dramas like Ally McBeal and ER tended to get more recognition and certainly had better ratings than groundbreaking genre shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. What has changed, and what is perhaps encouraging for Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, is that the rise of streaming and the era of so-called peak TV has allowed for different kinds of series to achieve some sort of recognition. Hopefully, for fans who want to see a third season, another streaming platform will give Zoey a chance to sing.
Source: Vanity Fair
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