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Merlin (8pm, NBC) - Merlin is saved from a magical winged creature by young Lancelot (Santiago Cabrera), and then tries to help Lancelot become a knight in King Arthur's court.

Army Wives (10pm, Lifetime) - Chase comes home early but has difficulty readjusting, and Joan decideds to christen her baby before she's deployed.

Iron Chef America (10pm, Food) - A showdown between New York Chef Sue Torres and Iron Chef Bobby Flay. Judges are Isaac Mizrahi, Mark Bittman, and Isabel Gonzalez.

"Holy Smoke" authors John Shelton Reed and his wife Dale Volberg Reed are the first guests on the 12th season premiere of "North Carolina Bookwatch," Sunday at 5pm on UNC-TV.

The Reeds, who live in Chapel Hill, will discuss their book and what they call "barbeculture" with Bookwatch host DG Martin.  

"Holy Smoke" traces the origins of North Carolina barbecue and examines the bitter rivalry between Eastern and Western style pork. The book also looks at traditional barbecue side dishes, provides recipes, and interviews those who cook 'cue for a living. 

"North Carolina Bookwatch" airs on UNC-TV each Sunday at 5pm.

There's special 4th of July holiday programming still going on, including fun TV show marathons and local and national fireworks celebrations. Other stuff...

Wilco: Ashes of American Flags (6pm, Sundance) - If you're lucky enough to have the Sundance Channel, you can see the 2008 film by Chicago rock band Wilco, featuring interviews and concert footage. Totally jealous.

Dave Chapelle: Killin' Them Softly (9pm, Comedy Central) - Chapelle's classic June 2000 show from the Lincoln Theater in Washington, D.C., includes bits on "Sesame Street," terrorism, gangs, and voting.

Eli Stone (10pm, ABC) - Eli helps a roomservice waiter who was laid off from a failed company that paid its CEO a multimillion-dollar golden parachute deal. 

You can't be at the pool/beach/park/slippy-slide all the time, so here are some 4th of July TV viewing options.

Marathons!
Nothing says holiday weekend like TV marathons, and we love it when someone does all the work for us. The blog Interesting Pile (a highly addictive blog that compiles random lists like 7 great sci-fi chase scenes and 12 disturbing vintage ads) has put together a list of TV marathons this weekend, including our favorite holiday standby, "Law & Order." But some other marathons caught our eye, too: "Martin," James Bond, "Ice Road Truckers," "The Cake Boss," "Twilight Zone," and many others.  

Capital Fourth
Jimmy Smits hosts the "Nation's Capital Independence Day Celebration" at 8pm on PBS/UNC-TV. Live from the West Lawn of the US Capital, the special features a concert with Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, Michael Feinstein, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Sesame Street gang, and more.

Macy's Fireworks
Fireworks on the 4th from New York City featuring performances by Rob Thomas, Jewel, and the cast of "West Side Story." NBC at 9pm.

Local Fireworks!
News 14 Carolina will broadcast both the NC State Fair fireworks and the Uptown Charlotte fireworks live Saturday night. Starting around 9:15pm, the Raleigh fireworks begin, and then "Red, White, and Boom! 2009" (Charlotte gave theirs a name!! Come on, Raleigh!) will start from the Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte. Avoid traffic, watch 'em both from your couch, and decide who has the best.

Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular
Craig Ferguson hosts the Charles River celebration Saturday night, featuring Neil Diamond performing with the Boston Pops Orchestra. Finale has fireworks accompanied by "1812 Overture." CBS at 10pm.

Chopping Block (8pm, NBC) - The contestants must shop for ingredients in Little Italy and then prepare a meal for Italian customers, who include Vincent Pastore and Mario Batali (left).

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (8pm, Fox) - One of the contestants is competitive eating champion Joey Chestnutt.

Dance Your Ass Off (9pm, Oxygen) - A repeat of the debut of Oxygen's popular new reality series in which twelve plus-size contestants dance to shed pounds and compete for $100,000. The show is hosted by Tony Award-winning actress Marissa Jaret Winokur, who also competed on "Dancing with the Stars." New shows air on Mondays at 10pm.

Samantha Who? (8pm, ABC) - ABC apparently has a few unaired episodes of the funny-but-cancelled Christina Applegate series. Tonight, Sam thinks she may have cost Todd a photography job, so she tries to help him by sabotaging a competitor. And Sam's realtor mother Regina, hilariously played by Jean Smart, puts Dena's house on the market without telling Dena.

16 and Pregnant (8pm, MTV) - This should be required viewing in every high school in America. Each week's episode centers on a different young girl dealing with the challenges of pregnancy, and guess what? When you're 16 and pregnant, life's not a cool romantic comedy with an emo rock soundtrack. The season's first two episodes begin at 8pm with a new episode airing at 10 In the new episode, ROTC student Ebony must put her dreams of joining the Air Force on hold.

She's Got the Look (9pm, TV Land) - It's the modeling competition show for "gorgeous women over 35." Tonight, Robert Verdi takes the women shopping after assessing their wardrobes. Fern Mallis is the guest judge.