Watch: Times Square New Year’s Eve, plus more ways to celebrate on TV

It's never been a better time to be a shut-in on New Year's Eve. This year, in addition to the standard broadcasts courtesy of Kathy Griffin, Anderson Cooper, Ryan Seacrest and the rest, there's a chance to multicast the celebration however you like it, including a way to ring in the new year at 8:30 p.m. if that suits your schedule.

For those who have forsaken traditional TV, Ustream is airing a live six-hour commercial-free feed from Times Square presented by the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, the co-organizers of the big celebration that draws thousands of warm bodies into the cold New York night.

The stream begins at 3 p.m. Pacific with the raising of the ball in Times Square and runs until 9:15. In between there will be musical performances from O.A.R., American Authors, Alejandra Guzman, Jencarlos Canela and the USO Show Troupe.

Organizers are also promising appearances from the other network hosts and various celebrities, though no names have been mentioned.

Parents with children who insist on staying awake for the new year can now reassert control with Netflix's special on-demand countdown starring King Julien, the high-spirited lemur from the "Madagascar" films and Netflix's upcoming animated series "All Hail King Julien."

Start up the three-minute video and suddenly, you're just three minutes away from the new year (for little ones who can't read clocks, anyway).

The major networks -- with the exception of CBS -- all have their New Year's celebration specials planned (all tape-delayed on the West Coast, of course).

Seacrest will continue in the Dick Clark tradition with ABC's perennial "Dick Clark's' New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest" at 8 p.m. Pacific, featuring performances from Taylor Swift, One Direction, Idina Menzel and more.

Fox is airing "Pitbull's New Year's Revolution" at 8 p.m. featuring Fall Out Boy, Enrique Iglesias and Fifth Harmony live in Miami.

NBC is airing a two-part New Year's celebration, beginning at 8 p.m. with "A Toast to 2014!" featuring Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb looking back at the stories and trends of the year just passed. Then the network will air "New Year's Eve With Carson Daly," at 10 p.m., featuring performances by Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Seth MacFarlane, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams.

The CW is airing the first part of a two-part iHeartRadio Music Festival special for those who like their musical performances without the added pressure of a countdown. The special features Taylor Swift, Motley Crue, Coldplay, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande and airs at 8 p.m.

Cooper and Griffin cohost CNN's New Year's Eve coverage for the eighth year. The show, broadcast from Times Square, begins at 6 p.m. Pacific and runs to 9:30.

MTV is cutting out a lot of the buildup with its New Year's Eve show, which begins at 11 p.m. Pacific. "Eye Candy" star Victoria Justice and Charlamagne of "Guy Code" will host the show from -- where else? -- Times Square.

Univision is airing a live coast-to-coast broadcast at 6:55 p.m. Pacific from Times Square, Disneyland in California and Mexico City. The special will feature performances from Chiquis Rivera, Maite Perroni and Jencarlos Canela, among others.

And for the more high-minded, PBS is airing "Michael Feinstein's New Year's Eve at the Rainbow Room" special at 7 p.m. featuring performances by Elton John and Darren Criss. It's followed by "Live From Lincoln Center: New York Philharmonic New Year's Eve: Gershwin Celebration with Dianne Reeves and Norm Lewis" at 8.

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