“News” seems to be the only network refuge from repeats. “20/20” (8 p.m., ABC) promises a two-hour retrospective of “The Year Caught on Tape.” NBC will use the awesome power of its newsgathering division to promote a show from its entertainment division when “Dateline” (7 p.m., NBC) travels to a Texas town to examine some real-life “Friday Night Lights” stories.

Those looking for more serious fare can wander over to “Now” (7:30 p.m., PBS), where host David Brancaccio presents an interview with Moazzam Begg, a British citizen who spent three years in American captivity in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

I still can’t help thinking that “20/20” is more on the mark with the title of its special “Caught on Tape.” That may be the theme of our media-saturated year. With the proliferation of cell phone cameras, digital photography and viral e-mail intimacy, no one is safe from freelance surveillance.

¢ No look back at 2006 television would be complete without a few words about the people we’ve lost. Some were not defined by television alone, but made mighty contributions. For years, singer and entertainer Lou Rawls (who died Jan. 6) and his “Parade of Stars” telethon raised money for the United Negro College Fund.

Oscar-winner Red Buttons (July 13) had an influential variety show in the early 1950s, inspiring millions of teens with his catchphrase, “Strange things are happening.” Shelley Winters (Jan. 14), also an Oscar recipient, had the rather remarkable role of the grandmother on “Roseanne.”

I once had the pleasure of interviewing Don Knotts (Feb. 24) and made the mistake of asking him what it was like to have been on two hit shows. He quickly corrected me, insisting that he had been on three: “Andy Griffin,” “Three’s Company” and “The Steve Allen Show” in the 1950s. Once we put aside my young whippersnapper status, the chat went smoothly.

Dennis Weaver (Feb. 24), who died on the same day as Knotts, also appeared in multiple hits (“Gunsmoke and “McCloud”) and, like Ronald Reagan, served as president of the Screen Actors Guild.

Aaron Spelling (June 23) not only produced and created hit shows in five different decades, but also signature series that have come to define their eras. From “The Mod Squad” to “Charlie’s Angels,” “Dynasty,” “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Melrose Place,” Spelling discovered and created stars – Peggy Lipton, Farrah Fawcett, Heather Locklear, etc. – or revived careers – Anne Francis (“Honey West”); John Forsythe and Joan Collins (“Dynasty”).

Who can forget “Munster” Al Lewis (Feb. 3), who reinvented himself as a restaurant owner and radical radio raconteur? A rascal to the end, he fabricated much of his life story, becoming a posthumous bane to fact-checkers and obituary writers. Way to go, Grandpa.

The recently deceased Mickey Spillane, Jack Warden, Mike Douglas, Steve Irwin, Jane Wyatt, Robert Altman, Peter Boyle and Frank Stanton all contributed to television in ways great, small and memorable.

Hail and farewell.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ A disturbed girl is haunted by her deceased twin on “Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m., CBS).

¢ A meth lab bust hits home for Charlie on “Numb3rs” (9 p.m., CBS).