New Year’s Eve/Day Viewer’s Guide: Specials, Marathons, Sports & More

Who said you have to go out to celebrate New Year’s?

If you plan on staying in on New Year’s Eve or Day, you can still have fun and get in the spirit thanks to all the specials on TV.

From News Year’s Eve ball drop specials, to college bowl games and TV show marathons, there’s lots to see- alone, or with family and friends.

Here’s what’s on:

New Year’s Eve

–Marathons

The Honeymooners– Saturday, December 31, starting at 11 P.M. EST and running until 5 P.M. EST on Sunday, January 1 on WPIX 11.

No New Years is complete without a Honeymooners marathon, so join Ralph, Norton, Alice and Trixie as they get into some crazy hi-jinks.

The Twilight Zone– Saturday, December 31, starting at 6 A.M. EST and running until Tuesday, January 3 at 3:30 A.M. EST on SyFy.

A New Year’s staple for 22 years now, The Twilight Zone marathon will feature fan favorite episodes, as this year, viewers can vote for competing episodes starting at 7:30 P.M. EST on Saturday.

SyFy will let fans choose between 2 competing episodes, with each episode having a Twitter handle that can be voted for @Syfy.

Winning episodes will air during the marathon, from 8-11 P.M. EST.

The Walking Dead Marathon– Saturday, December 31, starting at 1 A.M. EST until Monday, January 2 at 1 A.M. EST on AMC.

If zombies are your thing, ring in the new year watching a marathon of AMC’s hit show. They will be airing seasons 4-7, in order, so anyone who isn’t caught up, or wants to re-watch, should stock up on goodies and get comfy on the couch.

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives – Saturday, December 31, 6 P.M.-3 A.M. EST on the Food Network.

Food lovers can celebrate the new year with Guy Fieri as he samples American comfort foods from all across the country.

–Bowl Games

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl– Saturday, December 31, 3 P.M. EST on ESPN.

Number 4-ranked University of Washington Huskies take on No. 1-ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide.

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl – Saturday, December 31, 7 P.M. EST on ESPN.

Number 3-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes plays No. 2-ranked Clemson Tigers at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona.

–Ball Drop Specials

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2017- Saturday, December 31, 8 P.M.- 1 A.M. EST (with a half-hour break from 11-11:30 for the local news) on ABC.

Jenny McCarthy will be in Times Square with Ryan Seacrest once again, while Fergie will join them live from Billboard Hollywood Party to help everyone party into the new year.

There will be a ton of of stars and performers, including Mariah Carey, DNCE, Gloria Estefan and the cast of Broadway’s Get on Your Feet!, Fifth Harmony featuring Kid Ink and Ty Dolla $ign, Flo Rida featuring Macy Kate, G-Eazy featuring Bebe Rexha, John Legend and more.

A Toast to 2016! – Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb– Saturday, December 31, 8-10 P.M. EST on NBC.

TV’s most famous wine drinkers will host this 2-hour prime-time NBC News special featuring interviews with Wanda Sykes, Michael Buble, Simone Biles, and more.

Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution– Saturday, December 31, 11 P.M.-1 A.M. EST on Fox.

Rapper Pitbull, aka Mr. Worldwide, is back again with his holiday special to help viewers party into the new year, live from Miami, Florida.

This year he is having a 90’s hip-hop and rap theme, with performances by Biz Markie, Coolio, Naughty By Nature, Rob Base, Salt-N-Pepa, Tone Loc and Young MC.

Queen Latifah and Snoop Dog will be joining the broadcast from Miami’s Bayline Park

NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly–Saturday, December 31, 11;30 P.M.-1 A.M. EST on NBC.

Hosted by The Voice host and Today show co-host Carson Daly, along former Spice Girl Mel B, performers include Alicia Keys, Pentatonix, and Blake Shelton.

New Year’s Day (Sunday, January 1)

–Marathons

Sherlock– Sunday, January 1, 9 P.M.-1 A.M. EST on PBS.

Season 4 of this show kicks off with 3 new episodes on PBS’ Masterpiece. The first episode, c “The Six Thatchers,” has Sherlock getting back to work on British soil and Doctor Watson (Martin Freeman) tackling fatherhood.

Premiere New Year– Sunday, January 1, from 3 P.M. EST until Monday, January 2 on ID.

The Investigation Discovery channel is airing a full day of true crime tales for mystery lovers. A sneak peek of the new series Murder Chose Me airs at 8 p.m. ET.

Monday, January 2

The Celebrity Apprentice– Monday, January 2, 8-10 P.M. EST on NBC.

Action star and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is the new host, along with new advisers Steve Ballmer, Tyra Banks, Warren Buffett, and Jessica Alba. Contestants include: retired WNBA star Lisa Leslie, comedian Jon Lovitz, and Boy George.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl– Monday, January 2, 1 P.M. EST on ESPN.

Western Michigan University Broncos play against the University of Wisconsin Badgers.

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual– Monday, January 2, 5 P.M. EST on ESPN.

The USC Trojans take on the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Allstate Sugar Bowl– Monday, January 2, 8 P.M. EST on ESPN

The Auburn University Tigers versus the University of Oklahoma Sooners.

Which shows do you plan to watch to say goodbye to 2016 and hello to 2017?

Let us know below and be sure to follow all my latest TV and streaming reports on Twitter.