(CNN) There was no telling exactly how hot "Schitt's Creek" was prior to Tuesday's Emmy nominations.

Sure, the Canadian comedy enjoyed a heaping helping of pre-award season buzz, topped a number critics' best-of lists in the last few years and has a cult following that successfully boosted word-of-mouth awareness about one of peak TV's best sleeper hits. But in a time when names like Julia Roberts ("Homecoming") and George Clooney ("Catch-22") end up on snubs lists, it's apparent that competition is stiff for television series in this era with more TV — and more great TV — than ever.

Still, Pop Network fave "Schitt's Creek," which airs on CBC Television in Canada, proved to have the heft it needed to break through, landing four nominations, including one for best comedy.

"Quite honestly, I have to admit, I always thought our chances were probably slim, you know?" co-creator and star Eugene Levy told CNN.

He and son/co-creator Daniel Levy had their money on Catherine O'Hara scoring a nomination, if anything.

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