Ever wondered what it would be like to read people’s minds?
InZoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, charmingly nerdy computer coder Zoey Clarke doesn’t need to wonder — at least, not after everyone around her starts serenading her with their innermost thoughts.
As a result, her brain downloads the entire contents of a music streaming service, and much like how songs tend to pop into our heads unbidden (and can be hard to shake), she begins to hear the deepest desires of the people around her at random intervals, in the form of pop songs.
A scene from Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.Sergei Bachlakov/NBC
While at first, her newfound talent is terrifying, her musically-inclined neighbor Mo (Glee‘s Alex Newell) helps her learn to tap into it in order to better understand her friends, family, and co-workers.
PEOPLE Picks reviewed the “ebullient new series” in a recent issue, noting that it will likely serve as a breakout role for Levy, “who possesses the effortless likability of an Emma Stone.”
Lauren Graham, Jane Levy.Sergei Bachlakov/NBC
Gallagher’s character suffers from a neurological disease that has rendered him nonverbal, and Zoey’s newfound abilities shift from a nightmare into a dream come true when she realizes they allow her to communicate with her dad once more, with feeling.
Gallagher toldForbesthat part of what drew him to the role was the duality of being near-emotionless and then bursting into song and dance. “Everybody has a story, and you have no idea what’s going on with that person sitting next to you,” he told the outlet.
“No matter what they look like, it’s a pretty safe bet that in the end you’re going to find out that they have a lot in common with you. The pursuit of that, and the interest in what other people are actually experiencing, is the whole conceit of this show,” Gallagher explained.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlistpremiered Tuesday, Jan. 7 and returns to NBC on Sunday, Feb. 16, at 9 p.m. EST, following an 8 p.m. EST rerun of the pilot episode.
source: people.com
