WORTH NOTING ON TV

MONDAYBarbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire (TNT, 8-11 p.m.): There was something powerful and independent about this great movie star's performances - an honesty of emotion that carried her through decades of changing movie styles and burned through sometimes stereotyped roles. This retrospective by film critic and historian Richard Schickel samples Stanwyck's memorable movies and examines the professional integrity she was noted for. Sally Field is host. Adventure (PBS, 8-9 p.m.): Finding the rare "Black Pearls of Polynesia" leads Christina Dodwell on a trek into history and ancient customs - not to mention a brush or two with sharks. The documentary film moves through Melanesia and Polynesia as Dodwell carries on the free-ranging tradition of great Victorian explorers.

TUESDAY Joe DiMaggio: The Way It Was (A&E cable, 8-9 p.m.): One of America's last pure heroes is profiled in this "Biography" episode. Some say "Joltin' Joe 56-game hitting streak is still baseball's mightiest feat, but the documentary also examines Joe's life after baseball and considers how the country deals with its former gods.

WEDNESDAY The Civil War (PBS, 9-11 p.m.): In case you missed it - or just want to see it all over again - PBS is reairing Ken Burns's hugely acclaimed film. Haunting stills, talks with historians who sound as if they'd been there, period paintings - they're all part of a cinematic whole that is more meaningful than the sum of its compelling parts. Part 1 of the weekly series traces the roots of the war and considers the Union's early, ominous defeat at Manassas. Please check local listings, especially on PBS.