WORTH NOTING ON TV

SATURDAY

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (ABC, 8-10 p.m.): In this special edition, you'll see the young Indy, of course. But more important to the prospects of the returning series, you'll also see the middle-aged Indy, played by Harrison Ford. The producers hope this cameo appearance by the film world's original Indy will give the TV series the boost it needs after dropping out of the schedule last October.

At the beginning of "Young Indiana Jones and the Mystery of the Blues,' Ford's 50-year-old hero, snowbound in Wyoming, finds a saxophone, and that triggers memories of the time 30 years ago when he worked at a Chicago nightspot during the roaring '20s. This plot device allows a shift of focus to the young Indy of the title (Sean Patrick Flanery), whose postmodernist adventures bring him in contact with a pantheon of pop and historical figures, including Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, King Oliver, Eliot Ness, and Ernest Hemingway. It also gives young Indy a glimpse of the period's racism. (The series begins its regular weekly one-hour Saturday schedule at 9 p.m. on March 20.) MONDAY

The Great Bears of Alaska (Discovery Channel, 9-10 p.m.): If you entertain any doubts that grizzlies are less than lovable creatures - perhaps because of one too many nature films then this special should cure you. In the spring, grizzlies come out of hibernation ravenous - having lost a quarter of their total weight - and sometimes attack each other to get the best fishing territory along the river. At one point they are seen devouring a cub who has drowned. (The search for food also includes nonaggress ive behavior, such as eating berries and grass.) Although the bears may be unsociable and suspicious in nature, their actions are understandable. As the film makes clear, they have to put on enough fat to survive the next winter's hibernation. The special, narrated by James Earl Jones, offers memorable vistas of Alaska's Katmai and Denali National Parks.

Please check local listings for all programs.