Cowell has made a name for himself in the US

The US show will be a cross between Pop Idol and 1980s series Fame, focusing on students at a Los Angeles drama school, says US magazine Variety.

The 14 episodes will follow a contest to find the best pupil.

Cowell is already one of the biggest-earning stars on US TV after his stint on American Idol.

He has a multi-million pound deal with 20th Century Fox TV in the US and has set up his own production company.

Admiration

"He's just plain smart. This guy really gets it, both in his concepts and his ideas for stories," said Harbert.

"Part of what we want to do with the series is show the behind-the-scenes stuff that isn't shown on American Idol," he added.

The show will be Cowell's first scripted effort, although the final episode will be live.

The last show Cowell produced was a dating programme called Cupid which received mixed reviews in the US.

The series involved a woman searching for a husband with the help of her two friends.

Love to hate

Contestant Lisa Shannon was paired up with a trader from Chicago - they will win $1m (�615,000) if they marry and stay together for a year.

Simon Cowell was recently named the highest-earning British celebrity with his own TV production company in a media rich list.

The 43-year-old topped a chart published in Broadcast magazine in August, with a �30m fortune.

Cowell is currently appearing in the second UK series of Pop Idol and is once again causing controversy.

A contestant who was rebuffed by the acid-tongued judge is releasing a punk single ridiculing Cowell after he was told he would never be a pop star on the show in August.

Daniel Cairns, 22, of Oxford, is releasing a reply, called How High is my Waste Band?