Let's face it: New Year's can be exhausting. Even without all of the partying, and the fireworks, and the drinking, it's the second holiday in two weeks — at a certain point, people just want to sit back, relax, and watch some TV.
Thankfully, Christmas isn't the only winter holiday that comes stocked with TV marathons: there are a number of absolutely massive marathons surrounding both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Granted, they're not quite as iconic as the annual Christmas Story marathon, but most of them last for a lot longer — expect to get upward of a week's worth of entertainment from a single show.
The only problem with New Year's marathons is that they don't get much in the way of advertising — that's why we've compiled a list of the biggest and best year-end marathons for anyone who just wants to stay in and relax on the last night of the year.
Just make sure to cancel all of your other plans, because some of these marathons are legendary....
Mythbusters
The Science Channel
Dec. 23, 12 a.m. EST
Sadly, Mythbusters' upcoming season will also be its last ... but what better way to start the show's final season than with a week-long marathon?
It may have started a week ago, but don't worry — you can still catch three days worth of what is arguably Discovery's best show ever. The epic, full-series Mythbusters marathon is set to end on Jan. 3.
The A-Team
Encore Classic
Dec. 31, 7 p.m. EST
Admit it: The A-Team theme song just started playing in your head.
Sure, the classic series about a group of well-meaning mercenaries may have aged a bit since its original run, but The A-Team is still as charmingly silly as it ever was. All throughout New Year's Eve and Jan. 1, Encore Classic will be airing some of the series' best episodes — which, at the very least, is 24 chances to hear that amazing theme song!
The Twilight Zone
Syfy
Dec. 30, 7 p.m. EST
After more than two decades of marathons, there's no denying that The Twilight Zone is a New Year's Eve tradition. Sure, the horror anthology series from the '60s may not be the best thematic fit, but it's hard to find a show that holds up as well as The Twilight Zone.
This year, you can get your Twilight Zone fix over on Syfy, and the marathon is set to run from Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. until Jan. 3 at noon.
The Twilight Zone (2002)
El Rey
Dec. 31, 6 a.m. EST
Maybe the original Twilight Zone isn't for you — maybe it's a bit too dated, or the stories are too hokey, or you just have bad taste. Don't worry: there's a worse version from a decade ago that only ran for a single season!
For whatever reason, El Rey will be hosting a marathon of the 2002 take on The Twilight Zone — expect the marathon to start (and end) on Dec. 31.
The Walking Dead And Fear the Walking Dead
AMC
Dec. 29, 2 p.m. EST
It's not exactly the happiest way to ring in the New Year, but AMC is currently running a marathon of every episode of The Walking Dead ... or, almost every episode. For whatever reason, the first season was omitted — but, considering it was only six episodes long (and the finale tanked), will anyone really miss it?
Oh, and for anyone who missed Fear the Walking Dead when it premiered, AMC is also including the first six episodes as part of the marathon.
Breaking Bad
Sundance TV
Dec. 30, 9 p.m. EST
Usually, a TV show will only become iconic long after it's gone off the air. Breaking Bad and the story of Walter White is not one of those shows.
Sundance TV's "marathon" is a bit more spread out than the others. Basically, the network will air four episodes back-to-back every Wednesday until all five seasons have been shown ... which means that it'll end in April. Does that mean it counts as both a New Year's and Chinese New Year's marathon?
Doctor Who
BBC
Dec. 31, 6 a.m. EST
If you were hoping for something a bit more lighthearted to help you ring in the New Year, it's hard to argue with Doctor Who.
While the BBC's upcoming New Year's Eve marathon won't include every episode from every incarnation of the show (it'd last all year if they did that), it is set to include a number of the series' most popular episodes, including a number of the highly acclaimed holiday specials.
The Thin Man
Turner Classic Movies
Dec. 31, 5 p.m. EST
You may not have heard of The Thin Man, but trust us: these films are some of the best thrillers ever made. They're definitely older movies — if black and white isn't your thing, these probably won't rock your world — but they've held up extremely well.
Plus, Turner Classic Movies is running all six of the films starting on New Year's Eve — if you don't have any other plans, it's a perfect jumping-in point. Join Nick and Nora Charles for a night of sleuthing.
The Simpsons
FXX
Dec. 31, 6 p.m. EST
Do The Simpsons really need an introduction? It's one of the longest-running shows on television, and you could watch an episode every day for more than a year without seeing a repeat.
The Simpsons even has enough holiday and winter-themed episodes to warrant a specialized 30-hour marathon — if you ever wanted to ring in the New Year with Springfield's favorite family, FXX has you covered.
Whether you're watching eight hours of The Walking Dead, going out to see fireworks, or catching up with friends and having a few drinks — have a Happy New Year!
Photo: Berit Watkin | Flickr
