The life of a Jewish family in Washington DC is to be dramatised by the television network behind The Sopranos and Sex and the City.

HBO has ordered a pilot episode of a series, starring Ben Stiller and written by novelist Jonathan Safran Foer. A film adaptation of Mr Safran Foer's post-9/11 novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Clos will be in cinemas later this year.

Mr Stiller is set to produce and direct the show, titled All Talk, in conjunction with The Social Network's producer, Scott Rudin. M*A*S*H actor Alan Alda is said to be in talks to co-star.

Although no date has yet been set to start filming, the series is being described as a "politically, religiously, culturally, intellectually and sexually irreverent," look at the daily and life-altering dramas of a Jewish family

HBO's president of programming, Michael Lombardo, said: "Ben Stiller continues to be a major, multi-talented star because of his discerning ability to embrace creative and innovative projects - whatever the medium.

"The common thread is always the excellence of the material."