Boston Globe critic Matthew Gilbert praised the return of "Downton Abbey." After watching last night's third-season premiere, do you agree with his high marks? Let us know in our discussion forum or in the comments below.

If you didn't get enough of "Masterpiece Theater" (the parent program of "Downton") last night, take a look at our round-up of familiar faces that have roots in the PBS series.

AP Photo/ABC, Ida Mae Astute

Dick Clark (right) and Ryan Seacrest at the 2011 broadcast in New York.

This evening's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2013" will pay a special tribute to the late icon, Dick Clark, who died in April. The radio and TV personality has been synonymous with New York's midnight ball drop since 1972 and left the annual live hosting responsibilities in the hands of Ryan Seacrest, who began co-hosting with Clark in 2005. The longtime "American Idol" host said he plans to pay his respects to Clark during the broadcast, but told The Associated Press, "But the night will be, as he would want, a celebration of what's to come: Dick was always one to say, 'The show must go on.'"

Seacrest will share his evening's responsibilities with co-hosts Jenny McCarthy and Fergie, featuring pre-taped Los Angeles footage and a live broadcast in New York's Times Square, with performances from the likes of Karmin, Ellie Goulding, Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen, PSY, Jason Aldean, Justin Beiber, and more. (A full list of performers can be found on Billboard.com.)

The show begins tonight at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

Will you watch this evening's show? What do you think of Ryan Seacrest as the new host of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve?

What did you think of the "Homeland" finale? Thoughts on winter programming, from "Shameless" to "Downton Abbey" and "Justified"? Comments on anything TV-ish? Be there at noon.

"The Voice" paid tribute to the victims of the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. last night.

The coaches and contestants sang Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and held up the names of those whose lives were lost on Friday morning. They stood behind a line of candles.

"The Voice" will announce its winner Dec. 18 at 9 p.m.

Pick up some holiday viewing tips from Globe television critics Matthew Gilbert and Sarah Rodman.

What are you watching? What are you liking, hating, and liking to hate? Come share your feelings on anything TV-ish, from the January return of "Girls" and the upcoming finale of "Homeland" to the developments on "Nashville" and "Revenge." MG

Watch Globe television critics Matthew Gilbert and Sarah Rodman grade this season's shows and tell us what you think.

Jordan Strauss/AP

The hills are alive with the sound of... country music?

"American Idol" winner and country music superstar Carrie Underwood will play Maria von Trapp in the NBC live television broadcast of "The Sound of Music," scheduled to air around the 2013 holidays.

Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC entertainment, made the announcement that the golden-haired beauty was chosen to take on the role on Nov. 30.

"Speaking for everyone at NBC, we couldn't be happier to have the gifted Carrie Underwood take up the mantle of the great Maria von Trapp," Greenblatt said in a People online post.

The 29-year-old singer has just three acting credits on her IMDB page, including an episode of "How I Met Your Mother," 2011 biopic "Soul Surfer," and an episode of "Sesame Street."

Will she be able to stand up to the likes of her predecessors? Only time will tell. The role of Maria was made famous by Mary Martin on Broadway in 1960, and then further popularized by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film by the same name. The film won an Oscar for best picture that same year.

Chat with Globe television critic Matthew Gilbert today at noon. Log in with your questions below.

Three weeks ago fans of the ‘90s smash sitcom “Boy Meets World” had reason to jump for joy when news broke that a spinoff, rumored to be named "Girl Meets World," was in the works.

The show's name has been confirmed by Entertainment Weekly and EW has given those fans have yet another reason to rejoice: Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel have signed on to reprise their roles as Cory and Topanga Matthews in the new show.

Ben Savage tweeted on Nov. 26: "I'm going to be a father! Well, on TV at least. The "Boy Meets World" sequel is officially happening!"

"Girl Meets World" will chronicle the life of Corey and Topanga's now-grown daughter, Riley, according to the EW post. The spinoff was created and will be executive produced for the Disney Channel by "Boy Meets World" creator Michael Jacobs.

Rumors began circulating that the show's stars would return to the small screen after Fishel tweeted, "Just want you guys to know that @BenSavage and I have talked and we've decided...Thanksgiving is going to be delicious this year!" on Nov. 3.

Lifetime is airing an encore of the much-buzzed about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton biopic, "Liz & Dick," starring Lindsay Lohan, Nov. 26 at 8 p.m., a day after it premiered on the network.

Boston Globe critic Matthew Gilbert wrote that "Lohan delivers her lines essentially as herself, LiLo, complete with her hoarse, flat voice and her blasé-meets-bratty affect."

You be the judge.

A slew of reality TV competitions are nearing this season's end and hosts are getting ready to crown victors. Are your favorites still around?

Both "The Voice" and "Dancing With the Stars: All Stars" sent home two contestants last night. "The Voice" said goodbye to Team Adam's Bryan Keith and Team Christina's Sylvia Yacoub, while "Dancing with the Stars: All Stars" sent home teams Emmett and Cheryl, and Apolo and Karina.

The remaining three teams on "Dancing" (Derek and Shawn, Kelly and Val, and Melissa and Tony) will duke it out in the final performance show on Monday night and dance a freestyle number, as well as their favorite routine from the show's current.

Watch Globe television critics Matthew Gilbert and Sarah Rodman discuss which shows they're thankful for this year.

Contestants on "Dancing with the Stars: All Stars" and "The Voice" stepped up their performances during Monday night's shows by trying out new styles and mash-ups, but will their efforts be enough to save them in tonight's elimination shows?

The 2-hour semifinal show on ABC was divided in half. The first hour showcased combination dance routines by each of the five teams, including combos like surfer flamenco (see video above). The themes were picked for teams by competitors in the previous week. The second hour was dedicated to Michael Jackson and his music, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the release of his iconic album "Bad."

Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson and her partner Derek Hough scored a perfect 30 points for their "Knight Rider Banghra" routine, which floored judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli. Their second dance, an Argentine tango to the title track off Jackson's "Bad," brought in a 29, giving the duo a 59 and the highest combined score of the night.

Zooey Deschanel's character Jess, on the Fox hit TV comedy "New Girl," is quirky to say the least. While in character, the younger sister of "Bones" star Emily Deschanel sings her conversations, dresses in funky outfits, and finishes her look off with hipster framed glasses.

What type of people could the creator of the show, Liz Meriwether, dream up to have produced such a wondrous creature? We'll find out when Jamie Lee Curtis and Rob Reiner guest star in next week's Thanksgiving episode, playing Jess's parents.

Curtis and Reiner's characters are divorced and have been for a "really long time," Meriwether told TVGuide.com, and Jess tries to work a "Parent Trap"-style scheme on them to patch things up.

Do you think Reiner and Curtis are the obvious choice for the roles?

In other "New Girl" news, Deschanel's costar Max Greenfield, who plays affluent businessman and Jess's roommate, Schmidt, was named to People magazine's "sexiest men alive" list on Nov. 14. Greenfield is accompanied by stars like Channing Tatum (dubbed the "Sexiest Man Alive" by the magazine) and Chris Hemsworth in the steamy rankings.

"New Girl" airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

Thoughts concerning "Homeland," the "SNL" Homeland sketch, the Rolling Stones documentary, "Nashville," "Happy Endings," other shows? Come and share 'em.

The Rolling Stones are celebrating 50 years. You've heard the new single. Now, watch Globe television critics Matthew Gilbert and Sarah Rodman discuss "Crossfire Hurricane," the new documentary about the band, which airs Thursday night on HBO.