Mexico's Televisa to Produce English-Language Series, Starting with 'Duality'

Mexican media and telecommunications corporation Grupo Televisa, S.A.B., today announced it will greenlight production of multiple English-language series to fuel its own original content demands as well as those from the growing global on-demand and traditional TV markets. Among the first to utilize the 1991 Mexican-Canadian tax treaty for scripted series – together with Vancouver-based Odyssey Media - Televisa will offer the debut series in this venture, Duality, starring Dougray Scott (Hemlock Grove, Desperate Housewives), at MIPCOM.

Duality is the story of an elite, top-secret team of State Department, CIA and Mexican intelligence agents within Mexico who wage war against the world’s most dangerous villains operating in Latin America. The series, based on an original story from writer-producer Barry Schkolnick (The Good Wife), depicts characters on dangerous missions while battling their own personal demons, maintaining their secret identities and encountering life-threatening conflicts.

Duality and each series that follows will have globally recognized talent, combining star power from English-speaking markets with Latino superstars. They will attract the acculturated English-speaking U.S. Hispanic viewers highly coveted by U.S. networks.

“Our competitive advantage with unparalleled production capabilities and multi-platform networks gives us the scale to deliver the global market multiple high-quality series, and with creative casting we can target a powerful multicultural audience in the U.S., “said Televisa USA’s Philip.

Televisa’s Clemesha added, “Televisa brings to this venture access to our award-winning producers and directors; the economies of scale of shooting in Mexico with Televisa's facilities and crew; as well as the latitude to adapt formats from both Televisa’s massive library of formats and third-party rights holders.”

Mexico is among 53 nations that have signed co-production treaties with the Canadian government. The pacts enable producers and talent from each of the countries to co-finance, develop and appear in film and TV projects that are creatively and economically advantageous for both partners.