It's now well established that Corbin Bernsen is not very good at ABC's "Celebrity Mole" game. But the former "L.A. Law" star is switching networks to try his luck in a more cerebral competition.

Bernsen is one of 16 famous folks who will take part in "The Great American Celebrity Spelling Bee," which will air over three Fridays during February sweeps on FOX. Unlike "Celebrity Mole," where the players kept the prize money and Bernsen was twice an early loser, the bee participants will be playing for charity.

In addition to Bernsen, Harry Anderson ("Night Court"), Alice Cooper, Brett Butler ("Grace Under Fire"), Meshach Taylor ("Designing Women"), Eric Roberts ("Less Than Perfect"), Erin Brodie ("For Love or Money"), George Wendt ("Cheers") and Vincent Pastore ("The Sopranos") have agreed to take part. The rest of the field will be announced closer to the show's Feb. 13 premiere.

The following statement has perhaps never been written before, but spelling bees are hot at the moment. The documentary feature "Spellbound," about contestants in the National Spelling Bee, was nominated for an Oscar last year, and ESPN's telecast of that event last year actually outdrew some National Hockey League playoff games in the ratings.

"Celebrity Spelling Bee" will alter the rules of a traditional contest somewhat. The 16 players will be divided into four teams in the first round and compete for points by spelling words correctly. One team will be eliminated in each of the first two rounds, with the eight remaining players going head-to-head in the finals.