With considerable inventiveness and a little trimming, public television's Great Performances series has transformed a disastrous stage production of ''Alice in Wonderland'' into a production of impressive charm.

With Jac Venza as the canny executive producer of the series, the production retains the best elements of the Broadway show, which was a revival of a 1932 version of the Lewis Carroll story by Eva Le Gallienne (right) and Florida Friebus. The costumes by Patricia Zipprodt and settings by John Lee Beatty, imaginatively reproducing the John Tenniel illustrations done for early editions of the Carroll work, are quite stunning on a television screen. And Jonathan Tunick's rendition of Richard Addinsell's original music score proves pleasantly diverting.

Putting the entire television enterprise into the skillful directorial hands of Kirk Browning, the producers, Mr.Venza and Ann Blumenthal, have also enlisted the aid of Donald Saddler, the choreographer, and have devised a new framework for the play.

The action now starts backstage as an understudy for the title role is being told that she has to go on. Sitting at her dressing table and frantically puffing on a cigarette, she drifts off into her own fantasy that manages to combine the personalities of the acting company with the characters in ''Alice in Wonderland.''

Kate Burton, who played Alice in the stage revival, retains the title role and is genuinely appealing, managing to convey the distinct impression that she is really enjoying herself. Most of the other parts are played by a somewhat odd but fascinating collection of guest stars.

Among the large cast, Eve Arden and JamesCoco are the Queen and King of Hearts, Kaye Ballard is the the Duchess and Colleen Dewhurst is the Red Queen.

Donald O'Connor, at his twinkling best, is the Mock Turtle and Miss Burton's well-known father, Richard, shows up as the White Knight as done in the style of Don Quixote. This is possibly the first time that the production hasn't included it's creator, Eva Le Gallienne and Maureen Stapleton (left) takes over the role of the White Queen. Although all of the actors never worked together at any one point as the production was being assembled, Mr. Browning manages to create the impression of a closely knit ensemble production. This is still not a great ''Alice,'' a work that has often shown itself resistant to theatrical adaptation, perhaps because its basic punning roots are so literary. This ''Alice'' is a series of sketches, many marvelously executed, which convey some idea of what can be found in the original Lewis Carroll. Younger viewers, especially, should be delighted.