Back in March, it was reported that Ghost, Dirty Dancing, and Roadhouse heartthrob Patrick Swayze had just five weeks to live before succumbing to pancreatic cancer. Well, screw that, says Swayze. His doctors have cleared him to return to work and the A&E Network's just ordered up a new season of his FBI drama The Beast. "A&E has ordered 13 hourlong episodes to go into production this summer in Chicago, with a tentative premiere set for early 2009."

"Beast, from Sony, centers on an unorthodox but effective FBI veteran (Swayze) who trains a new partner ([Travis] Fimmel) in his hard-edged and psychologically clever style of agenting while being pursued by a secret Internal Affairs team.

"In a statement, Swayze did not address his health, but network execs confirmed that his doctors have cleared him to resume work."

"'I have searched for quite a long time to find a character that is this mutilayered, unpredictable and downright entertaining as well as a project this current and cutting-edged,' he said." [The Hollywood Reporter]