February 18, 2014 - 12:31 AMT
Oscar winner Octavia Spencer to topline “Red Band Society” drama

Oscar winner Octavia Spencer is set as a lead in Fox’s drama project Red Band Society, from Amblin Television and ABC Studios, Deadline said.

Based on the acclaimed Spanish series Polseres Vermelles by Albert Espinosa, Red Band Society is a coming-of-age drama that explores with dark humor the daily lives of a group of teenagers living in a hospital who become unlikely friends.

Spencer will play Nurse Jackson, who works in the pediatrics ward. She’s an excellent, intuitive nurse and a tough customer who doesn’t put up with any crap from anyone.

Red Band Society, written by Margaret Nagle, has a “series prototype” order under Fox’s new development model, which involves a pilot and backup scripts.

This marks the first series regular role for Spencer, who won an Oscar for The Help. Earlier this season, she was attached to a Murder, She Wrote reboot at NBC and received a slew of pilot offers in the past couple of weeks before deciding on Red Band. Spencer most recently was in Fruitvale Station and next will be seen in the James Brown biopic Get On Up and Black And White opposite Kevin Costner.