OUTtv and No Equal Entertainment are developing Mezcalero, an hour-long drama series based on the Detective Sanchez novels written by T.E. Wilson. 

The novels, published by Boularderie Island Press, follow a transgender Mexican-Canadian private detective who is drawn into a missing persons case in Mazatlan, Mexico.

The series is created by James Motluk (Konowal) and J.B. Sugar (Bitten), who also serve as executive producers. Motluk will pen the pilot episode. No Equal optioned the rights to the book to develop for television.

Casting director Russell Boast, president of the Casting Society of America (CSA) and head of the organization’s Inclusion and Diversity Committee, recently led a world-wide open casting call for transgender actors and will serve as casting consultant for the series.

Mezcalero has received funding through the CMF Pilot Export Program and the Bell Fund Slate Development Fund.

No Equal Entertainment is currently pursuing Mexican coproduction partners, and will head to Mexico’s third-annual creative trade show Mercado, Industria, Cine y Audiovisual (MICA), where Canada is the country of honour.