The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Review by David Woodward

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency was a unique comedy-drama TV show filmed on-location in Botswana which borders South Africa. It was based on a series of 11 books by Alexander McCall Smith.

The storylines and setting were a cross between two other TV shows – the US detective series Cannon and the South African wildlife series Wild at Heart!

Although its premise might sound strange at first glance (the lead character sells her late father's cows and moves to the city to become Botswana's only female private detective), The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency gained a strong reputation and devoted audience when aired in 2008-09.

The initial pedigree of the production was impressive having been developed by Richard (Four Weddings and a Funeral) Curtis and Anthony (The English Patient) Minghella. Veteran film-maker Sydney Pollack was also an Executive Producer, although both Minghella and Pollack died before the series actually began production.

Grammy Award-winning singer/actress Jill Scott had the lead role playing Precious Ramotswe, a heavily built but infectiously likeable character (like Cannon) who used her wits, rather than technology, to solve mysteries.  

She was well supported by her loyal secretary (Anika Noni Rose who has appeared in Dreamgirls alongside Jamie Foxx), her hairdressing neighbour and some other trusted friends. There are also the occasional actors imported from the US (in Episode 4) and the UK (particularly in Episodes 5-7).

The scripts have a mixture of mystery and humour that soon become addictive to watch. The African chorus theme and other soundtrack music add to the atmosphere and are reminiscent of the music in Wild at Heart which was filmed in South Africa.

The 105-minute pilot was first screened a year before the series began. In fact, it was originally intended to have been a big screen theatrical release. The pilot sets the scene opening with traditional sequences in the African bush before moving to a town where Precious Ramotswe solves several inter-connecting mysteries.

The six 54-minute episodes of the series itself deal with the financial problems of the detective agency and cases involving such things as poisoning, disappearances, accidental deaths and a rival detective agency (in Episodes 6-7).  

A developing romance for Precious Ramotswe builds up to a surprisingly dramatic conclusion by the end of the series.

Precious often works on these cases for no fee and sometimes finds herself out in the African bush. This gives the viewer a chance to see varying aspects of life in modern-day Botswana while enjoying the way Precious solves the crimes she stumbles upon.

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is a TV series that is worth taking a look at!

DVD Special Features

This 3-DVD release of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency does not include any special features as such, but comes in special buff-cardboard packaging with traditional African graphics.

Conclusion: Episodes 75% Extras: 10%