Well, it’s out with 2014 and in with another semester-of-life ahead this week. Wednesday night, of course, packs the most potential punch (literally and figuratively) with New Year’s Eve presenting its annual opportunities to indulge in excesses you’ll be resolving to give up for at least, and probably at most, as long as your hangover lasts.
In between your party and/or recovery happenings over the next few days, a bombardment of college sports, a roster of cool TV specials and marathons, and noteworthy music and Blu-ray releases will be cropping up to ease us all into 2015. Check out the 12 best reasons why this week won’t suck….
NCAA Football Bowl Games: Monday
(Dec 29)
Kick off college football’s glorious onslaught of bowl tournaments at 2pm with Texas A&M against West Virginia. The Russell Athletic Bowl follows at 5:30 with Oklahoma taking on Clemson. The Texas Bowl caps the evening at 9pm with Arkansas versus Texas.
The Walking Dead Marathon
(Dec 30)
AMC is airing the first three seasons of humanity’s favorite flesh-eating undead TV adventure from 9am Monday until 9am Thursday. See how the whole zombie apocalypse began–and, come New Year’s morning, compare your notes on how close we are to heading straight into Walking Dead reality over the next 12 months ahead.
37th Annual Kennedy Center Honors
(Dec 30)
Once a year, the U.S. government tips a top hat to esteemed artists at the annual Kennedy Center Honors event. The 2014 roster comes in solid with tributes to movie star Tom Hanks, rock crooner Sting, soul music powerhouse Al Green, and funnylady Lily Tomlin. The CBS special airs at 9 pm –hosted by Stephen Colbert, and featuring guest shots by Bruno Mars, Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Usher, and David Letterman.
NCAA Football Bowl Games
(Dec 30)
Dive into day two of college football bowl madness with Notre Dame against LSU in the Music City Bowl at 3pm. Next comes the Belk Bowl, showcasing Georgia against Louisville at 6:30. Finally, at 10pm, the Foster Farms Bowl serves up Maryland going at it with Stanford.
The Equalizer on Blu-ray
(Dec 30)
Denzel Washington stars in a high-tech big-screen updating of the classic 1980s action TV show, and the result is like inhaling cinematic adrenaline. Watch The Equalizer on the biggest screen you can find and pump the sound system as loud as your neighbors can stand it.
Armin Van Burren – A State of Trance: Year Mix 2014
(Dec 30)
EDM wizard Armin Van Burren pumps his DJ magic all over a double album of the year’s 114(!) most inventively intense trance tracks. Artists included on this hypnotic edition include Parker & Hanson, Andy Moor, Genix, Arisen Flame, Gaia, Standerwick, and, of course, Van Burren himself. Tune in, turn up, trance out.
Tusk on Blu-ray
(Dec 30)
Kevin Smith kicked off his announced Canadian Horror Trilogy with the affably bizarre walrus-man hair-raiser Tusk. Justin Long stars as a podcast host who falls prey to a mad Manitoba seaman hellbent on turning a human into long-toothed creature of the deep. Get ready for the surprise famous movie star who shows up to steal scenes as an addled detective.
NCAA Football Bowl Games: New Year’s Eve
(Dec 31)
The New Year’s Eve bowl contests allow college fans to turn their parents’ living rooms into a daylong tailgate festivals as prep for the evening’s destined-to-be-legendary late night revelry. Peach Bowl starts it all up at 12:30pm woth Ole Miss versus TCU. At 4pm, Boise State battles Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl. Things get serious as the Orange Bowl–with Mississippi State against Georgia Tech–serves as every proper partier’s final play before the big night out.
Twilight Zone Marathon on SyFy
(Dec 31)
SyFy’s annual New Year’s Eve Twilight Zone marathon commences at 8am on Thursday. Sardonically straight-talking visionary Rod Serling sets up the classic installment “The Old Man in the Cave”–and then 42 episodes of TV’s most mind-blowing sci-fi and fantasy take off from there.
New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on ABC
(Dec 31)
Three years after the passing of its founder Dick Clark, Ryan Seacrest hosts ABC’s annual New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. He’ll be ably aided by Fergie and Jenny McCarthy, while the acts bringing the alleged rockin’. The lineup includes Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, Iggy Azalia, Bastille, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Derullo, Elton John, Lady Antebellum, and Meghan Trainor’s non-size-two booty.
Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution
(Dec 31)
Miami’s main dog Pitbull hosts a music-and-hysteria extravaganza on FOX from his hotspot hometown. Joining the man in white will be Enrique Iglesias, Fall Out Boy, the Band Perry, Fifth Harmony, and Becky G.
NCAA Football Bowl Games: New Year’s Day
(Jan 1)
Wake up to 2015–and just remember that the pounding in your head (and furriness of your mouth) is probably the worst you’ll feel all year. Balm your wounds with today’s monster lineup of bowl games. First up, the Outback Bowl sends Auburn in against Wisconsin at noon. The Cotton Bowl Classic at 12:30, with Michigan State brawling against Baylor. At 1 pm, Minnesota takes on Missouri in the Citrus Bowl. The Rose Bowl has an Oregon versus Florida State contest commencing at 5 pm. And then the Sugar Bowl ends the first day of the rest of your 2015 college-football fandom with Alabama playing Ohio State at 8:30 pm.
