ABC Announces New Year's Programming, Including CHARLIE BROWN, RUDOLPH, and More!

The ABC Television Network and the PEANUTS gang will ring in the new year with the half-hour animated PEANUTS special, "Happy New Year, Charlie Brown," created by late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. In "Happy New Year, Charlie Brown," the PEANUTS gang is ringing in 1986 and Marcie and Peppermint Patty are throwing a big New Year's Eve bash. Charlie Brown plans to celebrate the holiday by CURLING up with a big book that weighs nearly as much as he does: Tolstoy's War and Peace. The book's weight doesn't stop him from lugging it to Lucy's pre-party dance class, where he cuts a mean rug with a rollicking Patty. With just 1131 pages to go, Charlie Brown takes another break, this time for the party, and summons the courage to invite his true love, the little red-haired girl. She doesn't respond, but hapless Chuck shows up anyway - with Tolstoy in tow. Then he settles down with the book - on a porch swing in a snowstorm, and in so doing, misses the evening's big surprise. This broadcast of "Happy New Year, Charlie Brown" airs MONDAY, DECEMBER 26 (8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m EST) on ABC.

It's Rudolph to the rescue when Happy, the Baby New Year, goes missing, in "Rudolph's Shiny New Year," the classic Rankin/Bass stop-motion animated holiday special. This broadcast of "Rudolph's Shiny New Year" airs MONDAY, DECEMBER 26 (9:00-10:00 p.m. EDT) on ABC.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of America's biggest celebration of the year which includes 5 ½ hours of special performances and reports on New Year's celebrations from around the country. Ryan Seacrest will host and lead the traditional countdown to midnightfrom Times Square in New York City, as he has for the last 11 years, with live onsite reporting from actress and comedian Jenny McCarthy. Mariah Carey, DNCE, Thomas Rhett and Gloria Estefan, with the cast of her Broadway musical ON YOUR FEET! will perform for more than one million fans live in Times Square and millions more on TV. Fergie will host and perform at The Billboard Hollywood Party, with additional performances by Alessia Cara, Fifth Harmony featuring Kid Ink and Ty Dolla $ign, Flo Rida featuring Macy Kate, G-Eazy featuring Bebe Rexha, Martin Garrix also with Bebe Rexha, Niall Horan, John Legend, Lukas Graham, Shawn Mendes, Mike Posner, Emeli Sande and Hailee Steinfeld. Lionel Richie will kick off the New Year from his concert in Las Vegas for the first performance of 2017. Lucy Hale will host the first-ever Central Time Zone countdown live from New Orleans with performances by Jason Derulo and Panic! at the Disco. "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2017" airs NEW YEAR'S EVE, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31 (beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST) on ABC.