IMDb RATING
8.2/10
3.5K
YOUR RATING
A woman opens her own detective agency in Botswana.A woman opens her own detective agency in Botswana.A woman opens her own detective agency in Botswana.
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
3.5K
YOUR RATING
- Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys
- 5 wins & 17 nominations total
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Storyline
After her father's death, sensible and cheerful Mma Precious Ramotswe sells her inherited cattle and opens the country's only female-owned detective agency. She hires Botswana Secretarial College graduate (97% in the final exams!) Grace Makutsi as her assistant. Together they solve problems big and small with their wisdom, big hearts, and endless cups of red-bush tea. Meanwhile, Mma Ramotswe's best friend, mechanic Mr. JLB Matekoni, hopes for a chance to win her heart... Based on Alexander McCall Smith's best-selling book series. —L. Hamre
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- TV-PG
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Did you know
- TriviaIn the course of trying to gain weight before playing the role of Precious Ramotswe, Jill Scott noticed that she had gained seven pounds in one week (an extremely fast and potentially unhealthy weight gain). Concerned, she went to her doctor and discovered the day before she left for Botswana that she was pregnant. After she finished filming the first season, Scott returned to the US and in April 2009, gave birth to her son, Jett Hamilton Roberts.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards (2009)
Top review
A Sparkling Jewel!
Sometimes a series comes along that outshines all the rest. The #1 Ladies' Detective Agency is such a jewel of artistic excellence. When I first heard the buzz about a new HBO series, featuring an African-American female detective (who wasn't a size -2), my interest was sparked – and the previews only increased my impatience and anticipation. I can testify here and now that the cast, direction, and script writing always leave me wanting more.
Based on the best-selling novels by Alexander McCall Smith, #1 centers around Precious Ramotswe (Jill Scott), who left her homeland after burying her father and child. A victim of domestic abuse, Precious seeks a new life in Botswana, as the #1 Ladies' Detective". It's obvious by her adventurous spirit and career choice that she views herself as "made of strong stuff".
Strong stuff indeed! In no time, she opens her agency, hires a secretary Grace Makutsi, (Anika Rose), who proudly declares, "I've scored 97%, the highest in the history of the secretarial college!" Add a common-sense boyfriend with a bad case of shyness and a gay hairdresser with a perchance for flowery shirts and cute hats, and you have a recipe for weekly success.
It's not unusual for an episode to begin in good humor, only to end with this reviewer dissolved in tears and tissues. The stories feature sordid kidnappings, murder, and drug dealing to the usual suspects of cheating spouses, quarreling families, and petty thieves.
Yet the smartest element of this delightful show is the use of Botswana and its people as its weekly setting. The rich culture and customs woven into each mystery, provides us with characters and situations that never fail to fascinate. And in the end, what appears different strikes a familiar chord, because it's a small world after all.
Based on the best-selling novels by Alexander McCall Smith, #1 centers around Precious Ramotswe (Jill Scott), who left her homeland after burying her father and child. A victim of domestic abuse, Precious seeks a new life in Botswana, as the #1 Ladies' Detective". It's obvious by her adventurous spirit and career choice that she views herself as "made of strong stuff".
Strong stuff indeed! In no time, she opens her agency, hires a secretary Grace Makutsi, (Anika Rose), who proudly declares, "I've scored 97%, the highest in the history of the secretarial college!" Add a common-sense boyfriend with a bad case of shyness and a gay hairdresser with a perchance for flowery shirts and cute hats, and you have a recipe for weekly success.
It's not unusual for an episode to begin in good humor, only to end with this reviewer dissolved in tears and tissues. The stories feature sordid kidnappings, murder, and drug dealing to the usual suspects of cheating spouses, quarreling families, and petty thieves.
Yet the smartest element of this delightful show is the use of Botswana and its people as its weekly setting. The rich culture and customs woven into each mystery, provides us with characters and situations that never fail to fascinate. And in the end, what appears different strikes a familiar chord, because it's a small world after all.
helpful•213
- OutsideHollywoodLand
- Feb 2, 2010
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- Damernas detektivbyrå
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By what name was The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (2008) officially released in India in English?
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