Spike Lee will follow his HBO documentary, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts about Hurricane Katrina with a scripted drama for NBC set in New Orleans.

Titled "NOLA," [the Big Easy's nickname] the project is a multicultural ensemble exploring the post-Katrina lives of New Orleans residents from different social and economic backgrounds.

"It's a show about the city trying to rebuild itself and the people who are trying to put their lives together," said Lee, who will travel to New Orleans this week with screenwriter Sid Quashie to meet with residents.

Lee began thinking about a television series while in NOLA filming the HBO documentary. Lee is set to executive produce and direct the project if NBC decides to turn the script into a pilot.

NOLA would be filmed on location in New Orleans.

"We don't have to build sets," Lee said wryly. "Things there still look like the city's been bombed out."

[SOURCE]