WORTH NOTING ON TV

SUNDAY Welcome Home Heroes (HBO cable, 9-10:30 p.m., E.T.): For returning troops, one of the nicer things about getting home from the Persian Gulf may be this Whitney Houston solo TV concert - her first. Aired live from Virginia's Norfolk Naval Air Station, it offers lots of the singer's old and new hits.

The Shape of the World

(PBS, 9-10 p.m.): Yes, it is about map making - in fact this is the first of six parts dealing with the long, rich, surprisingly dramatic history of how people created their picture of the physical earth. Shot on location around the world, it's a story of cultures, ideas, and religion as much as graphs and measurements. The production does take the liberty of dramatizing certain historical episodes, but facts have been checked by a host of authorities. Patrick Stewart of "Star Trek" is host and narrator.

MONDAY

Saturday Night Live Goes Commercial (NBC, 8-9 p.m.): One of network TV's only truly satiric revues takes aim - typically - at its own medium. Repertory players Victoria Jackson and Kevin Nealon host a recap of commercial parodies over the past 16 seasons.

TUESDAY

Orchestra! (Showtime cable, 7:30 p.m.-8 p.m.): Dudley Moore and maestro Georg Solti lead viewers in a chatty perusal of musical instruments - from origins to present form - in the first of a 10-part series, part of the network's new "FamilyHour." The series listens in on rehearsals, performances, and lots of conversations, with a look at how music is "staged."

Please check local listings for all programs, especially on PBS.