Scream actress Neve Campbell is to return to television in NBC's new drama The Philanthropist, which is being made in London by the US broadcaster's recently acquired UK independent production company Carnival.
Campbell, who previously starred in the TV series Party of Five as well as making appearances in Medium and Burn Up, will star in the new drama alongside British actor James Purefoy, whose credits include Rome.
The eight part drama, which is due to air in spring next year, is the first NBC commission for Carnival Films, producer of Hotel Babylon and Harley Street, since it was acquired by the network's parent company, NBC Universal, in August.
Purefoy plays Teddy Rist, a billionaire playboy turned "vigilante philanthropist" who travels across the globe including destinations such as Nigeria, Hong Kong, Burma, Kashmir, Paris, Kosovo and West Virginia.
Law & Order's Jesse L Martin will star as Rist's business partner, Phillip Maidstone, while Campbell will play Maidstone's wife Olivia, who runs the charitable foundation set up by the two men.
Filming will take place in South Africa, Mozambique and Prague.
The pilot of the drama has been written by David Eick, whose credits include Battlestar Galactica, and is directed by Grey's Anatomy's Peter Horton.
Gareth Neame, Carnival's managing director, said: "The Philanthropist is a riveting project whose central themes of generosity, its display of 'muscular charity' and fighting for what is right have universal appeal.
"As NBCU's international TV studio we are breaking new ground working with UK talent both in front of and behind the camera on a US network show produced here and using worldwide locations."
Angela Bromstad, president of primetime entertainment for NBC and Universal Media Studios, added: "This will be the first production from our burgeoning international TV production unit and we couldn't have hoped for a more globally appealing project."
NBC is no stranger to UK produced drama – it is currently broadcasting Crusoe, made by UK firm Power, and has snapped up the rights to BBC1's Merlin.
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