Strut fan alert: It's all on TV this year

TV may have divided the Mummers in the past, but this year, they'll all be back on WPHL (Channel 17), with even the wandering fancy brigades back in the fold.

"We're very excited to have the brigades show back, because this puts all of the Mummers back on MyPHL17," said a station spokeswoman last week.

Steve Highsmith and Tim Furlong from WCAU (Channel 10) will host parade coverage, which begins at 8 a.m. New Year's Day with "Breakfast with the Mummers," featuring highlights from last year's parade.

Starting at 9 a.m., Channel 17, for the second year, will broadcast the parade live in high-definition - the better to see every feather - until its conclusion about 6 p.m.

From 8 to 10 p.m., the "Fancy Brigade Finale" indoor show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center will air on a tape-delayed basis, hosted by Channel 10's Mike Strug and Lori Wilson.

Among those expected to report, provide color commentary or just stop by are Channel 10's Lori Delgado and Lynn Berry, former Daily News reporter (and Mummers aficionado) Ron Goldwyn, Judge Jake Hart and WMGK's John DiBella.

And if by some chance you're sleeping it off on Tuesday morning and manage to miss the entire Broad Street spectacle this year, there's a second-chance highlights show, "Best of the Best," scheduled from 8-9 a.m. on Jan. 6. *