Making his second drama-series commitment this month, Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly has ordered a Brian Grazer drama about a New York federal agent.

Produced by Imagine Television in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television (who also collaborate on Fox’s “24” and CBS’s “Shark”), the series follows an Iraq War veteran who leads an FBI unit called the Critical Incidents Response Group.

The program (working title “The FBI”) will have an unprecedented level of access and cooperation with the Bureau to show how law enforcement has evolved since 9/11, with agents infiltrating criminal conspiracies before they strike.

Like the recently announced drama “The Oaks,” Fox is taking the unusual step of making a series commitment to the program before a pilot has been shot or actors have been cast. In both cases, the pre-emptive move is partly due to the strength of the production team assembled for the project, and partly due to network seeking to push shows into production quickly in case of a writers strike.

Fox is aiming to go begin production by the end of the year for debut either midseason or next fall.

“The FBI” is executive produced by Chap Taylor ("Changing Lanes"), Mr. Grazer and David Nevins. Mr. Grazer personally pitched the project to Mr. Reilly, who recently joined the network after years with NBC.

(Editor: Romanelli)