TV picks for Dec. 31: New Year's Eve with Kathy Griffin, Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez and others

If Christmas is the holiday where we ignore our TVs — at least long enough to open presents — then New Year's Eve is the one that seems impossible to get through without the flicker of a screen in the background. Options abound, starting with "New Year's Eve With Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin" (7 p.m., CNN), an offering that's short on stars but big on spunk, and worth checking out if only to see how the comic tries to rattle her partner at New York's Times Square. Humor will also be on tap during "Late Night With Seth Meyers New Year's Eve Special" (9 p.m., KARE, Ch. 11)

Those who'd like a celebration that matches the Midwest hours will be pleased to know that "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2017" (7 p.m., KSTP, Ch. 5) will include its first-ever Central Time countdown, live from New Orleans. Lucy Hale will host the much-appreciated addition with performances from Jason Derulo and Panic! at the Disco.

"Pitbull's New Year's Revolution" (11 p.m., KMSP, Ch. 9) will also avoid the Big Apple crowds by airing from Miami, with the help of Coolio, Naughty by Nature, Salt-N-Pepa and others who may be under the impression that they're ringing in 1997.

You might expect Pitbull collaborator Jennifer Lopez to be by his side. But Lopez is on the NBC payroll these days, which is why she'll celebrate the holiday on "New Year's Eve With Carson Daly" (10:30 p.m., KARE, Ch. 11) with additional appearances by Pentatonix, Alicia Keys and Blake Shelton.

Neal Justin