"The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (2008)

Director:

Anthony Minghella

Writers (WGA):

Richard Curtis (teleplay) &
Anthony Minghella (teleplay) ...

TV Series:

"The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" (2008)

Original Air Date:

23 March 2008 (Season 1, Episode 0)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Family | Mystery

Plot:

A Botswanan woman starts up the country's first female-owned detective agency. Based on the series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith.

Plot Keywords:

Infidelity | Cattle | Blood Transfusion | Kidnapping | Imposter

Cast

Jill Scott	...	Precious Ramotswe
Anika Noni Rose	...	Grace Makutsi
Lucian Msamati	...	JLB Matekoni
Nikki Amuka-Bird	...	Alice Busang (as Nikki Amuka Bird)
Desmond Dube	...	BK
Tumisho Masha	...	Lucky Sesana
Bongeka Mpongwana	...	Happy Bapetsi
David Oyelowo	...	Kremlin Busang
John Kani	...	Daddy Bapetsi
Vusi Kunene	...	Doctor Gulubane
Harriet Lenabe	...	Mma Notshi (as Harriet Manamela)
Colin Salmon	...	Note Makoti
Idris Elba	...	Charlie Gotso
Lindani Nkosi	...	Hector Lepodise
Vasco Shoba	...	Obed Ramotswe

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

UK | South Africa | Botswana | USA

Language:

Tswana | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Gaborone, South-East District, Botswana

Company:

Film Afrika Worldwide

Trivia:

The film's producers have signed a 10 year lease for the area at the foot of Kgale Hill, Gaborone, where they have built the fictional shopping center where Precious Ramotswe opens her storefront detective agency.

Soundtrack:

Khutshanyana

Good Easter Sunday Fayre

The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency was the first novel in the series by Alexander McCall Smith and as such the first to be turned into a television adaptation. It was aired on BBC1 on Sunday 23rd March 2008, Easter Sunday. This time-slot has traditionally been a chance for the BBC to show a production which will appeal to all the family and N1LDA fitted the category very well.

After a slow start to help introduce the characters, the work of Precious starts in earnest. Over the remaining hour and a quarter we see how she solve cases relating to unfaithful husbands, idle fathers, insurance fraud and missing children. There are some comic moments and some heart breaking moments.

Overall the adaptation stayed very loyal to the book and remained a light hearted look at life in Botswana. The production quality was very good with the Botswanian Tourist Board probably very happy at the positive light their country is portrayed under. For those people wanting something grittier, you'll be disappointed, but for everyone else looking for 1¾ of escapism, this is what you're looking for.