1) “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” 8-10 p.m. and 10:30 to 2:13 a.m. Sunday, ABC. Dick Clark’s clever scheme – live coverage at Times Square (shown here), a taped party in Los Angeles – has turned into a global event. Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora will be at the Square, cutting to music in Korea (NewJeans), Puerto Rico (Ivy Queen), Las Vegas (Post Malone) and Californis, with Janelle Monae, Ludacris, Bebe Rexha, Green Day, Coco Jones, Nile Rodgers & Chic and more.
2) More New Year’s Eve. CBS will be in Nashville from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday and 10:30 to 1:05. Many of country’s stars will be there – Blake Shelton, Lainey Wilsno, Morgan Wallen, Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown, Trace Adkins and more – plus Dustin Lynch performing in Times Square. CNN will have Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen in New York at 8 p.m. ET, then Sara Sidner and Cari Champion in Austin from 12:30 to 2:05 a.m.
3) “Kennedy Center Honors,” 8-10:30 p.m. Wednesday, CBS. How do you stir a stately Washington, D.C. crowd? This show opens with Gloria Estefan’s “Get On Your Feet” and closes with Ariana DeBose singing “Staying Alive.” In between, a Clark Sisters gospel tune has Queen Latifah leaping to her feet. She’s an honoree, with Dionne Warwick, Billy Crystal, Renee Fleming and Barry Gibb. Even if you tend to skip rap or classical, you’ll like this.
4) Disney Christmas parade, 10 a.m. to noon today, ABC (but 9-11 on the West Coast. Christmas gets a youthful start with Julianne and Derek Hough in the Disney parks. They’ll sing and introduce music by Meg Donnelly, Chrissy Metz, Iam Tongi, Smashing Pumpkins and the Broadway and touring casts of “Aladdin.” That leads into a sports surge on ABC and ESPN – five pro basketball games plus, at 8:15 p.m. ET, pro football with the Ravens and 49ers.
5) Family fun, today. Wrapping its “25 Days of Christmas,” Freeform includes “Rudolph” and “Frosty” at 3:30 and 4:30 p.m., with “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. For more animation, catch the great “Grinch” at 8 on NBC, At 9, CBS reruns its vibrant Mariah Carey Christmas concert. Also, TNT and TBS continue their “Christmas Story” marathon … and TBS follows with a bonus – “The Wizard of Oz” at 8 and 10:30 p.m.
6) Dramas, 8 p.m. today, Scripted shows are scarce this week, but there are two emotional ones tonight. CW’s “Waltons Homecoming” rerun is set in 1933 Virginia; PBS’ “Call the Midwife” is in 1968 London. The latter is new, with two life-and-death crises: An immigrant resists hospitalization; a difficult pregnancy is complicated by a snow storm. There’s also Christmas-pageant fun: Trixie’s brother takes over and Reggie insists on being an angel.
7) “Transplant,” 9 p.m. Thursday, NBC. Here’s one more first-rate drama: After a month-long break, this returns with perhaps the best episode since its debut, three years ago. Bash gathered paperwork from his Syrian wartime years, hoping to become a Canadian citizen. As an official asks about his workday; we jump between the hospital and that government office. “Transplant” skillfully shows life-and-death crises and subtle human moments.
8) Orange Bowl, 4 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN, and more. The regular season ended with two jolts: Top-ranked Georgia lost and slid to No. 6; Florida State was undefeated but stayed at No. 5. They fumed about missing the four-team playoffs; now they collide, seeking some consolation. That’s the peak of a huge football week – 19 bowl games (Tuesday through Saturday), plus three pro games today, one each on Thursday and Saturday and 14 on Sunday,
9) “I Am Burt Reynolds.,” 8-10 p.m. Saturday, CW. This biography-documentary series starts with a big one. Reynolds was the No. 1 movie star for five straight years, we’re told; a talk-show favorite, he lived big. He had a ranch, a plane, a helicopter, lots of cars and 128 horses. He also had, a friend says, “not only physical but emotional” pain. Part of that came from football and stunt work, the other part from efforts to please stolid parents and himself.
10) “Next at the Kennedy Center,” 8 p.m. Sunday, PBS, repeating at 9. Four days after a spectacular song in the “Kennedy Center Honors,” Cynthia Erivo heads a concert special. It’s a night of Tony-winners – Erivo, 36, for “The Color Purple” (her only Broadway musical); Ben Platt, 30, for “Dear Even Hansen”; and Joaquina Kalukango, 34, for “Paradise Square.” She’s done four other Broadway musicals, including (with Erivo) “Color Purple.”