NBC goes old school with Wuthering Heights series

NBC is tackling the literary classic Wuthering Heights. The novel is headed to the small screen, but not as a movie. The network has announced plans for a weekly drama based on the famous story.

NBC's bringing Dracula back and he's sexier than ever! >>

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series is called Napa, and the pilot is written by Tom Donaghy. It's the brainchild of super-producer Greg Berlanti, who's no stranger to serialized drama. His résumé includes Dawson's Creek, Everwood, Political Animals, and The CW's Arrow.

Arrow is the hand of justice in action-packed preview >>

Brontë's original story centers on the tumultuous relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. It has themes of love, betrayal, revenge, and class discrimination. The novel was first published in the mid-1800s, yet NBC's version is a modern tale set in Napa Valley.

Fall TV 2012: Get a sampler of new shows on NBC >>

Wuthering Heights has been adapted multiple times for television and film. Arguably, the most famous being the 1939 movie with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon as the leads. There's also the 1992 version starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche and more recently, the ITV telefilm with Tom Hardy, Charlotte Riley, and The Walking Dead's Andrew Lincoln.

Fear the living in Season 3 of The Walking Dead >>

We wonder who they'll get to play the primary roles on Napa? Wuthering Heights is a lengthy book and most of the previous incarnations omit chunks of the story. With a show, they'll have more time and opportunity to expand on the characters.

Are you interested in more Wuthering Heights?

Photo credit: David Livingston/WENN.com