Following the footsteps of rival network NBC's "The Sound of Music," Fox is entering the live musical business by producing "Grease Live." Adapting the 1971 Broadway musical and inspired by the 1978 film "Grease," the new production will run for three hours. It is touted as the first live screening of the 1971 Broadway musical production written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.

"Grease" is one of the most popular musical shows of recent decades. Shana C. Waterman, Fox's senior vice president of event series, said that they are excited to be doing this brilliant project. She added that the classic characters and the fascinating songs and catchy dance numbers fit their network perfectly.

The cast of "Grease Live" will feature a young group of performers, as befits their high-school-age characters. The audience can expect to hear the popular and endearing songs of the movie musical such as "Summer Nights," "We Go Together" and "Greased Lightnin'" by Casey and Jacob and "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "You're the One that I Want" by John Farrar.

The musical film adaptation, with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John as the lead characters Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson, was the biggest-grossing film released in 1978 and thereafter made even more money in home releases.

Produced by Paramount Television, Fox will broadcast "Grease Live" in 2015, most probably on a Sunday, speculated Entertainment Weekly.

The success of NBC's "The Sound of Music Live," a musical event shown last autumn, may have inspired Fox to begin this project. It was rumored that NBC scored almost 22 million viewers, including DVR playback with this live screening. It is arguable, however, that Fox revived interest in television-based musicals with their smash hit musical high school series, "Glee," which premiered in 2009.