The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

The pilot for this series is very very close to the book(s), in tone and in content, if a little lightweight. The book series was perfectly charming, original in concept, playful and dignified and respectful of the human hearts at the center of this African culture, and so was this pilot. I do very much look forward to watching the series - the actors are a pure pleasure, and there's plenty of time to beef up the plots - PLUS- some great music! NO murderous cops, rotting corpses, drooling vampires, autopsies upon which the ME and his assistant eat their sandwiches, waggling, eye-level rump/crotch shots, convoluted quasi-Machiavellian mafia mobsters, sub-literate scriptwriters, howlingly ignorant plot devices. An original premise ... What a concept...

I rarely watch anything more than once, but this series is so precious!!! I was in the Peace Corps in Lesotho, near to Botswana, and I feel like I am back there, in an environment that I loved. The stories ring true, though a few are a bit far-fetched. It saddens me that it was discontinued....for once I loved a series and it ended abruptly!!

I really didn't think I'd like this show, but wow, was I wrong. We all love this series in my house - old & young alike. It's one of the best kept secrets on TV. Now I want to buy some Bush Tea! It's "Feel Good Television" for sure....even when it deals with some very difficult topics. Jill Scott is just delectable as an actress; well, we just love everyone on the show, actually. You want something to make you smile?....watch "The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency"! I really hope they extend the series into more seasons. Oh, and the photography of Botswana - it's absolutely breath-taking. I never knew male giraffes behaved like that!....as they said in the show, it's just like males everywhere. It's a wonderful view of a place and people we know little about here in my little town in the middle of Canada.

When I heard about this show being airing on HBO, I was thrilled. My father had read several of the books and loved them (I have just started the first book). Although, from the first moments of the show I was still a bit skeptical. But when Mma opens her detective agency, the writing becomes some of the best I've seen on TV in years. There is a perfect mix between seriousness and fabulous humor.

Mma is a clever, witty woman, while her secretary and hairdresser add nothing more than many wonderful laughs. This show has fantastic characters played by wonderful actors.

I can only hope that this show stays on for many years to come!

A BBC & HBO co-production TV series based on the series of books by Alexander McCall Smith of the same title. Each episode is based on the events of one of each of the books. The shooting of the series was Anthony Minghella's project, who was executive producer and director of the pilot episode. However, after his sudden and unexpected death, his project was taken over and directed by other directors.

The novels tell the story of Mme Ramostwe, an independent traditionally-built woman who decides to open a detective agency to solve daily-life mysteries in her community. She counts with the help of her diligent but blunt secretary Grace Makutsy, and the constant help, support of love of master mechanic JLB Matekoni's. The story not only focuses on the mysteries the agency gets and resolves, but in the personal lives of the main characters.

I have read the books, and I can say that the series is not only a faithful adaptation of the novels, but better than they are. Although Smith books are extremely charming, with great characters and original settings and storyline, their poor literary value made them repetitive and soapy. The TV series, however, focus on the facts narrated in the book, with the same charm and freshness, but with the extra of the real Botswana in it and without any of the unnecessary repetitions and simplistic literary approach.

It is a pity that the main characters are not played by local actors, although, to be fair, the leading actors are all great in their respective roles. Jill Scott plays Mma Ramotswe convincingly, with great lightness and charm sometimes and with heartfelt dramatic feelings when required; moreover, she is a big gorgeous woman, comfortable with her size and curves, which is perfect for her character, who is just the same. Also stupendous in her role of secretary is Anika Nonie Rose, who gives the character a great comic twist beyond the nerve that the character has in the books. Zimbawaean Lucian Msamati is also great as the grounded soft-hearted Matekoni's; I have to confess that I expected him to be younger and thinner.

A refreshing highly entertaining series, with wonderful cinematography, insight into Botswana way of life, very good acting, and charming every-day mysteries. A breath of fresh air.