Patrick Swayze To Start Work On New TV Drama

Patrick Swayze will start work this summer on a new drama series for A&E.

Reports from Swayze, whose battle with pancreatic cancer was revealed earlier this year, and from his doctors were behind a decision by A&E and Sony Pictures Television, who are producing the show, to green light the production, the NY Times reported.

“I can’t wait to get to work on this,” Swayze told the paper in an e-mail.

The drugs and experimental treatment Swayze has been undergoing have made going ahead with the project, where Swayze will play an FBI agent with a colorful past, possible according to Bob DeBitto, A&E’s executive vice president and general manager.

“Obviously we’ve had candid conversations with him and his doctors, and we have a fairly high degree of expectation that Patrick will be good to work a full production schedule,” DeBitto told the paper.

A&E were one day away from announcing “The Beast” in their primetime line up in March when Swayze gave them the news about his cancer diagnosis. The actor told producers and studio heads however, that he was determined to be fit enough to take on “The Beast” at a later date.

“He was very passionate about the role,” Sony studio executive Jamie. Erlicht said. “He called us personally after he got the news and he told us: ‘Guys, I have some horrible news. But if you can be patient and stand by me, I’m going to come back and do the show.’ ”

“He said: ‘I’m in great condition. I’m a cowboy. I’m a dancer. I’ll beat this,’” Sony executive Zack Van Amburg added.

The show will be shot in Chicago.

Swayze’s doctors are in California, but will monitor him closely, with the aide of Chicago doctors, the Times reported.