LITTLE ROCK — Showbiz lost a legend when Dick Clark died April 18 at the age of 82. But his New Year’s legacy lives on.
New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Celebrates Dick Clark kicks off the evening’s festivities at 7 p.m.
Monday on ABC. It’s a two-hour tribute to the man who brought us the first New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special in 1972.
Clark’s creation was intended to offer a more youthful alternative to the traditional Guy Lombardo New Year’s broadcasts.
Old-timers will recall that the first special was on NBC and featured the hot, youthful acts of Blood, Sweat & Tears, Al Green and Helen Reddy, and was hosted by Three Dog Night.
Clark covered the midnight countdown from Times Square.
The second Rockin’ Eve in 1974 was hosted by George Carlin and featured The Pointer Sisters,Billy Preston, Linda Ronstadt and Tower of Power.
Clark took over full-time hosting duties when the specials moved to ABC in 1975.
Monday’s tribute will be hosted by Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas and Jenny McCarthy.
The special “celebrates, through clips and reminiscences, the legendary television personality and producer who rang in the New Year for four decades and launched and nurtured the careers of countless artists,” as the publicity puts it.
Ryan Seacrest will make a special appearance. Seacrest will then host the usual live show from Times Square, with Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen, Neon Trees, Brandy, Flo Rida, Karmin, One Republic and Pitbull among the musical guests.
Korean one-hit wonder PSY will also perform his ubiquitous and now hackneyed song and dance, “Gangnam Style.” OK. You’re also probably sick and tired of Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe,” but at least she’s cute.
Seacrest has hosted the show since 2005 when Clark began making only short appearances due to a stroke that diminished his ability to speak.
Seacrest’s New Year’s countdown show title is a mouthful - Dick Clark’s Prime time New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2013. The bi-coastal event will feature assorted musical artists and groups throughout the night with more than five hours of special performances and reports on New Year’s celebrations from around the globe.
McCarthy will return to interview the wacky revelers in Times Square.
And, of course, Seacrest will lead the countdown from Times Square at midnight.
Here’s the complete lineup:
7-9 p.m.: New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Celebrates Dick Clark.
9-10 p.m.: Dick Clark’s Prime time New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2013.
Prime time ends; the nightly newscasts air. Then comes ...
10:30 p.m. to 12:08 a.m. Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2013, Part 1.
12:08-1:12 a.m.: Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2013, Part 2.
Fergie is again host of the Los Angeles-based portions of the party, which will include performances by Justin Bieber, Jason Aldean, Greyson Chance, Ellie Goulding and The Wanted.
New Year’s Rockin’ Eve has become a tradition, with millions tuning in. Last year’s offering saw 22.6 million home viewers.
No telling how many more were watching at bars.
The big ball: For many, the highlight of the evening won’t be PSY or Bieber. It’ll be watching that giant ball descend. At approximately 6 p.m. EST, the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball (its official name) will be raised to the top of the 77-footflagpole at One Times Square (Broadway at 43rd Street) and lighted.
At exactly 11:59 p.m. EST, the ball will make its 60-second descent down the flagpole to signal the start of the new year.
While you’re counting down, here are some fun facts to amaze your friends.
The ball, redesigned by Waterford Crystal in 2000, is a geodesic sphere 12 feet in diameter, and weighs 11,875 pounds.
The thing is covered with 2,688 crystal triangles that vary in size.
The triangles are bolted to 672 LED modules attached to the ball’s aluminum frame.
The ball is capable of creating a palette of more than 16 million colors and billions of patterns, producing a kaleidoscope effect atop One Times Square.
The New Year’s Eve Ball made its maiden descent in 1907. It was made of iron and wood, was 5 feet in diameter and weighed 700 pounds. It was adorned with 100 25-watt light bulbs.
There have been seven versions of the ball.
TV Week, Pages 77 on 12/30/2012