From "Ally McBeal" to "The Practice" to "Boston Legal," nobody knows the formula for a television hit quite like David E. Kelley. And that's exactly why I'm both anticipating and dreading tonight's premiere of "The Wedding Bells," Kelley's latest creation. Kelley's built a career on one-dimensional, stereotypical characters who get themselves into one wacky situation after another while learning Meaningful Lessons about Life, and I'm afraid "Wedding Bells" looks like more of the same.

My reservations start with the title: See, they're wedding planners, and their last name is Bell! The Wedding Bells! Yuk-yuk! The clips I've seen stay close to the standard wedding cliches of run-away brides and overly demanding mothers. Add in the "twist" that the Bells themselves are still looking for love, and it starts to sound like a cloying, cutesy nightmare. (To see the clips for yourself, go to the show's site and click the link for video.) Or, to watch an extended preview that made me laugh several times, read more

What gives me hope is that when Kelley's stuff is on, it's on — and weddings could be the perfect setting for the kind of dramedy he does best. Plus, I'm excited to see Teri Polo, whom I first noticed as the lawyer Dan Rydell obsessed over in "Sports Night," in a starring role. "The Wedding Bells" airs after "American Idol" tonight before moving into its regular Friday time slot.

Photos courtesy of Fox