Counting Down to Parades and Bowl Games : Television: Traditional holiday programs make up the bulk of New Year’s Eve specials and New Year’s Day programs.

Television offers up its traditional assortment of actors and singers making merry tonight while the usual hopeful forward-looking parades and college football bowl games mark the beginning of 1992 Wednesday.

New Year’s Eve Specials: ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, MTV, the Nashville Network and KCET Channel 28 will all present New Year’s Eve shows, mainly comedy and music. Two syndicated programs also vie for viewers.

Barry Manilow joins Boyz II Men, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Simply Red, Vanessa Williams and Restless Heart on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve ‘92” (11:30 p.m. on Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42). Another Bad Creation and Michael Vivins of Bell Biv Devoe will make what are billed as “special appearances.” Clark hosts from New York City’s Times Square while Stephen Baldwin of “The Young Riders” and Shannen Doherty, a co-star of Fox’s Golden Globe-nominated “Beverly Hills, 90210,” preside from Universal Studios.

With ABC and NBC staking claims to both coasts, CBS heads south to New Orleans for “Hard Rock Cafe New Year’s Eve Special,” at 11:30 tonight on Channels 2 and 8. Paul Reiser, once one of “My Two Dads,” hosts. Bonnie Raitt is the featured attraction. Dire Straits, INXS, John Mellencamp, the Neville Brothers, Sting and Van Halen are among those scheduled for taped performances.

Singer Tracie Spencer, Rockapella and comedians Phil Hartman, Carol Leifer and Ron Richards are the entertainers on the New Year’s Eve edition of “The Tonight Show” hosted by Jay Leno at 11:35 tonight on KNBC Channel 4. Kadeem Hardison counts down from Times Square. In what is not exactly a vote of confidence in Leno, NBC affiliates KMIR Channel 36 and KNSD Channel 39 in San Diego are preempting “The Tonight Show” for the syndicated “New Year’s Live.”

Fox takes another step toward full network status with its first New Year’s Eve special “New Year’s Eve Live” (11 p.m., KTTV Channel 11, XETV Channel 6 in San Diego.). Penn & Teller host from Times Square. Guns N’ Roses, Southside Johnny and comedians Sam Kinison, Bruce Baum, Lois Bromfield and Mark Curry will perform.

While most New Year’s Eve specials employ three-hour old tape from the east, the syndicated “New Year’s Live” (11 p.m. KCAL Channel 9, 11:30 p.m. KMIR Channel 36 in Palm Springs and 11:35 p.m. KNSD Channel 39 in San Diego), takes a West Coast view. “New Year’s Live” originates from the top of San Francisco’s Transamerica pyramid, and also includes live remotes from Disneyland, the Tournament of Roses Parade route in Pasadena, the Queen Mary in Long Beach, the Mirage in Las Vegas, Seattle’s Space Needle and Squaw Valley. Performers include the Steve Miller Band, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and illusionists Siegfried and Roy.

Merv Griffin returns to television hosting the modestly titled, “Merv Griffin’s New Year’s Eve Special” (9 p.m., KCOP Channel 13, 10 p.m., XETV Channel 6 in San Diego.). The program features live performances by the Temptations and a New Year’s-style party with live dancing and Big Band era music from a 19-piece orchestra, including Griffin associates Mort Lindsey and Jack Sheldon.

Guns N’ Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, EMF, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, Bell Biv Devoe and Naughty by Nature headline “MTV ‘92” on MTV. “MTV ‘92” airs from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and will be rerun from 12:30 to 2 a.m. Rap star Hammer hosts.

KCET Channel 28 goes classical for its New Year’s Eve programming with “Bernstein in East Berlin” (7:30 p.m.); “New Year’s Eve with the Berlin Philharmonic” (9:30 p.m.) and “Great Performances: Peter Sellars Directs Mozart,” (10:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.)

“New Year’s Citrus Eve,” is an all-country concert from Sea World of Florida featuring Travis Tritt and Tanya Tucker at 11:30 p.m. on the Nashville Network.

Parades: Early risers or late New Year’s Eve celebrants can catch the start of the coverage of the 103rd Tournament of Roses Parade at 6:30 a.m. New Year’s Day on KTLA Channel 5 with a half-hour “Rose Parade Preview.” Both Channel 5 and KTTV Channel 11 air hourlong pre-parade shows at 7 a.m.

Parade coverage begins at 8 a.m. as Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards return to host coverage on Channel 5, which has been the ratings leader for 16 consecutive years. Repeat presentations are scheduled at 10:30 a.m., 1 and 7 p.m.

KTTV, which saw its ratings increase 58.8% last year, will have Sarah Purcell, Marc Summers and Bill Welsh again handle its coverage. This is the 45th time Welsh has hosted the parade telecast. In its continued quest to one-up its Sunset Boulevard neighbor, KTTV will rerun the parade once more than KTLA, adding a 4 p.m. encore to those at 10:30 a.m., 1 and 7 p.m.

Coverage by the major networks will be handled by “Knots Landing” stars Joan Van Ark and Ted Shackelford on CBS (Channels 2 and 8); “Today” host Joe Garagiola and “Night Court” regular Marsha Warfield on NBC (Channels 4, 36 and 39) and “Home” show hosts Beth Ruyak and Gary Collins on ABC (Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42).

Baseball great Joe DiMaggio is the Grand Marshal of the 58th King Orange Jamboree at 8 tonight on Channels 4, 36 and 39, marking a rare example of a network bypassing one of its own personalities to use one from another network. In this case, Burt Reynolds of CBS’ “Evening Shade,” and his actress wife Loni Anderson will cohost.

CBS promotional opportunities abound at the Cotton Bowl Parade (2 p.m. Wednesday, Channels 2 and 8.). Sportscaster Andrea Joyce and “Murphy Brown” co-star Joe Regalbuto are the commentators for the Dallas parade. Janine Turner, of the network’s popular series, “Northern Exposure” is Grand Marshal.

Bowl Games: There are 10 bowl games today and Wednesday, six with corporate sponsors in their title.

No. 22 UCLA (8-3) meets unranked Illinois (6-5) in the John Hancock Bowl at 11:30 a.m. today on Channels 2 and 8. The El Paso game was the Sun Bowl from 1936-1986, the John Hancock Sun Bowl in 1987 and 1988 until it took the name of its Boston-based insurance company corporate sponsor in 1989.

TBS delivers the Domino’s Pizza Copper Bowl between unranked Baylor (8-3) and Indiana (6-4-1) at 5 p.m.

The New Year’s Day action begins at 8:30 a.m. with the Peach Bowl between No. 12 East Carolina (10-1) and No. 21 North Carolina State (9-2) on ESPN. The Hall of Fame Bowl between No. 16 Syracuse (9-2) and No. 25 Ohio State (8-3) airs at 10 a.m. on Channels 4, 36 and 39.

This state’s only New Year’s Day bowl representative, No. 14 California (9-2), faces No. 13 Clemson (9-1-1) in the Florida Citrus Bowl at 10:30 a.m. on Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42. Kicking off at the same time on Channels 2 and 8 is the Mobil Cotton Bowl matching No. 5 Florida State (10-2) and No. 9 Texas A&M; (10-1). No. 6 Penn State (9-2) and No. 10 Tennessee play in the Fiesta Bowl at 1:30 p.m. on Channels 4, 36 and 39.

The Rose Bowl pits No. 2-ranked Washington (11-0) against No. 4 Michigan. Coverage on ABC (Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42) begins at 1:45 p.m., with kickoff scheduled for 2:10 p.m.

Miami (Fla.), who won its first national championship by upsetting Nebraska in the Jan. 2, 1984, Orange Bowl, is a 9 1/2-point favorite over the Cornhuskers to win its fourth title in nine years in this year’s Federal Express Orange Bowl, which begins at 5 p.m. on Channels 4, 36 and 39.

The USF&G; Sugar Bowl pits No. 3 Florida (10-1) against No. 18 Notre Dame (9-3) at 5:30 p.m. on Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42.

Other Programming: Nickelodeon, whose nighttime programming has attracted baby boomers who want to see shows of their youth and younger viewers for whom “The Donna Reed Show,” and “The Patty Duke Show” are original programs, will present its “1991 Rerun Countdown” of the year’s top 25 reruns starting at noon today.

Criteria of selection includes episodes featuring special guest stars or cameos, key transitions or famous firsts. Among the episodes under consideration are “Dragnet’s” look at the problem of teen-age LSD use and “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” where Laura Petrie (Mary Tyler Moore) tells the nation about Alan Brady’s (Carl Reiner) toupee.

Following at 12:30 a.m. is the 1976 New Year’s Eve episode of “The Donny and Marie Show,” looking back at the year when disco, pet rocks and mood rings were the rage. It was the year that the nation celebrated its bicentennial and last elected a Democrat (Jimmy Carter) as President.

Genie Francis, known as Laura Spencer of “General Hospital” fame in the early 1980s, is now the indomitable Ceara Connor of “All My Children.” At noon today on Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42, she marries the handsome and worldly Jeremy Hunter (Jean LeClerc) wearing an original Geoffrey Beene dress in what is being described as “an old-fashioned country wedding.” This is the 10th on-screen marriage for Francis.

KCOP Channel 13 devotes the first 20 hours of 1992 to showing nine movies uncut without commercials. “Midnight Cowboy” begins the marathon at midnight, followed by “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” (1:40 a.m.); “The Elephant Man” (3:40 a.m.); “The Great Race” (5:45 a.m.); “Hud” (8:25 a.m.); “Teacher’s Pet” (10:15 a.m.); “The Green Berets,” (12:15 p.m.); “The Adventurers” (2:40 p.m.) and “Murder on the Orient Express,” (5:45 p.m.)

Rudolf Nureyev performs with the Vienna State Opera Ballet in a new ballet choreographed especially for him with Carlos Kleiber conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in Strauss family waltzes, polkas and marches in “From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 1992,” airing at 9 p.m. Wednesday on KCET Channel 28 and KPBS Channel 15 in San Diego. Walter Cronkite hosts.

New Year’s Eve hosts: Jay Leno, left, on “Tonight Show”; “Rockin’ Eve ‘92” with Dick Clark; Paul Reiser at Hard Rock Cafe in New Orleans.