That is the sweet song of success you hear! Despite lukewarm live ratings, a dedicated social media and digital presence have earned NBC’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist a second season at the network.
The order is for 13 episodes for season two and the renewal is a prime example of a devoted following elevating a show beyond what may be perceived as poor ratings. It is one of NBC’s strongest digital performers, with digital sources generating more than half its 35-day viewership in the 18-49 demo. The delayed viewing numbers also dwarf the live ratings so there was proof enough that there is a dedicated audience. For example, season 1 of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist averaged a 0.7 rating in adults 18-49 and 3.1 million viewers overall in Live+7 Nielsens. But the January 7 series premiere has grown to a 3.3 rating in 18-49 and 7.9 million viewers to date when digital and linear delayed viewing is factored in.
NBC is aware that a digital gainer like this, especially a new series, doesn’t come around often and they have been looking beyond the live ratings thanks to the development of their streaming service, Peacock. To make a season two happen, it took NBC and co-production partners Lionsgate TV and Universal TV hammering out a deal that worked for all three entities. One of the ideas tossed around was that the renewal could lead to a full-season streaming pact. All season 1 episodes of Zoey’s are available on Peacock and premium users have access to the next-day episodes of the show. Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, Co-Presidents of Scripted Programming at NBC Entertainment, had this to say about the renewal:
“We were overwhelmed by the number of people who fell in love with Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and how much joy it brought to everyone. We’re thrilled to bring it back and can’t wait to see how Zoey’s journey continues.”
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist stars Jane Levy as Zoey Clarke, a whip-smart computer coder forging her way in San Francisco. After an unusual event, Zoey, who always preferred podcasts over pop songs, suddenly starts to hear the innermost wants, thoughts, and desires of the people around her – her family, co-workers, and complete strangers – through popular songs. The series also stars Peter Gallagher, Alex Newell, Skylar Astin, John Clarence Stewart, Mary Steenburgen & Lauren Graham, who served as a special guest star during season 1.
