Timbaland has produced hits like Maneater and SexyBack

The 35-year-old, who has produced number one songs for Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado, will perform his hit single, The Way I Are, on the show.

"This is a new experience for me, I am looking forward to having a great time and sharing my music," he said.

Soul stars Mary J Blige and Erykah Badu have also performed on the show, which first hit screens in 1968.

Centred around the citizens of a fictional town in Philadelphia, the show has featured several actors who went on to Hollywood careers - including Tommy Lee Jones, Ryan Phillipe and Laurence Fishburne.

Timbaland first came to prominence as the studio cohort of rap star Missy Elliott.

He has since become one of hip-hop's most in-demand producers, working with acts like Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent.

In recent years, he has branched into pop music through his work with Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado - with whom he duetted on the UK number one single Give It To Me earlier this year.