 "What
I Like About You" (Fridays, The WB)
The Premise: A girl moves in with her big sister. The
problem? Her career-minded sib (played by "Beverly Hills
90210"'s Jennie Garth) prefers hanging out on her own -- and
hanging out with her hot boyfriend.
The Players: Amanda Bynes, 16, and Simon Rex, 28.
Why It's Different: These characters aren't afraid to go
the extra mile for a laugh. In the first episode, Amanda
hip-checks guest star Tony Hawk off his skateboard. Says Simon of
his own TV alter ego: "I get to be Jack Tripper [John
Ritter's character on "Three's Company"] and be silly.
Blast from the Past: "I actually met Jennie when I was
eight years old at Nickelodeon's Big-Help-a-Thon," says
Amanda. "I got my picture taken with her. I remember having
it on the fridge.
Network Versus Cable: For Amanda, graduating from
Nickelodeon (she cut her teeth on "The Amanda Show: and
"All That") means perks galore. Says Amanda: "At
the WB promo shoot there were gorgeous clothes, a makeup artist,
all things I've never had. You feel like a princess.
Bottom Line: Amanda should give "Will and
Grace"'s Debra Messing some stiff competition for her
slapstick crown, while Simon...well, let's just say he's worth
staying home for on a Friday night.
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