Folks can tune into ABC on Thursday evening at 8 p.m. EST for the New Year’s Eve special. You can also watch it on the ABC website and app. Those who have Hulu+ Live TV subscriptions and YouTubeTV subscriptions can catch the interview during the broadcast on ABC’s channel. The network did not specify exactly what time the Bidens’ interview will air, but it seems safe to assume that it will take place some time before midnight, in anticipation of the ball dropping in Times Square, as it’s being billed as their last interview of 2020.
“In a year marked with many challenges, we are honored that President-Elect Joe Biden and Dr. Biden will join America’s most-watched tradition — ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ — to share an inspiring message as we come together to close out 2020 and look ahead with hope to 2021,” president of Dick Clark Productions Amy Thurlow, and president of Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, Craig Erwich, said in a joint statement.
Billy Porter and Lucy Hale will be joining Seacrest for his hosting duties in Times Square. (This will be the 16th year that Seacrest serves as emcee for ABC’s annual broadcast.) Ciara will be hosting from Los Angeles, and musician Big Freedia will cover the New Orleans event.
Jennifer Lopez, Cyndi Lauper, Megan Thee Stallion, Machine Gun Kelly, Brandy, Miley Cyrus, Nelly, Doja Cat, Saweetie and others will be performing throughout the broadcast. Health and safety guidelines at a national, state and local level will be implemented by local officials and Dick Clark Productions, a press release notes.
This year, the New Year’s Eve celebration will obviously look a bit different. There won’t be crowds packed into Times Square shoulder-to-shoulder, since it will be closed to the public. It’s likely that it will feel like this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which was designed to be watched at home.
The special guests at this year’s broadcast will be the “Heroes of 2020.” That means that the first responders, frontline and essential workers who made incredible sacrifices will be honored on Thursday evening, along with their families.
Despite these changes, one constant will remain, and it’s a personal favorite of this writer’s. The ball will still drop in Times Square, and even though you can’t be in midtown Manhattan yourself, you can witness the excitement with this virtual reality experience.
