The kidnapping and the rescue of Jaycee Dugard, 18 years after the crime, stunned the nation this past summer, leaving many to ask why wasn't the alleged kidnapper caught sooner and how could there have been so many missed opportunities. Now, Dateline investigates and brings viewers up to date on the latest developments on the case. NBC's Keith Morrison reports. See it Friday at 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. CT.

As investigations into the death of Michael Jackson continue to take center stage, viewers will have a rare chance to hear the King of Pop in his own words this Friday, Sept. 25 in a Dateline exclusive, reported by Meredith Vieira. From 1999 to 2001, Jackson was a friend of Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, and he often confided in him. And now, recordings of those conversations -- made with Jackson's permission -- will be made public for the first time.

 
In the tapes, Jackson comes out from behind his mask to reveal a man who in spite of all his fame, success and musical talent, was desperately lonely. He dishes about celebrities like Madonna and Brooke Shields, but also talks openly about his love of children, the torment of his childhood and his deepest fears. For the one hour special, Vieira interviews Rabbi Boteach, who calls himself "America's Rabbi," about their conversations, detailed in his new book, The Michael Jackson Tapes: A Tragic Icon Reveals His Soul in Intimate Conversation. Rabbi Boteach will also appear live on TODAY on Friday, Sept. 25 and Tuesday, Sept. 29.
 
Below are excerpts from the tapes:

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF DISAPPEARING:

Jackson: Yeah, I would like to some kind of way to disappear where people don't see me anymore at some--at some point, and just do my things for children but not be visual. To disappear is very important.

IF IT WEREN'T FOR CHILDREN:

Jackson: If it weren't for children, I would choose death. I mean it with all my heart.

ON WHAT HE'S BEEN THROUGH:

Jackson: Anybody else would probably be dead by now, or a junkie, with what I've been through, Shmuley.

ON MANNEQUINS IN PLACE OF HUMAN COMPANY:

Jackson: I needed someone. That's probably why I had, uh, the mannequins, I would say. Because I felt I needed people, someone, and I didn't have, I was too shy to be around real people.

ON HEALING POWER:

Rabbi Shmuley: You feel that God gave you a certain healing power?

Jackson: Yes ...and I've seen children just shower all over me with love. They want to just touch me and hug me and completely just hold on and cry and not let go...and mothers pick their babies and put them into my arms. "Touch my baby, and hold them, touch my baby, touch my baby."

ON GETTING OLD:

Jackson: ...when the body breaks down, and you start to wrinkle, I think it's so bad...

Rabbi Shmuley: So you would die before that happens?

Jackson: I don't want to grow old.

What mysteries lie at the heart of a marriage? Dateline goes "Behind Closed Doors."

First, a husband and wife who were the very picture of a perfect modern marriage. She was the breadwinner. He took care of the children. And it worked fine, but then there were rumors of an affair, fights over the kids, and finally... an ugly divorce. The marriage was ending, but a crime even seasoned detectives would find hard to believe was just about to begin. NBC's Keith Morrison reports on a case of "Bad Chemistry."

Then: A case that was controversial, and a verdict that was even more so. It centered on a young couple who'd just recently been married. They were settling into a new house and a new life together until something unsettling happened upstairs. The young husband discovered his wife had drowned in the bathtub! It seemed a horrible accident, but police were bothered by one thing: Why was her body dry? NBC's Dennis Murphy reports on "The Mystery in the Master Bedroom."

Join us for "Behind Closed Doors," Dateline's two-hour season premiere, this Friday at 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT on NBC.

The prosecutor put it this way: "It's a slap in the face to any woman in America," a husband who is flagrantly, repeatedly cheating.

There may be plenty of philandering spouses out there, but how many of them wind up murdered? At first, this story seemed to be a puzzle: a shooting in the quiet suburban home of a sweet-looking elementary school teacher. But as the pieces came together, she was right in the middle. She claimed she was innocent. But was she? The question would divide everyone: Her family, her neighbors, and especially her jurors. NBC's Dennis Murphy reports on a "Cause for Alarm."

Join us for Dateline NBC Friday at 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. CT.

In case you were away from your TV this weekend, barbecuing away the last moments of summer, here's a wrap-up of what you missed on Dateline NBC:

• The Man Behind the Mask: When a woman goes for help from the police after a masked man rapes her at gunpoint, authorities turn on her, accusing her of lying. Years went by, and the case grew cold. Then, her attacker struck again. Read the transcript here, watch the full video here, check out Donna Palomba's Web site, JaneDoeNoMore.org, here, and see web-exclusive related content here.
• Finding American characters where crab is king: NBC's Special Correspondent Tom Brokaw is traveling cross-country, 3,000 miles through 12 states, as part of a USA Network project. He's sending back dispatches about the people and places he visits along the way. Travel with Brokaw to Cambridge, Md., where he begins this dispatch. Watch the video here.

• Mukhtar's Mission: Dateline NBC joins New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof as he reports on one Pakistani woman's struggle for justice and her determination to change the lives of women around her. Watch the full segment here, see a web-exclusive clip of Kristof and his wife and co-author, Sheryl WuDunn, discussing womens' rights here, see a clip from a Pakistani delivery room of a woman with life-threatening labor problems here, listen to an audio excerpt from Kristof and WuDunn's book here, and see a slideshow from NBC's Ann Curry here.
• Debt Trap: Dateline looks into a fundamental economic problem: the debt epidemic. Watch the full hour here, see a web-exclusive interview with Attorney General Andrew Cuomo here, and see the transcript and tips on debt here.
• ONLINE ONLY: Inside the terror plot that 'rivaled 9/11': On Monday, a British jury convicted three British citizens, accused of plotting to blow up trans-Atlantic airliners, on a charge of conspiracy to murder. Read an update to the case here.

  

• Second Chances: In 2001, Alex and Derek King, at the time 12 and 13 years old, were convicted of beating their father to death with a baseball bat. Dateline NBC checks in on where the brothers are now. Watch the full hour here, and see the transcript and web-exclusive clips of Alex and Derek here.

They were two little boys accused of beating their own father to death: Alex and Derek King. It was 2001, and the case of the King brothers put a human face on the controversy over whether children should be tried as adults. Most people back then would probably have agreed on one thing: Given the circumstances, neither boy had much of a future. So, what did become of the King brothers? Find out the astonishing turns their lives have taken. Both brothers sit down with NBC's Keith Morrison to speak out in their very first interviews as adults.

Join us for "Second Chances," a Dateline exclusive, Monday at 10 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. CT.

There are signs that the worst of the financial crisis may be over, but don't go popping any champagne corks just yet. Economists say it may take years to recover many of the jobs that have been lost, and for the housing market to get back on track. There's also one more big bump on the road to a recovery, and it's the reason so many families are still facing financial ruin: debt. Living in the red is the new American way of life. And NBC's Chris Hansen investigates just how far some people will go to collect. Who's cashing in on America's debt crisis?

Plus, through a single act of courage, she's become an international symbol of hope: A young woman who endured a savage attack. She couldn't read or write -- but she could, and did, stand up to fight for justice. NBC's Ann Curry travels to a dusty village in Pakistan to meet the woman whose story is inspiring women around the world. See some of Ann's photos from her reporting here.

Also: Summer's over, families are home from vacation, and kids are heading back to school. But Dateline Special Correspondent Tom Brokaw is still on the road, traveling cross-country - 3,000 miles through twelve states - as part of a USA Network project. And he's sending back dispatches about the remarkable people and places he visits along the way.

Join us Sunday at 7, 6 Central for DATELINE NBC.

A young mother said she was raped at gunpoint by a man in a mask. So why did police accuse her of lying? They claimed the "masked man" was a phantom she created, and instead of hunting him down, they threatened to arrest her. As the years went by, the case grew cold. She thought her pain could not get worse, until the attacker's mask was finally ripped away, and the truth revealed.

Dateline Correspondent Sara James reports on "The Man Behind the Mask."

Join us Friday for Dateline NBC, starting at 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. CT.