Prime Time Crime: NBC Orders Prime Suspect Remake

NBC pre-announced tonight -- ahead of their own scheduled Monday upfront presentation ... which will officially be handed out to the press a day early, on Sunday -- that it has ordered several series for its Fall 2011 season, including a remake of the ITV crime drama Prime Suspect.

Created by crime novelist Lynda La Plante, the British Prime Suspect stars the brilliant Helen Mirren as Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, who played the role over a period of 15 years. The US version will star Mario Bello in Mirren's role (and take the character name of Jane Timoney). We don't know much about the pilot filmed for the series other than it takes place in New York City and that Timoney has to compete with her fellow (male) detectives for cases that should rightfully be hers.