WORTH NOTING ON TV

January 5, 1995

* FRIDAY Louis Rukeyser's 1995 Money Guide (PBS, 9-10 p.m.): It's the eighth annual edition of this special, hosted by an economic guru who often looks as if he had just swallowed the canary.

On his regular show, ``Wall Street Week,'' he puns mercilessly (usually deliberate groaners) and politely puts semi-wise-guy questions to his distinguished guests, making sure they get specific in their opinions and predictions.

In this special he puts questions about the nation's economic, political, and social changes to 12 economic and financial thinkers, movers, and shakers.

It's an impressive guest list - economists Milton Friedman and Paul Samuelson are on it, along with money managers, heads of companies, and investment advisers. Although their comments on what's ahead for Americans economically in 1995 needs to be taken in perspective, their real-world observations could help shape viewers' strategies for the new year.

Typically, Rukeyser moves beyond the experts to reveal the results of a nationwide poll of 1,000 Americans on what they think about a wide range of key national issues.

* SATURDAY

Hometime (PBS, 2:30-3 p.m. - please check local listings): The popular home-improvement team of Dean Johnson and Robin Hartl spend some time each year working with Habitat for Humanity, the nonprofit program that former president Jimmy Carter has helped publicize by personally participating.

This year ``Hometime'' goes to Eagle Butte, S.D., hub city of the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. They are joined by some 1,200 Habitat volunteers on the Jimmy Carter Work Project.

It was a week-long session - in which Carter was much in evidence - to put up 30 houses. The ``Hometime'' duo's role was a remodeling project to make some unused housing space usable.

Please check local listings for these programs.