Schitt's Creek Kicks Off Its Final Season at the Top of Its Game

The usual trajectory for a long-running series sees said series hit its creative and popular peak in its earliest seasons, before beginning a steady slide into its later years.  Canadian export Schitt's Creek has proven itself the exception to the rule, with Netflix playing a large part in exposing the previously little-seen series to larger audiences and greater critical acclaim with every passing year. Fresh off a nearly unprecedented round of late season SAG and Emmy nominations, the series kicks off its sixth and final season tonight as the most popular show on cable's Pop TV.

Also tonight: NBC sneak peeks its new musical dramedy Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, Jeopardy! pits its greatest players against each other in primetime battle of the champions, Vamderpump Rules returns for Season 8 and Dave Chappelle receives The Mark Twain Prize. Here's what's new and noteworthy on TV this busy Tuesday.

SEASON PREMIERE: How did a show about spoiled rich people turn into TV’s warmest hug? Primetimer's Emma Fraser credits Schitt's Creek's unusual family relationships. Those relationships take center stage in tonight's season premiere, which finds David (Dan Levy) researching wedding venues, while Moira (Catherine O'Hara) and Johnny (Eugene Levy) plan a romantic picnic.  9:00 PM ET on Pop TV

SERIES PREMIERE: Jane Levy stars as the title character in Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, a new musical comedy about a woman who emerges from an MRI with the ability to hear people's innermost thoughts acted out in song and dance. Primetimer's Jean-Maxime Renault has this primer about the new series, which features Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls and Parenthood) in its ensemble cast. 10:00 PM ET on NBC

SPECIAL EVENT: Jeopardy! champs Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer test their mental mettle under the steady guidance of America's Quizmaster in Jeopardy: The Greatest of All Time. The special three-night primetime event begins at 8:00 PM ET on ABC

SEASON PREMIERE: Season 8 of Vanderpump Rules kicks off with Schwartz, Sandoval, Arianna, Jax, Katie, and Brittany moving into new digs, while Lala confides in Lisa Vanderpump. Watch the preview. 9:00 PM ET on Bravo

SEASON PREMIERE: Ellen DeGeneres hosts back to back episodes of Ellen's Game of Games. The third season returns with fan favorites like "Blindfolded Musical Chairs" and "Dirty Laundry," along with new challenges like "Mazed and Confused" and ""Buckin' Blasters." 8:00 PM ET on NBC

SEASON PREMIERE: The third season of Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back follows everyone's favorite hotheaded chef as he attempts to help two brothers rescue their struggling seafood business. Watch the preview. 9:00 PM ET on Fox

SERIES PREMIERE: Super producer Dick Wolf expands the CBS branch of his broadcast TV empire with FBI: Most Wanted. The FBI spin-off focuses on the elite Fugitive Task Force as they pursue a physician with ties to organized crime. Watch the preview. 10:00 PM ET on CBS

SPECIAL EVENT: Comedian Dave Chappelle accepts The 22nd Annual Mark Twain Prize in American Humor. Taped at The Kennedy Center, the tribute includes appearances by Bradley Cooper, Tiffany Haddish, Jon Stewart, Trevor Noah and Kevin Hart. Watch a clip. 10:00 PM ET on PBS

ALSO TONIGHT

• Finding Your Roots accompanies Sterling K. Brown, Jon Batiste, and Sasheer Zamata as they learn about their ancestry. 8:00 PM ET on PBS
• The Resident finds Conrad (Matt Czuchry) exploring his options after being fired by Chastain (Gilbert Glenn Brown). 8:00 PM ET on Fox
• Ink Master: Turf War finds the Ink Master artists feeling territorial as the show returns for its thirteenth season. 10:00 PM ET on Paramount
• NCIS resumes its seventeenth season with Ziva (Cote de Pablo) seeking resolution with the help of Gibbs (Mark Harmon). 8:00 PM ET on CBS
• Mixed-ish faces the heartbreak of the Challenger explosion. 9:00 PM ET on ABC
• Black-ish returns with a contentious trip to the hair salon. 9:30 PM ET on ABC

Mike Attebery is Senior Editor at Primetimer and the author of seven mystery thrillers. Follow him on Twitter at @mikeattebery.