Warning: spoilers ahead for the Season 2 premiere of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist.
Musical lovers everywhere rejoice! Season 2 of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist has returned to NBC. Fans of the witty Gilmore Girls mama Lauren Graham may be disappointed though, as she will not be returning to Season 2 of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist at the capacity as once hoped. Before the season’s premiere, Graham tweeted urging her fans to join her in watching, but that they would only get a little peek of Graham in the first episode. That peek, it would seem, will have to last the whole season.
In an interview with TVLine, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist creator Austin Winsberg admits that Lauren Graham was supposed to have a much bigger part in the second season. What was once looking to be smooth sailing between two sets, became cause for Winsberg to make cuts to Season 2 in the form of Zoey’s boss Joan, played by Graham. Here it is in Winsberg's own words:
When Lauren had signed on to do [Disney+’s] Mighty Ducks [reboot], they were supposed to start shooting in March, and they were going to be done well in advance so that she could be back for Season 2. But because of the pandemic, and the way everything went down, their shooting schedule ended up being the exact same as our show’s shooting schedule. I had plans for Joan to be in several episodes of the shown and unfortunately, we just had to step-pivot, because there was no way that Lauren was going to be able to do both at the same time.
2020 rears its ugly head again! Even though both Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist Season 2 and Disney+'s The Mighty Ducks were able to begin production despite the challenges and new protocols of the pandemic, the scheduling changes meant that something had to give for Lauren Graham. So, Joan is pursuing a new job opportunity on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist that is taking her off-screen.
Television isn't the only part of the entertainment industry dealing with production and release delays, starting with the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die, which was set to come out last April and continuing with more films into 2021.
Hopefully things will get back on track further into 2021 in the entertainment industry and perhaps allow Lauren Graham to return to Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist as Joan, but until then, check out our updated list of what is coming up on TV and Netflix. Also, for any fans disappointed in the lack of Lauren Graham in Season 2 of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, the Mighty Ducks reboot series is set to release early this year and you can catch her in action there.
