The hills are set to be alive with the sound of Carrie Underwood, when the country-pop star takes on the role of Maria Von Trapp in the upcoming TV adaption of the Sound of Music.

The former American Idol winner will take on the famous role in a new TV production for NBC, based on the much-loved Broadway original. The latest adaptation will see Underwood perform live over a three-hour broadcast, set to air next year, a network executive revealed yesterday (Nov 30th).

The TV adaption is being produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the production team behind NBC’s well-received musical series Smash, as well as having helmed the acclaimed film versions of musical hits Chicago and Hairspray, so there's few worries over whether those in charge will know what they're doing. The pair are also in charge of the upcoming Academy Awards Ceremony in February, so expect a song and dance or two for then.

The Sound of Music was the final work of acclaimed musical writers Rogers and Hammerstein, with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer starring in the original film adaptation in 1965, six years after the original show hit Broadway. The show itself, set in pre-WW2 Austria, is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, an aspiring nun who becomes a governess for widowed navy Captain's seven children, eventually falling in love with her employer and questioning her religious calling.