Ringing in the new year
Whether you're celebrating with friends or getting through New Year's Eve by your lonesome, it's always good to have a TV playing in the background if only to keep you grounded once that cheap champagne goes to your head. The choices are numerous, but you really can't go wrong with "Dick Clark's New Year's Eve With Ryan Seacrest" (7 p.m. KSTP, Ch. 5) with music for everyone's tastes, including Elton John, Idina Menzel (right) and Taylor Swift. If you want something a bit sexier, try "Pitbull's New Year's Revolution" (7 & 11 p.m. KMSP, Ch. 9) from Miami Beach. Still not hot enough for you? Then keep checking in with CNN to see how Kathy Griffin attempts to unravel Anderson Cooper.
Baker's dozen
Looks like England can hold a televised cooking competition without any help from native Gordon Ramsay. "The Great British Baking Show," a major hit across the pond, comes stateside with 12 amateur bakers going up against one another. Leading cookbook writer Mary Berry and artisan baker Paul Hollywood serve as the lucky judges. 7 p.m. Sunday, TPT, Ch. 2
The sing-off
"Branson Famous" debuts just in time for it to make the list of 2014's most ridiculous series. It features infighting amongst a family act, "The Baldknobbers Jamboree," the longest-running variety show in Branson, Mo., with adversaries singing insults at one another. Yep, singing. The only positive aspect of this reality nonsense is I now know that if I ever visit that town, I can skip the "Jamboree" and check out Yakov Smirnoff. 9 p.m. Monday, TruTV
That thing they do
"The Kennedy Center Honors," always a terrific way to celebrate the year in arts, should be jam-packed with memorable moments, including Mavis Staples and Sam Moore paying tribute to Al Green with "Take Me to the River" and David Letterman honoring Tom Hanks. Even our own Garrison Keillor (left) plays a role by inducting Lily Tomlin. Stephen Colbert hosts. 8 p.m. Tuesday, WCCO, Ch. 4
Neal Justin
