FOX Invites Polo to 'Wedding'
Strickland, Jones and Landes also join Kelley series
December 18, 2006


Teri PoloDavid E. Kelley's "The Wedding Planners" is already slated for a spring premiere on FOX and now the show even has a cast.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Teri Polo, Sarah Jones and KaDee Strickland will play three sisters who run a wedding-planning business.

The trade paper says that Polo will play Jane, the conservative older sister, with Jones as Sammy, the free-spirited younger sis. Strickland will be in the middle as Annie, the natural leader of the group.

Also new to the cast is Michael Landes ("Ghost Whisperer") as David, the company's wedding photographer.

Jon Amiel ("Eyes," "Reunion") will direct the pilot, which will be executive produced by Kelley and Jonathan Pontell.

Polo, best known for her roles in "Meet the Parents" and its sequel, was the lead in the comedy "I'm With Her" and has done recurring roles on shows including "The Practice" and, most recently, "The West Wing."

Jones has recurred on HBO's "Big Love" and Showtime's "Huff," while Strickland has been seen in such features as "The Grudge" and "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid."

I hope it is something we actually get to see as it sounds like something I would watch.

Thanks, Fraz

I am sure we are going to see this. It has been fast tracked and have you seen the BIG HOLES in FOX prime time each night? they need this.

I think David E Kelly is so overdue for a hit series.

Awesome! Thanks Fraz!


Kadee! Sounds like a fun show!

It sounds like a fun show, I know I'll watch it. Thanks, Fraz!

It is so funny I so can see KaDee as a Annie. That name fits her well. She looks like a Annie.

Again David Kelly is due for a mega hit and this show has been retooled several times in development I think fox really wants it to be just right.

THe three girls they selected I think work well.

Keep us posted please, Fraz

That's awesome news Fraz Thanks for the info!

Thanks Fraz for bringing that over. Congrats to KaDee, I've been a fan of David E. Kelly since LA Law so I'm sure this will be a great show. Fraz, when I read that release I though the story sounded familiar. This is the same idea for the pilot that Selma Blair was going to star in about three sisters who run a wedding planning business that was called DeMarco Affairs. Jason Katims actually wrote that pilot and was going to be one of the producers with David E. Kelly. I wonder if Jason Katims will be involved in this one too. Just surprised it wasn't mentioned in the release, they usually do mention things like that.

THey changed the title once again for this show to THE WEDDING BELLS since the three sisters last name is going to be BELL.

Thanks, Fraz.
I'll update the title of the thread

Thanks for the update Fraz!

Just got word that this has been officially picked up!

It will Aired Fridays at 9pm on FOX!

From The Futon Critic!

[01.17.07 - 01:01 AM]
FOX BOOKS MIDSEASON TRIO, 'KITCHEN' RETURN FOR SPRING
By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- FOX is on track for a few surprises when it announces its spring schedule during its session at the TCA this weekend.

Several sources have confirmed the network plans to roll out three new series in the coming months - "Drive," "The Winner" and "The Wedding Bells" (a.k.a. "The Wedding Planners") - as well as new time periods for "'Til Death" and "Standoff" not to mention an early return date for "Hell's Kitchen."

Here's a breakdown of said plans:

-- The Tim Minear/Ben Queen-created drama "Drive" will kick off with a special two-hour premiere on Sunday, April 15 at 8:00/7:00c. The series will then settle into its regular Monday, 8:00/7:00c slot the following night as a lead-in to "24." To make room for the newcomer, current Monday, 8:00/7:00c occupant "Prison Break" will wrap its sophomore run on Monday, April 2 at 8:00/7:00c while a special Monday repeat of "House" will fill the hour on April 9.

-- "'Til Death" will make the move to Wednesdays at 9:30/8:30c starting March 14. As part of the move the series will follow two previously announced 90-minute editions of "American Idol" on Tuesday, February 27 and Wednesday, February 28. (A two-hour "American Idol" fills the night on Wednesday, March 7.)

-- The third season of "Hell's Kitchen" is on tap for Thursdays at 9:00/8:00c in March where it will take over for the departing "The O.C." Still to be determined is the 8:00/7:00c hour, however new episodes of "The War at Home" and "The Loop" as well as newcomer "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" are said to be options.

-- Fridays will see the return of "Standoff" at 8:00/7:00c in March followed by David E. Kelley's aforementioned "The Wedding Bells." ("The 38th Annual NAACP Awards" airs on March 2, meaning the earliest the two could bow is March 9.) Presumably the network's current Friday occupants "Nanny 911" and "Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy" will head to hiatus.

-- And finally, the Ricky Blitt/Seth MacFarlane-produced "The Winner" will launch on Sunday, March 4 with episodes at 8:30/7:30c and 9:30/8:30c that night. The show's remaining four episodes then will continue to run in the 9:30/8:30c half-hour in place of "American Dad," which returns in late April.

-- Remaining in their current slots: "24, "American Idol," "House," "Bones," "Cops," "America's Most Wanted," "The Simpsons," "King of the Hill" and "Family Guy."

To review, here's a night-by-night guide to the upcoming schedule changes:

Sunday, March 4
8:00/7:00c - "The Simpsons"
8:30/7:30c - "The Winner" (Series Premiere, Special Time)
9:00/8:00c - "Family Guy"
9:30/8:30c - "The Winner" (New Series)

Sundays (as of March 11)
8:00/7:00c - "The Simpsons"
8:30/7:30c - "King of the Hill"
9:00/8:00c - "Family Guy"
9:30/8:30c - "The Winner" (New Series)

Sunday, April 15
8:00/7:00c - "Drive" (Two-Hour Series Premiere)

Mondays (through April 2)
8:00/7:00c - "Prison Break"
9:00/8:00c - "24"

Monday, April 9
8:00/7:00c - "House" (Repeat)
9:00/8:00c - "24"

Mondays (as of April 16)
8:00/7:00c - "Drive" (New Series)
9:00/8:00c - "24"

Tuesday, February 27
8:00/7:00c - "American Idol" (New 90-Minute Episode)
9:30/8:30c - "'Til Death" (Special Night & Time)

Wednesday, February 28
8:00/7:00c - "American Idol" (New 90-Minute Episode)
9:30/8:30c - "'Til Death" (Special Night & Time)

Wednesday, March 7
8:00/7:00c - "American Idol" (New Two-Hour Episode)

Wednesdays (as of March 14)
8:00/7:00c - "Bones"
9:00/8:00c - "American Idol" (30-Minute Results Shows)
9:30/8:30c - "'Til Death" (New Time Slot)

Thursdays (as of March - exact date TBA)
8:00/7:00c - (To Be Announced)
9:00/8:00c - "Hell's Kitchen"

Fridays (as of March - exact date TBA)
8:00/7:00c - "Standoff" (New Time Slot)
9:00/8:00c - "The Wedding Bells" (New Series)



Also from TFC:

It's interesting that Katims is involved in this project. Maybe Jason will pop in for a brief second.

WEDDING BELLS, THE (FOX)
BROADCAST HISTORY:
???

STATUS:
new this spring (yet to premiere)

TIME SLOT:
fridays from 9:00 PM-10:00 PM EST

CURRENT SEASON:
1 (13 episodes)

DESCRIPTION:
drama self-described by kelley as "a romantic comedy about a group of wedding planners dedicated to having their clients live happily ever after, or at least until they get to the parking lot"

PRINCIPAL CAST INFORMATION:
· Benjamin King
· KaDee Strickland as Annie
· Michael Landes as David
· Sarah Jones as Sammy
· Teri Polo as Jane

CREW INFORMATION:
· David E. Kelley as CRTR/EP
· Jason Katims as CRTR
· Jon Amiel as EP (Pilot)/DIR (Pilot)
· Jonathan Pontell as EP

GENRE(S):
· drama (hour)

STUDIO INFORMATION:
· 20th Century Fox Television
· David E. Kelley Productions

Found this on one of the casting sites:

(Los Angeles, CA) -

Title: UNTITLED WEDDING PLANNER PROJECT, TV Series - 1 Hour Dramedy. PROD, David E. Kelley, Jonathan Pontell, Robert Breech, James C. Hart; WRTR, David E. Kelley. Contract: SAG.

Shoot Dates: January 8, 2007 (in Los Angeles).

Breakdown-- David Conlon: Mid 30s, Caucasian, wedding photographer in The Wedding Planners, David is the most 'seasoned' in this group of friends. David is the 'go to' guy when it comes to client management. He has a talent for calming down jittery brides having successfully talked many off the ledge (and out of their running shoes.) He is charming, attractive and very good at his job. David knows that he and his friends have hit the lottery by owning their own, currently successful business. He has a good sense of humor, is self deprecating and has fun outlook on life. Series Regular; Jane Bell: 30ish, Caucasian. Jane is the oldest sister; she is a wedding planner and a part owner in The Wedding Palace. Attractive and smart, Jane is practical and sensible, though she resents being known as the conservative one. Jane and Russell are married and happy although Jane enjoys the flirtatious relationship she has with Ernesto, the chef. Series Regular; Annie Bell: Late 20s, Caucasian. Annie is the middle sister, she is a wedding planner and a part owner in The Wedding Palace. Annie is a natural born leader; she is tough, fit and not afraid of a fight, verbal or physical. Once engaged and now single, she's the force that drives the engine. Series Regular; Sammy Bell: 25, Caucasian. Sammy is the youngest of 3 sisters, she is beautiful and boy crazy. Sammy is a free spirit, the most romantic of the three sisters (though she lives in constant denial of this fact.) She is famous for romancing the groomsmen at The Wedding Palace. Sammy often confuses a one night stand as finally having found her true love. Her tragic optimism makes her extremely likable. Series Regular; Russell Hawkins: 30s, African-American or Caucasian, chief corporate officer of The Wedding Palace. He is the businessman of the group and happily married to Jane. He is a guy to whom other guys can relate; 'a guy's guy.' He is friends with Ralph, the wedding singer. Series Regular; Ernesto: 30s-40, Latin or Italian. He is the head chef at The Wedding Palace. Ernesto is very charming and attractive, which allows him to get away with the kind of flirtations behavior that borders on sexual harassment. Series Regular; Ralph: Late 20s, Wedding Singer. A failed wannabe rock star turned wedding singer; Bob Dylan is his idol. He borders on being bitter and is the least convinced of all the employees at The Wedding Palace that marriage is a good institution. Series Regular.
(Posted: November 27, 2006)

Oh cool this got picked up, I'm very excited about this!!! And Jason Katims is involved with this too, how funny is that. Thank you for all the updates.

The series premieres Friday, March 9, with sneak preview wednesday, March 7, After American Idol, according to The Futon Critic.

Thanks Lyric!

David E. Kelley's romantic dramedy "The Wedding Bells," will get a special premiere on Wednesday, March 7 after "American Idol" before moving to its regular Friday night 9 p.m. ET time slot. "Wedding Bells" will be joined by freshman drama "Standoff," as the negotiators series goes to Friday nights at 8 p.m.

2 promo pics of Annie Bell

She kept the dark hair:D

Thanks Fraz!

She looks so beautiful as always. I am really looking forward to this show!

Thanks Fraz for pics and info and lyric for the info

KaDee Strickland as Annie Bell


Teri Polo as Jane Bell


Sarah Jones as Sammy Bell


Michael Landes as David Conlon


Benjamin King as Russell Hawkins


Chris Williams as Ralph Snow

TCA pic:

WOW! Thanks Fraz!

Wow thats awesome. Thanks for the updates!! Off to spread the word

Press Release for "The Wedding Bells"




Premieres Friday, March 9th 9/8c

Special sneak peek Wednesday, March 7 following American Idol!


From executive producers David E. Kelley, Jason Katims and Jonathan Pontell comes THE WEDDING BELLS, a romantic dramedy about a family-owned wedding planning business dedicated to helping its clients live happily ever after … or at least until they get to the parking lot.

The BELL sisters, ANNIE (KaDee Strickland), JANE (Teri Polo) and SAMMY (Sarah Jones), inherited The Wedding Palace after their parents' divorce. Now they must navigate the endless complications of planning elaborate weddings while trying to figure out where they stand in their own complicated love lives.

From dealing with high-maintenance Bridezillas and their families to calming wedding-day jitters, the trio of planners and their loyal staff do their utmost to make sure that every bride's special day is a dream-come-true, as they attempt to take their burgeoning company from wedding emporium to wedding empire.

Adding to the behind-the-scenes chaos are photographer DAVID CONLON (Michael Landes), whose tension-filled dealings with Annie are clearly the result of pent-up sexual chemistry; and RUSSELL HAWKINS (Benjamin King), Jane's husband and the company COO.

Russell was hired to attract a higher-end clientele and take the business to the next level while simultaneously cutting costs, which isn't very easy because the women like to give clients little extras that keep eating up the profits.

Meanwhile, Jane is constantly fending off the advances of their head chef, Ernesto. Then there's wedding singer RALPH SNOW (Chris Williams), who always aspired to be the next Lenny Kravitz, but instead is stuck crooning endless cover songs and retro medleys for unappreciative wedding guests.

Whatever the glitch en route to getting hitched, THE WEDDING BELLS have seen it all. They've mastered the art of guiding couples down the aisle; but have they ignored their own personal relationships along the way?

THE WEDDING BELLS is created by Jason Katims and David E. Kelley and produced by David E. Kelley Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television. David E. Kelley, Jason Katims and Jonathan Pontell are the executive producers.

Thanks Vicki That's awesome news!!! And I just loveeeee your icon

It's interesting that Jason Katims is an excutive Producer!

Thanks for the update, Vicki

I thought the series sounded familiar for him. So I went to imdb.com and found out that he tried to do the same series as a drama by himself and it was filmed. It seems to me he found help from David E. Kelley this time around, and it got picked up.

I hope I can post this here

DeMarco Affairs (2004) (TV)

KaDee is definitely the cutest and most relaxed looking of the 3 girls in the photos.

out of this world that's interesting.

sounds like a cute show

I saw a preview for this on FOX. It looks like a fun show.

Yeah, I've seen the promo 3 times now.
I still think KaDee looks the most relaxed.
I'll give it a try

Sound of "Wedding Bells": bling, bling
By David Kronke, Television Critic

In order to promote Fox's upcoming series "The Wedding Bells," about three sisters — no doubt one too hot, one too cold and one just right — who run a wedding-planning company, the cast will judge a contest in which prospective bridezillas-to-be negotiate an obstacle course before tearing into wedding cakes in search of rings (one 3-carat rock; three 1-carat consolation prizes). Talk about conflict diamonds.

Teri Polo, KaDee Strickland and Sarah Jones portray the sisters on the show; other cast members attending include the rather cute but also ickily monikered Missi Pyle (the first name, so perky and feminine, yet mispronounce it in full just a smidgen and the result sounds like you've been tromping through a poorly managed dog park).

The "obstacle course" will culminate in the savage pulping of perfectly innocent wedding cakes, recalling the Monty Python sketch about the "Upper Class Twit of the Year" competition in which posh boors circled a track engaging in all manner of rude behavior.

Yet, instead of waking the neighbors with car doors and wrenching bras off mannequins, contestants here will rummage through clothing racks in search of the ugliest bridesmaid dress imaginable and scream at their mothers until they reduce them to tears.

Because, after all, the race to the altar is nothing if not strewn with obstacles, and few things shout enduring love more than shedding one's dignity for some bling.

If such spectacle appeals to you, and you have too much free time on your hands, the festivities begin 11 a.m. March 2 at The Grove.

Where's TekGirl? She has a mission!

Kadee shares a cute story about her wedding day!
Link to the full story.

When the cast is quizzed for their own "you won't believe" stories, Strickland, who plays middle sister Annie Bell, pipes up. She's a newlywed.

"The strangest thing I did was change in the meat locker of the place where we were having the reception," Bell says. "I wanted to surprise my husband with an outfit he had no idea I'd had made, and I found myself having nowhere to go that I couldn't run into him. So I went with my wedding planner into the meat locker."

Briefly feeling like a piece of meat was worth it for "a great moment ... I'll never forget."

What a memory
Cute story

I guess we need to send Tek on the way to the Grove ASAP!

Tek has been briefed!

If there is anything to see she'll find it

OMG that is sooo classic! Thanks for the info Vicki, thats kinda funny since I was at the Grove yesterday but thats on a Friday and I have work What a great wedding story!!!

What a cute wedding story!

saw ads for it on TV looks very cute..and she looks great

Does anyone happen to know who the music supervisor/music editor is for WEDDING BELLS the new sitcom on FOX which starts in March? I would greatly appreciate your help...

I have a wedding tune which is now actually in a new SUNDANCE INDIE film out of NY called FLANNEL PAJAMAS which is getting some nice reviews by the likes of Roger Ebert and more...Loved to submit to this show for the pearing of a scene in one of their episodes..

Thanks!!

http://cdbaby.com/cd/brandmeier3

Your best bet would be to look on the IMDB.com to see if it's listed there.

I saw the commercial for the show the other day. I'm very interested to see how it will pan out.

Actually I'm hoping Kadee will be able to get hubby to make a few appearances. That would be kickass!

I read a book about a wedding planner once that would have such a fab (and hilarious!) arc for the wedding planner falling in love with a dashing playboy bachelor... Hmmm...

Is the show going to be on Fridays? Because here it's being advertized as Wednesdays, I thought. I've actually watched FOX a few times, just trying to catch the promos for Bells, and they look great!

And the promos are featuring Kadee prominently, too -- looks very promising. Congrats and good luck for her! I'm eager to see this -- the article interviewing David E. Kelley made it sound hilarious and based on real-life wedding pitfalls and pratfalls.

.

It will air on Fridays. they are just premiering it early to grab the Idol audience.

Ahhh. Mystery solved. Rats -- I thought the Wed. would be a better time slot. But maybe it will rule uncontested on Fridays.

Thanks, V !

.

Just got a call from TekGirl. She went to that Wedding Bells thing over at the Grove. Jason was there! Carol put him on the phone and I really thought it was a waiter or something. Mainly because Carol and I always play tricks on each other. She assures me it was Jason. She will have pictures up later when she gets a change to upload them.

Vicki, that is just wild!!!! I think I would die if that ever happened to me. Sure of all days I am working

First photo from the event.....