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Stories of adoption take center stage on "A Home for the Holidays" (7 p.m., CBS). A ratings hit last Christmas season, this musical special returns with performances by Faith Hill, Stories of adoption take center stage on "A Home for the Holidays" (7 p.m., CBS).

A ratings hit last Christmas season, this musical special returns with performances by Faith Hill, Destiny's Child, Brian McKnight, Kirk Franklin, Vanessa Williams and Billy Gilman.

"Homes" highlights real-life stories of adoption from both parents' and children's perspective, including Lawrence and Gail Cole of Columbia Tenn., who adopted a neglected baby and called her Lynnette. She grew up to be Miss USA 2000 and has used her title to speak out on adoption issues.

� Less than warm familiar relations come to a head on "Gilmore Girls" (7 p.m., WB) when Lorelei finds herself officially dis-invited from her parent's annual Christmas party. She does a pretty poor job of feigning nonchalance, an act that gets even more obvious when the delivery man fails to show up with her holiday pizza dinner.

While "Gilmore Girls" has emerged as one of the better shows of the new season, its penchant for overly cute and hyper-snappy dialogue undercuts its realism and appeal. Is everyone in town capable of completing everybody else's sentences?

� Going out for a holiday meal? Think again. "Investigative Reports" (9 p.m., A&E) looks at "The Danger On Our Plates." More than 350,000 Americans are hospitalized for food poisoning yearly.

This report focuses on the problem of e-coli bacteria in meat and the difficulty in finding the root of such outbreaks.

Tonight's other highlights

� Bruce Willis guest-stars as the protective father of Ross's student girlfriend on a repeat of "Friends" (7 p.m., NBC). Early next year, Hank Azaria ("The Simpsons") will guest-star as Phoebe's boyfriend.

� Macaulay Culkin reprises his face-slapping role in the 1992 sequel, "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (7 p.m., Fox).

� "On the Inside: Vegas Nights" (7 p.m., Discovery) examines residents of the gambling Mecca and travels from the glitzy heights of dazzling Casinos to the city's more desperate quarters, such as pawnshops and emergency rooms.

� Scheduled on "History's Mysteries" (7 p.m., History): prostitution through the ages.

� Gang members hold doctors and patients hostage on "City of Angels" (8 p.m., CBS). The last episode.

� Jack dares Will to take a job as a waiter on a repeat of "Will & Grace" (8 p.m., NBC).

� "A Certain Justice" on "Mystery" (8 p.m., PBS). Part two of three.

� Scheduled on "48 Hours" (9 p.m., CBS): profiles of people who have forgiven their enemies.

� Kelly goes all out to find a heart donor on Christmas Eve on a repeat of "ER" (9 p.m., NBC).

� A crook (Denis Leary) takes a miserable couple hostage in the 1994 comedy, "The Ref" (10 p.m., TNT). With Judy Davis.

Series notes

On back-to-back episodes of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (ABC), bus stop impressions (7 p.m.), and a journalist in action (7:30 p.m.) ... Wrestling on "WWF Smackdown" (7 p.m., UPN).

Jack blurts out a hurtful secret about Larry's dead pet on "Cursed" (7:30 p.m., NBC).

Regis Philbin hosts a college edition of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" (8 p.m., ABC) ... Piper hopes to keep her marriage plans a secret from her sisters on "Charmed" (8 p.m., WB).

Kelsey Grammer narrates "How the Finch Stole Christmas" on "Just Shoot Me" (8:30 p.m., NBC).