Nine has confirmed it has commissioned a new drama, Informer 3838, based on the life of gangland lawyer-turned-police informer Nicola Gobbo.

The announcement comes four months after it was revealed that Screentime, the production company behind the hit series Underbelly, was interested in dramatising the scandal that has engulfed Victoria's justice system. However, it is understood the new show will not be an official instalment of the broader Underbelly franchise.

“Informer 3838 is the incredible gangland war story that has it all – a rollercoaster of ambition, love, delusion, murder and epic betrayal,” Nine’s director of television, Michael Healy, said.

“It promises to be an explosive series about a well-connected young lawyer who put her life on the line, representing Melbourne’s underworld in court, and giving information about their criminal exploits to the police.”