Everybody’s favorite brain-eating sleuth returns for a fifth and final season. For the uninitiated, “iZombie” stars Rose McIver as Liv, a former medical student who becomes the victim of a zombie attack and takes a job at a local police morgue to slake her thirst for human brains. Apparently, the occasional nibble keeps her “normal” enough to function without being reduced to a dim, shuffling, undead cliche.
But her cerebral snacks infect her with traits of the deceased, offering Liv insights into recent crime victims. Weekly procedurals have been built on far more contrived plots.
Adapted from a comic book, like most of the shows on the CW schedule, “iZombie” harkens back to the wise-cracking patter of old WB and UPN shows including “Veronica Mars” and “Buffy.”
— Anxious to see how the new “Twilight Zone” reboot was progressing, I checked out the episode “Six Degrees of Freedom,” streaming today to CBS All Access subscribers.
A space crew (DeWanda Wise, Jessica Williams, Jefferson White, Lucinda Dryzek and Jonathan Whitesell) preparing for the first months-long flight to Mars confronts a horrific choice even before blasting off.
The extended voyage presents the team with any number of psychological and emotional hardships. To say much more would spoil things. But it’s not giving too much away to reveal that this series still asks viewers to sit through some very slow burns.
In all but one season, classic “Zone” offered half-hour episodes that remain memorable after more than 50 years. This one runs roughly one hour. And seems like three.
— Speaking of overlong reboots of TV series, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon star in the 2008 movie adaptation of “Sex and the City” (8 p.m., E).
— Contestants toil under deadline to create a free wardrobe for a celebrity on “Project Runway” (9 p.m., Bravo, TV-14).
In depicting pressure-cooker conditions and the hopes that unpaid work eventually results in valuable media “exposure,” does “Runway” celebrate artists or echo the cyber-serfdom reality of intern and freelance life in creative professions?
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Vanessa Lachey and Nick Lachey host “Miss USA 2019” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
— A firefighter needs medical care on crossover episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14) and “Station 19” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
— “Murder Chose Me” (9 p.m., ID, TV-14) returns for a third season.
— Allison defends a man jailed for a petty offense on “For the People” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
— Sam looks back on “Better Things” (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA).
CULT CHOICE
Mixing melodrama and light comedy, the sprawling 1944 home front drama “Since You Went Away” (8 p.m., TCM) follows a Midwestern family and community adjusting to life with men away at war. Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Shirley Temple, Joseph Cotten and Robert Walker star.
SERIES NOTES
Taking the high road on “The Big Bang Theory” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … An Earth Day event goes sideways on “Superstore” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14) … A guest throws everybody off-balance on “Young Sheldon” (8:30 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … Jack becomes the butt of a viral video on “A.P. Bio” (8:30 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
Christy’s new job disappoints “Mom” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … Gina returns on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14) … A road trip puts a friendship to the test on “In the Dark” (9 p.m., CW, TV-14) … Matt and Colleen get bossy with their surrogate on “Life in Pieces” (9:30 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … James feels inadequate on “Abby’s” (9:30 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
A civilian’s death puts pressure on the squad on “S.W.A.T.” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … A pop star’s assault puts the spotlight on her husband on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
LATE NIGHT
Charlize Theron is booked on “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (11 p.m., Comedy Central) … Kevin Nealon on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS, TV-14) … Chris Cuomo, Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins are booked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Ryan Reynolds, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Kevin Abstract on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Tom Brady, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (11:35 p.m., ABC).
Adam Sandler, Rep. Will Hurd and Valerie Franco visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC) … Anna Faris and Shaggy appear on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (12:37 a.m., CBS).
