The network upfronts kick off this week but all the announcements are set to be dwarfed by the news that HBO is planning a TV series based on the Oscar-winning Martin Scorses directed picture "The Departed" says entertainment news channel WENG.

Scorsese, scribe William Monahan, and "The Wire" creator David Simon are set to executive produce the series which will use the same characters from the film but reconfigure the story for a more TV-friendly approach - thus as such this won't be a direct sequel or prequel.

The reports are that focus will move away from the two 'moles' and be spread across the ensemble, delving into more of the back story of the side characters like Captains Ellerby and Queenan. Flashbacks into the rise in power of Nicholson's Frank Costello will also serve as a key element.

The network has given the series a 13-episode order with production scheduled to begin in September for airing sometime in Fall 2009.