There was once a golden age in television, a time when it was cool to stay at home on a Saturday night and watch Nickelodeon. All That, Pete and Pete and Clarissa Explains It All were classics of our formative years, with a little slime thrown in for good measure.

However, not many of those child stars went on to anything big. Whatever did happen to Alex Mack?

The exception to the rule is Amanda Bynes, the high priestess of Nick sitcoms. Bynes, who was recruited for All That when she was barely a preteen, went on to star in her own sitcom, The Amanda Show, and is now on the WB, thanks to her comedic timing and willingness to go to any length for a laugh.

She's the Man looked somewhat promising. Loosely based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, the film could have been the next 10 Things I Hate About You, the gold standard of smart teen comedy. One of the writers from 10 Things worked on She's the Man, so there was hope.

However, director Andy Fickman is at the helm of this so-so comedy, with only Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical to his name, and I could make a really bad pun concerning that influence on his current work.

The premise of She's the Man stays barely true to Twelfth Night. Bynes stars as Viola, a soccer-obsessed gal who's devastated when her school's team is cut.

She decides to pose as her brother while he's away and attends his school to play on the soccer team. Viola, under the guise of "Sebastian," falls for her gorgeous roommate, who in turn is in love with the school's beauty queen who, for some inexplicable reason, has the hots for Viola/Sebastian.

The whole effect is a little irritating, as Bynes' "disguise" is completely transparent.

It's not a bad showcase for Bynes, and it's certainly better than anything Hilary Duff has come up with. Nevertheless, this is something to catch on cable on a lazy weekend while putting off that Shakespeare reading. Grade: C

-- Reviewed by Kathryn Stevens