AceShowbiz -

Eva Longoria is officially returning to TV with "Telenovela". She will play the lead role and executive produce the half-hour comedy about the hilarious behind-the-scenes craziness of a popular Spanish show. It gets a 13-episode order for the 2015-2016 season in NBC.

The former "Desperate Housewives" star is set to portray Ana Maria, "the beautiful and overly dramatic diva star of a popular telenovela." The Latin America diva strives to stay on top in a world where the drama on-camera is nothing compared to the drama off-camera.

"There are few actresses with as much international appeal as Eva Longoria," said Jennifer Salke, NBC Entertainment President. "She is a perfect fit for 'Telenovela.' Her character will try to navigate the hysteria and high jinks that everyone must endure in putting together a daily show."

The Chairman Robert Greenblatt added, "We love our producing relationship with Eva and we're so thrilled she wants to step back in front of the camera to show off her comedic side on this show. In a world where telenovelas are so popular on Spanish-speaking television as the Latino audience continues to grow everywhere, we think this show is very much of the moment."

The single camera comedy is expected to debut in fall. At the Television Critics Association over the weekend, Greenblatt said he approached NBC's Spanish-language sister company, Telemundo, about using "snippets" of its novelas as the "show within the show."