The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (TV series)
| The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency | |
|---|---|
Title sequence
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| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Created by |
Based upon the novels by Alexander McCall Smith Developed for TV by Richard Curtis & Anthony Minghella |
| Written by | Richard Curtis Nicholas Wright Robert Jones |
| Directed by |
Anthony Minghella Charles Sturridge Tim Fywell |
| Starring |
Jill Scott Anika Noni Rose Lucian Msamati Desmond Dube |
| Composer(s) | Gabriel Yared |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom United States |
| Original language(s) | English, Tswana |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 7 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Bob Weinstein Harvey Weinstein Anthony Minghella Sydney Pollack Richard Curtis Amy J. Moore |
| Producer(s) | Timothy Bricknell |
| Location(s) | Botswana |
| Cinematography |
Seamus McGarvey Giulio Biccari |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network |
BBC One / BBC HD (UK) HBO (USA) |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original release | 23 March 2008 – 19 April 2009 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a television comedy-drama series, produced by the BBC in conjunction with HBO, and based on the novels of the same name by Alexander McCall Smith. The novels focus on the story of a detective agency opened by Mma Ramotswe and her courtship with the mechanic Mr. JLB Matekoni. The series was filmed on location in Botswana and was seen as one of the first major film or television productions to be undertaken in Botswana. (The Gods Must Be Crazy, a 1980 film set in Botswana was filmed mainly in South Africa).
The programme began with a feature-length pilot episode on 23 March 2008. Executive producer Anthony Minghella directed the episode and co-wrote the adaptation with fellow executive producer Richard Curtis. A six-episode series concluded in the UK on 19 April 2009. HBO began broadcasting the series on 29 March 2009. In 2010 the show won a Peabody Award for its 2009 season. It was cancelled due to poor ratings.
While HBO failed to renew the show after its first season, HBO announced in summer 2011 that the show may continue as two or more standalone films. The following year HBO revealed they had decided not to move forward with the project. Producers may look to resurrect the show on another network.
The production was initially envisaged as a film rather than a television adaptation. British director, the late Anthony Minghella was a known fan of the books and after optioning the film rights he worked with the publishers to write a blurb for the paperback edition. Minghella was committed to directing the project himself but it was several years before his schedule allowed pre-production to commence. Producer Amy J. Moore was a catalyst in the decision for an on location production in Botswana. Minghella, having filmed The English Patient in Africa, was concerned with the realities of importing equipment and housing the cast and crew for the production. Moore had travelled extensively in Africa, including in Botswana, and had worked on promoting South African film and bringing African-produced plays to an Off-Broadway setting. A friend approached her with the novel in 2000 and she greatly enjoyed it. Once attached to the project, she convinced Minghella to visit Botswana with her in 2004 and took him camping in the Makgadikgadi Pans. The promise of funding from the country's government convinced Minghella to shoot on location. Minghella also approached The Weinstein Company for funding and Harvey Weinstein has commented that he thought it was important to fund the production because it would be impossible to sell to a network or studio solely as a concept.
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