• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, July 19, 2006

Spike Lee is headed for the small screen. The movie director has been tapped to direct an NBC drama series, although the network did not release details about the show's creative angle. More details may be revealed this week at the Television Critics Association meeting in Los Angeles. NBC Universal Television Studio will produce the show.

Lee has directed films "Malcolm X," "Do The Right Thing," and "Inside Man," as well as Nike commercials with Michael Jordan.

"Spike Lee was one of the first people that I wanted to make a priority for the network," says Katie O'Connell, the new senior vice president, drama development, NBC Entertainment. "I wanted to be aggressive about bringing in a high-profile filmmaker who fits in so well with NBC's traditional brand of challenging quality dramas."

In that vein, rival CBS has benefited from a string of drama hits from top film producer Jerry Bruckheimer.