`FOR YOUR LOVE' LOOKS GOOD UNTIL YOU GET TO THE DIALOGUE.

Byline: Keith Marder Daily News Television Writer

Formulaic sitcoms aren't pretty, but their casts often are.

And that, for the most part, sums up NBC's new sitcom, ``For Your Love,'' which debuts at 8:30 tonight.

Three strikingly handsome couples make this show a bit like ``Friends'' on Noah's Ark. The first time we meet the couples, a subtitle tells us who they are. Sheri (Dedee Pfeiffer) and Dean Winston (D.W. Moffett) have been married four years and therefore are ``The Veterans.'' Malena (Holly Robinson Peete) and Mel (James Lesure) Ellis are ``The Newlyweds.'' Bobbi Seawright (Tamala Jones) and Reggie Ellis (Edafe Blackmon) are ``The Commitment-phobes.''

Therein lies the problem with this cliche-ridden comedy.

The characters are nearly cardboard cutouts, and their actions are too predictable.

For instance, in the pilot, Malena thinks she is pregnant and tells Sheri before telling her husband. Sheri, the veteran, is happier than Malena, the newlywed. And when Mel finally finds out, he turns out to be overprotective and doting.

The fact that the two married couples live next door to each other in the suburbs might make you feel like you're watching Lucy, Ethel, Ricky and Fred when they moved to Connecticut.

That is until you turn off the mute switch and start watching - and hearing - this not-long-for-this-world show.

THE FACTS

The show: ``For Your Love.''

What: A sitcom that aims to look at family and friendship through the stories of three couples at different stages of their relationships.

The stars: Holly Robinson Peete, James Lesure, Dedee Pfeiffer, D.W. Moffett, Tamala Jones, Edafe Blackmon.

Where: NBC (Channel 4).

When: Premieres 8:30 tonight.

Our rating: One and One Half Stars.