“Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.,” CBS, Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

Telltale quote: “I will not duct tape your buttocks to give it tone and shape.”

Overview: When you have a list of successes under your belt, networks are likely to overlook some recent hiccups and take a chance with you. Such is the case with CBS, which is hoping David E. Kelley (the force behind “The Practice,” “Boston Public,” “Ally McBeal” and “Picket Fences”) delivers a hit drama on Wednesday nights. Last year, Kelley promised a great series to Fox, but instead produced the  ill-received “girls club,” which was canceled after only a few episodes.

    “Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.” follows the lives of the three Shaw brothers in their small town, where the population is 3,075 and the religion is hockey. The brothers, former high school hockey heroes themselves, are now dealing with middle age, marriage, and civic responsibility (two of the brothers include the town's mayor and chief of police, played by John Carroll Lynch and Randy Quaid, respectively; the third brother is played by Chris Penn, who replaced Brian Haley from the original pilot).

     While it is being compared to Kelley's freshman hit “Picket Fences,” the show mimics some of the same small-town realism of current critical favorite and non-Kelley production “Ed” on NBC.

    “Brotherhood” hasn't been without its snags, however. The original pilot featured a gruesome suicide of a side character, and the melancholy tone of the series prompted CBS to ask Kelley to rewrite the episode. Kelley is also being sued by two New England filmmakers, who claim the idea for the show was stolen from their film “Brotherhood,” also about a group of men in a small New Hampshire town.

Verdict: With the decline of “The Practice” on ABC and a disastrous move for “Boston Public” to Friday nights on Fox, Kelley is hoping to restore some of his hit-making power on a new network. His road to triumph won't be without a battle, though. It's unclear whether audiences will embrace a show that doesn't include a beautiful and well-adjusted cast of characters, and ratings giant “Law & Order” will be a tough competitor in the 10 p.m. timeslot.

     But as one of two new dramas in the hour (against ABC's “Karen Sisco,” which premieres next week), “Brotherhood” has a fighting chance of making a splash on Wednesday nights. And if Kelley can align his cast to be more entertaining than disheartening, audiences are likely to stick around for more.

By John Rash

“Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.,” CBS, Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

    David E. Kelley was once the most prodigious pen in primetime. Now he is the most suspicious, for his “Ally McBeal” and “The Practice” hit parade turned into a miss charade when viewers and critics alike clubbed last year's "girls club." This was followed by some surprising pink slips to the stars of the once red-hot “The Practice.”
     All eyes are on his comeback attempt -- but most eyes will wince once they see this effort. Which is disappointing for CBS and fans of TV that actually features characters they could see in everyday life, as “The Brotherhood” is well cast with Randy Quaid and Mare Winningham.

    It's the script and story that disappoint, however, as David E. Kelley zeroes in on so many character quirks that the pilot's premise gets lost and strains credibility. (And apparently the first pilot never got off the ground, so the second episode will serve as the series introduction.)
     Indeed, what at first appears as a return to innovative drama of Mr. Kelley's “Picket Fences” is instead more of an echo of the dysfunctional dynamics dominating the later seasons of “Ally McBeal.”
     If there ever was a TV writer with the capacity to improve, it is this series savant. But he better hurry. Because no matter how “Poland” is polished, it will face the challenge of arresting “Law and Order,” the time period franchise, which is surely a tough task for any writer, even David E. Kelley.

For past Media Life reviews of the new fall shows, click below.

CBS's "Navy NCIS"

ABC's "I'm With Her"

WB's "One Tree Hill"

NBC's "Las Vegas"

CBS's "Two and a Half Men"

WB's "Like Family"

Fox's "Luis"

ABC's "Threat Matrix"

UPN's "All of Us," "Rock Me Baby"

UPN's "Eve"

WB's "All About the Andersons"

WB's "Steve Harvey's Big Time"
WB's "Run of the House"
UPN's "The Mullets"

UPN's "Jake 2.0"

NBC's "Whoopi"
NBC's "Happy Family"

A.J. Livsey's fall season overview