(Justin Lubin / NBC)

NBC is gearing up for the new year. Recently, the network announced the 2018 premiere dates for The Wall and the new series Ellen’s Game of Games.

Hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen’s Game of Games will pit audience members against each other as they “maneuver massive obstacles, answer questions under crushing time pressure and face gigantic plunges into the unknown – all in a quest to win a big cash prize.” The series premieres on January 2nd at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Those interested can catch a sneak preview on NBC on December 18th at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Meanwhile, season two of The Wall continues with new episodes on January 1st at 8 p.m. ET/PT. NBC is airing a holiday special, Deck the Wall: A Holiday Spectacular, on December 4th at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Read more details below:

DECK THE WALL: A HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR” ORIGINAL

12/04/2017 (10:01PM – 11:00PM) (Monday) : “Deck The Wall: A Holiday Spectacular” airs Monday, Dec. 4 at 10-11 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. From executive producer and NBA superstar LeBron James comes a special all-new holiday-themed episode of “The Wall,” NBC’s heart-stopping game hosted by Chris Hardwick with more than $12 million on the line every night – and up to $3 million on a single drop. At four-stories high, “The Wall” was built for one purpose: to change peoples’ lives. Cassandra, a mother and pastor from Aurora, Ohio, teams up with her daughter Victoria, a social worker, to take on “The Wall” challenge. In this special episode, all trivia questions will be holiday-themed. With tremendous cash prizes at stake, a big-money win will uplift the holiday spirit for this mother-daughter duo as well as their community … but will the “snowballs” drop their way? TV-PG

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) — NBC has filled out its remaining winter schedule heading into the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (February 8-25).

Joining the just announced return of “Better Late Than Never” will be the back half of “The Wall’s” current season as well as newcomer “Ellen’s Game of Games.”

Additionally, Sunday nights following the NFL will be home to assorted specials and movies, including “The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards” on January 7, “Ride Along” on January 14, “Neighbors” on January 28, “Super Bowl LII” on February 4 and “Furious 7” on March 4.

Return dates for its current fall entries were announced earlier this month as were premieres for midseason series “Good Girls” and “Rise” (read the story). They’ll be joined by cycle 14 of “The Voice” on February 26 and 27.

Here’s a breakdown of the new plans:

THE WALL
Monday, Jan. 1, 8-9 p.m. – Midseason premiere

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Monday, Dec. 11, 10-11 p.m. (following “The Voice”) – Special preview
Monday, Jan. 1, 9-11 p.m. – Two-hour season two premiere
Monday, Jan. 8, 9-10 p.m. – Regular timeslot

ELLEN’S GAME OF GAMES
Monday, Dec. 18, 10-11 p.m. (following “The Voice”) – Special preview
Tuesday, Jan. 2, 8-9 p.m. – Series premiere

“THE WALL”

From executive producer and NBA superstar LeBron James comes the second season of “The Wall,” the fastest and simplest game with more than $12 million on the line every night – and up to $3 million on a single heart-stopping drop. At four-stories high, “The Wall” was built for one purpose – to change peoples’ lives. With tremendous cash prizes waiting at the bottom, this game can change lives in an instant. Hosted and executive produced by actor, comedian, author and TV personality Chris Hardwick, “The Wall” offers a pair of teammates life-altering cash prizes. The rules are simple: Get a question correct and a green ball will fall down the wall and add the value of the slot to the players’ winning total. Miss a question and an ominous red ball with fall and deduct the value from the teams’ total. Teammates have to work together to build a huge cash prize. Last season “The Wall” ranked as television’s #1 primetime game show, averaging a 1.7 rating in adults 18-49 and 6.2 million viewers in “live plus seven day” Nielsens. “The Wall” is a collaboration between SpringHill Entertainment and Glassman Media with LeBron James, Chris Hardwick, Maverick Carter and Andrew Glassman serving as executive producers. “The Wall” was developed by Glassman Media in conjunction with CORE Media and produced in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio.

“BETTER LATE THAN NEVER”

NBC’s hit series “Better Late Than Never” is back for season two with more fun, comedy and adventure as the five globe-trotting stars – Henry Winkler, William Shatner, George Foreman, Terry Bradshaw and comedian Jeff Dye – set off on a wildly entertaining journey to Europe and North Africa. The five friends will immerse themselves in the culture, customs and traditions of each new destination – all the while dealing with the unexpected twists and frequently hilarious turns that any trip presents. Last year “Better Late Than Never” scored as the #1 new summer broadcast series in both adults 18-49 and total viewers, with an average 2.0 rating in 18-49 and 8.9 million persons in “live plus seven day” Nielsens. The series ran undefeated in both 18-49 and total viewers in its Tuesday 10 p.m. timeslot versus the hour’s ABC and CBS competition. Henry Winkler, Craig Zadan & Neil Meron, Jason Ehrlich, Lisa Higgins, Alex Katz, Tina Bachmann, Tim Crescenti and Chul Yeon Kim are the executive producers. “Better Late Than Never” is produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio in association with Storyline Entertainment, Small World IFT and CJ E&M.

“ELLEN’S GAME OF GAMES”

Multi-award winning television host, producer, writer, actress and entertainment powerhouse Ellen DeGeneres brings her hilarious, high-energy comedy to primetime with NBC’s newest reality competition show, “Ellen’s Game of Games.” DeGeneres serves as host and executive producer of the hourlong comedy game show, which includes supersized versions of the most popular and action-packed games from her award-winning daytime talk show, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” Contestants, who are pulled right from the audience, will have to maneuver massive obstacles, answer questions under crushing time pressure and face gigantic plunges into the unknown – all in a quest to win a big cash prize. Every episode will feature DeGeneres’ one-of-a-kind comedy and irrepressible personality, along with a unique roster of games, including “Blindfolded Musical Chairs,” “Dizzy Dash” and “Scary Go Round.” The thrill of the pressure cooker situations and the instant wins will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. At the start, contestants play games over four rounds. The winner of each round advances to play “Know or Go.” The person who wins advances to the final round to play an epic game of “Hot Hands,” where they will have to guess as many answers as they can in a designated amount of time. “Ellen’s Game of Games” is executive produced by Ellen DeGeneres, Kevin A. Leman II, Mary Connelly, Ed Glavin, Andy Lassner and Jeff Kleeman. David A. Hurwitz also serves as executive producer. The series is produced by Warner Horizon in association with Telepictures and A Very Good Production.”

What do you think? Are you a fan of game shows? Will you check out Ellen’s Game of Games?