WORTH NOTING ON TV

This guide is designed to alert readers to the scope and variety of programming coming up. Listing is not meant to represent blanket endorsement. Viewers are urged to be selective. FRIDAY The Olympics (NBC, 7-10 a.m., 4-5 p.m., 7:30 p.m.-midnight, 12:30-2:30 a.m. All times ET. Check local listings for all Olympics scheduling): Expect everything from swimming finals - both men's and women's - to men's volleyball, as live and taped coverage of the Games of the XXIV Olympiad from Seoul continues. NBC has a great deal at stake here, hence the Olympics will be looming large in the network's schedule through early October. The Theban Plays (PBS, 10-11 p.m.): Anthony Quayle stars in ``Oedipus at Colonus'' in this part of Sophocles' great trilogy. SATURDAY The Olympics (NBC, noon-1 p.m., 4-7 p.m., 7:30 p.m.-midnight, 12:30-2:30 a.m., ET): Varied events, live and taped. SUNDAY Presidential debate (ABC, CBS, NBC, 8-9:30 p.m., ET): First of the nationally televised Bush-Dukakis debates - live from the Wake Forest University campus in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Olympics (NBC, 8 a.m.-noon, 4-7 p.m., 7:30 p.m.-midnight, 12:30-2:30 a.m., ET): Quite a mix, including women's cycling and men's basketball. The Romantic Brahms (PBS, 10-11 p.m.): The young Brahms's friendship with Clara and Robert Schumann is set against his composition of the so-called FAE Scherzo and the First Violin Sonata - performed in the show by violinist Pinchas Zukerman and pianist Marc Neikrug. MONDAY The Olympics (NBC, 7-10 a.m., 4-5 p.m., 7:30 p.m.-midnight, 12:30-2:30 a.m., ET): Weight lifting, water polo, tennis, and more. The Politics of Privacy (PBS, 9-10 p.m.): How much does the public really need to know about the presidential candidates' personal lives to vote knowledgeably? A distinguished panel of journalists looks at the issue. TUESDAY It's the Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown (CBS, 8-9 p.m.): The familiar animated characters mix with live actors in this special. The Olympics (NBC, 7-10 a.m., 4-5 p.m., 7:30 p.m.-midnight, 12:30-2:30 a.m., ET): Equestrian team jumping - covered live during tonight's latest segment - should add a special flavor. WEDNESDAY The Olympics (NBC, 7-10 a.m., 4-5 p.m., 7:30 p.m.-midnight, 12:30-2:30 a.m., ET): Women's basketball final is among the events. THURSDAY The Olympics (NBC, 7-10 a.m., 4-5 p.m., 7:30 p.m.-midnight, 12:30-2:30 a.m., ET): Men's tennis singles final and a gamut of other contests. Schedules may vary in some time zones. Please check local listings, especially for PBS, where individual stations often air programs on differing days and times.