Level 9

Airs: 8 p.m., UPN (Channel 29) Stars: Tim Guinee, Kate Hodge, Michael Kelly, Romany Malco, Fabrizio Filippo, Esteban Powell, Kim Murphy and Susie Park. In brief: Super-secret agency uses young hackers to nab evildoers. But is it any good? "Level 9" sells itself as a 21st-century cyber-thriller but is really one part technology, two parts car chases, shoot-em-ups and things that go boom. Tough-as-nails agent Hodge leads the multicultural crew of 20-somethings who gather surveillance data from around the world - satellite photos to chat rooms - then match the data against a seemingly endless database of voiceprints and mug shots to identify suspects. After that, and for reasons unexplained, the same people who identify these murderous psychopaths are expected to go out and arrest them. Lots of action, but "Level 9" is more like Level 2 when it comes to plausibility. Is it a survivor? Friday is a notoriously tough night for drawing young viewers. Just because UPN has opened its wallet for "Freedom" and "Level 9" doesn't mean people will watch. "Freedom" (7 p.m., UPN, Channel 29) also has its premiere tonight but will not be reviewed because a preview tape was not made available. >>>