A television tradition for nine holiday seasons, "A Home for the Holidays" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-G) combines performances from a diverse assembly of musical guests, including Sheryl Crow, James Blunt, Fergie, Karmina, Carole King, John Legend and Reba McEntire, and anecdotes about adoption from celebrities David Krumholtz, George Lopez, Rene Russo and others.

The show makes room for profiles of adoptive parents and children who have escaped from abusive situations in foster homes or with their biological parents with the help of families who offered them a home. "A Home for the Holidays" also emphasizes the needs of the more than half-million children in foster care, many of whom need loving families to call their own.

"Dateline" (9 p.m., NBC) looks at two of the most-reported-on murder cases in the United States and abroad.

Suspect Drew Peterson discusses the disappearance of his younger wife, Stacy, two months ago as well as the death of his previous wife, Kathy.

A "Dateline" crew also travel to Perugia, Italy, the scene of a sensationalized murder case of a British college student. Seattle student Amanda Knox has been at the center of the story, a grim tale of drug abuse and alleged group sex that has set the Italian press ablaze. Knox has even been given her own tabloid nickname, "La Luciferina."

The prospect of a four-day Christmas weekend has inspired some networks to offer marathon programming events.

The acclaimed Canadian high-school series "DeGrassi: The Next Generation" (8 p.m., Noggin) will air for 10 consecutive hours, wrapping up at 6 a.m. Saturday.

Discovery Times offers viewers 10 hour-long chances to catch the excellent five-part series "Rise of the Video Game" (8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Discovery Times).

Brace yourself for the long gloomy nights of the winter season with a mini-marathon of movies from the late Swedish director Ingmar Bergman.

If brooding introspection is your bag, then don't miss "Persona" (7 p.m., Sundance) and "Cries and Whispers" (8:30 p.m., Sundance). The 1955 comedy "Smiles of a Summer Night" (10 p.m., Sundance) follows as a kind of romantic chaser.

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