Back in August 2011 we reported that Showtime was partnering with Stephen King and Steven Spielberg to turn King’s novel Under the Dome into a series . In an interesting turn of events, the project has jumped over to CBS, who have now ordered 13 episodes of the Amblin Television produced drama. Neal Baer of Law and Order: SVU and ER is set to be the showrunner. Brian K. Vaughan (Y the Last Man, Lost) penned the pilot script and will serve as an executive producer.

A couple of things are unusual: First the network decided to forgo the usual pilot development process. Second, the series is scheduled to air in the summer when CBS has typically relied on reality programing. And finally, it’s a serialized show, which CBS has tended to veer away from.“This is a great novel coming to the television screen with outstanding auspices and in-season production values to create a summer programming event,” said Nina Tassler, President of CBS Entertainment. “We’re excited to transport audiences Under the Dome and into the extraordinary world that Stephen King has imagined.”Under the Dome is the story of a small New England town that is suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an enormous transparent dome. The town’s inhabitants must deal with surviving the post-apocalyptic conditions while searching for answers to what this barrier is, where it came from and if and when it will go away.Simon & Schuster will cross-promote the television series and book in advance of the show’s summer launch with the April 2013 re-release of trade paperback and electronic editions from its Pocket Books imprint.Roth Cornet is an Entertainment Editor for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @JRothC and IGN at Roth-IGN