WORTH NOTING ON TV

September 23, 1994

* FRIDAY

Justice in a Small Town (NBC, 9-11 p.m.): When a single mother of two got a job in the Georgia civil service, she was just trying to get along in the world. She never dreamed her low-level work would lead to the discovery of a network of extortion and other crimes in government, including some committed by a prominent official.

The true story of the courageous woman's experience is the basis of this made-for-TV ``Movie of the Week'' that describes how she risked her own safety and even her family's to work with federal government agents to expose systematic corruption and coverup.

The scriptwriter is Richard Rashke, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the case in the Georgia Gazette. Kate Jackson stars as the woman, with Dean Stockwell, Megan Gallagher, and Terry O'Quinn also starring.

* SUNDAY

CNN Presents... (CNN, 9-10:30 p.m.): The investigative series opens its new season with ``The Kingdom of Cocaine,'' a special 90-minute look at the international drug war, the life and death (last December) of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, and the new focus of attention by United States authorities on Colombia's Cali drug cartel.

Reports from Colombia and the US trace cocaine's trail from Cali to Miami. Links are also shown between Cali and Russia's burgeoning crime groups, as well as other European markets. The show includes what may be the first interviews with the men who tracked down and killed Escobar, and with other people fighting on both sides of the cocaine war. In the Amazon jungle, police are seen blowing up secret airfields, coca fields, and processing plants.

Peter Arnett and Brian Barger are the correspondents. Beginning with this edition, the voice of the Barbara Feldon (Agent 99 in the 1960s sitcom ``Get Smart'') will be heard introducing ``CNN Presents.''

Please check local listings for these programs.