Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist was cancelled by NBC weeks after the Season 2 finale aired, but fans, the showrunner, and more weren't ready to say goodbye to the musical dramedy just yet. Unfortunately, efforts for the show to score a renewal on another platform haven't resulted in Zoey getting a streaming reprise. And now, the hopes for a Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist renewal just got even more bad news when it comes to the stars of the series.
Cast options expired this past week and have not been extended, according to Deadline, which is very bad news for a show like Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist with an irreplaceable lead in Jane Levy and a strong ensemble around her. Conversations are reportedly still happening to continue Zoey's story, even if in the form of a miniseries or movie rather than a series like the first two seasons, but none of these options are considered realistic, and the need to form new deals with the cast only throws another wrench in the prospect of bringing the show back.
In addition to the cast options expiring meaning a new deal required for Jane Levy, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist lost a commitment from all of the series regulars of Season 2, which includes Mary Steenburgen, Andrew Leeds, and Alice Lee as members of the Clarke family; Skylar Astin, John Clarence Stewart, and Alex Newell as Zoey's core cast of friends; and the endlessly entertaining Michael Thomas Grant and Kapil Talwalkar. While a revival could probably make do with some of these regulars missing, there are some who, like Levy, are irreplaceable.
All things considered, the odds of the show returning anytime soon (if at all) seem pretty unfortunate at the moment, even if in a limited form like miniseries or movie. Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist isn't the only NBC series with a passionate fanbase that got the axe this season and has seemingly had hopes for a continuation dashed despite strong pushes, as Manifest is in a similar situation. Still, the cast no longer being contracted may be the death blow for even the thinnest hopes of a forthcoming Zoey revival.
Of course, revivals don't necessarily have to happen immediately after a cancellation, so fans can always dream of the cast coming back together at some point in the future. Honestly, I'd be okay with a table read of a finale-esque story if that would deliver some additional closure than what fans got in the Season 2 finale. It may not have been the most stressful cliffhanger of the 2020-2021 TV season, but it wasn't planned as a series finale, so the story definitely wasn't over.
Fans may just want to start preparing for definitive news that efforts for a Season 2 won't come to anything after the latest development. For now, you can always watch and rewatch the first two seasons streaming on Peacock, and catch the second season streaming on Hulu. If you need some more viewing options to move on from Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, just check out our 2021 summer TV premiere schedule for some ideas!
