Border insecurities loom large in tonight’s “Dateline” (8 p.m., NBC) special. Correspondent Stone Phillips takes a crew to Peru and other foreign capitals to demonstrate just how easy it is to acquire fake, doctored or just plain stolen passports, visas and other diplomatic paperwork.

The cheapest scam is to buy a passport stolen from somebody who looks just like you. For those with some extra money, there are forgers and fabricators galore to manufacturer the false paperwork. But even the best of this Peruvian handiwork can be detected if border officials take the time and use the right technology.

That’s why the truly discerning smuggler or would-be terrorist turns to corrupt government officials to issue real passports under a fake identity. These genuine documents are undetectable and allow their owner to travel the world over. But as Phillips’ hidden camera team learns, these documents command the highest price.

¢ “The Catherine Tate Show” (8:20 p.m., BBC America) returns for a second season. Very popular in the United Kingdom, Tate shows a talent for creating believable yet absurd characters that may remind some viewers of Tracy Ullman. She also demonstrates the physical fearlessness of Jennifer Saunders of “Absolutely Fabulous” fame.

Each episode includes a series of overlapping sketches involving Tate’s many characters and their catchphrases. There’s the sullen teen Lauren, who tries to deny that she works in a burger joint, even when her friends come to the counter. There’s a gung-ho office colleague who eagerly volunteers for tasks like playing tennis, participating in a curling match and translating for foreign business executive, despite the fact that she has no talent whatsoever. Tate also plays a zealous participant in a 42-mile “fun run” as well as Kathleen Leary, a hard-as-nails working-class wife and mother from a Belfast slum who has a curious reaction when her son comes out of the closet. All of the sketches are brief and shot in a gripping cinematic style that make their silly punch lines even more effective.

¢ Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman star in the 2003 fantasy “Bruce Almighty” (7 p.m., Fox), about a mortal endowed with divine powers for one week. “Bruce” begat the 2007 comedy bomb “Evan Almighty,” sure to top many worst-movies-of-the-year lists.

¢ “20/20” (9 p.m., ABC) devotes an hour to the Internet and how viral videos affected the popular culture of the year and turned some obscure figures into instant celebrities. John Stossel counts down some of the most viewed videos of the year, including one from an unsigned amateur musician whose song “Chocolate Rain” has been watched more than 12 million times.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ “I am Legend” star Will Smith stars in the 2004 sci fi detective story “I, Robot” (7 p.m., FX).

¢ “The Year in Animals” (8 p.m., Animal Planet) glances back at 2007 in critter-dom.

¢ A concerned mother (Marcia Gay Harden) discovers that her 14-year-old daughter and her friends are involved in casual sex in the 2004 TV drama “She’s Too Young” (8 p.m., Lifetime).

¢ A series of power outages follow an ominous pattern on “Numb3rs” (9 p.m., CBS).

¢ Kevin Nealon hosts “Funniest Commercials of 2007” (9 p.m., TBS).

Series notes

The angry ghost of a frustrated classical musician haunts his rock-star son on “Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m., CBS) … Joey Fatone hosts “the Singing Bee” (7 p.m., NBC) … An arctic cyclone strikes on “Men in Trees” (7 p.m., ABC) … Wrestling on “Friday Night SmackDown!” (7 p.m., CW) … A familiar killer threatens to blow Mick’s cover on “Moonlight” (8 p.m., CBS) … A football star expires under dire circumstances on “The Women’s Murder Club” (8 p.m., ABC).