Oscar-winning British writerJulian Fellowes (Gosford Park) is to adapt his best-selling novel Snobsfor UK television - having been commissioned by the BBC's Gareth Neame.

The novel, published lastyear, is a comedy about a middle-class woman on the make, trying to gatecrashinto high society circles. It is likely to be made into a three-part dramaseries. Whether or not Fellowes will direct is yet to be determined.

The news of the Snobsfilm comes as Fellowes is enjoying a stage hit with his version of MaryPoppins, directed by Sir Richard Eyre and choreographed by Matthew Bourne,which opened in London on December 15th.

Fellowes has not ruled outthe possibility that the production maybe adapted again for the screen. "I don't think there would be afilm for a long while. A musical has a kind of life and I think it's veryunlikely that either Disney or Cameron Mackintosh would want to interfere withthe natural life of the show," Fellowes told ScreenDaily.com.

Last year, Fellowescompleted his own directorial debut, an adaptation of Nigel Balchin's novel, AWay Through The Woods.

The project, co-financed byFox/DNA and Celador, has now been re-titled Separate Lives.

Starring Tom Wilkinson,Emily Watson and Rupert Everett, it's the story of the breakdown of a seeminglyperfect marriage. Though the film is complete, Fox is yet to set a date for UKdistribution.