A show that many people consider to be one of the finest TV dramas of the 1980s will be remade by NBC, Deadline.com reports.

The show is "Wiseguy," from Stephen J. Cannell. The network has bought a script commitment for a re-imagining of the original series, which starred Ken Wahl as Vincent Terranova, an undercover agent with the FBI’s fictional organized crime bureau, the piece notes.

The show also featured Kevin Spacey and Jerry Lewis, and pioneered the use of story arcs in crime procedurals, the story adds.

The new project will be written by Alex Cary of "Homeland" and comes from 20th Century Fox TV and studio-based Chernin Entertainment, the piece adds.

Cannell, the creator of the original “Wiseguy,” died Sept. 30, 2010, after writing more than 1,000 episodes of TV shows and creating or co-creating 20 TV series, including "The Rockford Files" and "The Commish." Many critics and fans — including TVWeek Open Mic blogger Chuck Ross — consider “Wiseguy” to be his greatest TV achievement.

To read a revealing blog entry by Ross from a year ago, paying tribute to Cannell and recalling why “Wiseguy” almost didn’t make it to television, click here.