In his first piece of development since the hugely successful "CSI" franchise, Anthony Zuiker has teamed with LL Cool J for "The Man," a drama to star the rapper-actor.

CBS has given a put pilot commitment to the project, from CBS Paramount Network TV.

"The Man" will star LL Cool J as an undercover LAPD cop who spends the nights running sting operations to break criminal rings and the days raising his three adopted kids -- an abused boy with an aggression problem, a former streetwalker girl he put in community college and a skateboarder boy who is a recovering drug addict.

The cop's cover is being "the man" -- he is the go-to guy in the upper echelon of Los Angeles, a high-octane hustler who can do anything, from getting into the hottest nightclub in town to scoring tickets for a Lakers game.

"He is the only honest man on the wrong side of the law," Zuiker said.

As for the genre of the show, it will be a mix of the procedural crime drama Zuiker mastered to perfection on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and character-driven drama.

"We're going to have a different sting every week, while the children's stories will be serialized," he said.

To create the main character, Zuiker said he was inspired by LL Cool J's real story of a man with a double life -- a famous performing artist and family man with four children.

"He can be an amazing multiplatinum rapper and an amazing father," Zuiker said of LL Cool J. "He has such an amazing spirit and has an amazing connection with the audience."

For Zuiker, working with LL Cool J is a "childhood dream come true," he said. "I remember going to his concert when I was 14 years old, wanting to be as famous as him."

Fast-forward 24 years to August, when Zuiker received a call from CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler asking him if he would be interested in creating a show for LL Cool J, whom the network had just signed in a talent deal.

That same night, Zuiker came up with the concept for "The Man." He soon got to meet his childhood idol and pitch him his idea for the show.

"He loved it, and we're now officially in business," Zuiker said.

Zuiker is writing "The Man" and will executive produce the project. LL Cool J and his manager, Alchemy Entertainment's Jason Barrett, will serve as producers.

While he has high hopes of making "The Man" a hit, Zuiker is not planning to sever his ties with "CSI" -- the blockbuster franchise he created seven years ago -- anytime soon. The writer-producer, who is under an overall deal at CBS Par Network TV, executive produces all three series and co-runs "CSI: NY."

"This is a franchise that I will continue to be involved in," he said.

Zuiker is repped by CAA and Brillstein-Grey Entertainment.

LL Cool J's involvement in "The Man" stems from the rich talent deal he inked with CBS in July.

The rapper-actor has kept busy with film and TV projects during the past decade, including such recent features as this year's "Last Holiday" and 2003's "S.W.A.T." He did an episode of Fox's "House" last year, and from 1995-99 he co-starred on the sitcom "In the House," which aired on NBC and later on UPN. Earlier this year, he released his 12th album, "Todd Smith," on Def Jam Records.

LL Cool J additionally is repped by Endeavor and attorney Jason Sloane.