Easy Rawlins TV Series

Walter Mosley

Deadline Hollywood reports that John Wells Prodctions (Southland, Mildred Pierce) has sold the Easy Rawlins series to NBC.

NBC’s Easy Rawlins is based on Walter Mosley’s best-selling novels about Black P.I. Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, who finds himself solving crimes and dealing with the changing world around him in 1960s Los Angeles. (The books are set from 1940s to 1960s.) Easy is a reluctant, self-taught P.I. with a conscience and a soul – and he easily slips between white Los Angeles and the black underground.

Mosley will write the series adaptation with Southland co-executive producer Cheo Coker. A drama adaptation of Mosley’s Easy Rollins book series, which spanned 11 novels, was previously developed by USA Network 7 years ago. Additionally, Mosley served as an executive producer on the 2003 CBS drama pilot The Law & Mr. Lee, about an Oakland-based private eye played by Danny Glover. Easy Rawlins is the second project based on a well-known mystery series books with a minority protagonist to be set up at the broadcast networks this season. CBS recently bought a drama based on Leslie Glass’ Alice Woo novels from CBS TV Studios and Apostle.