First Look: The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency on HBO

BuzzSugar — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:30:13 -0800

A project I've been curious about for a while now is the television adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's book series The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. We first heard about it when it was planned as a movie directed by Anthony Minghella; now, almost two years later, it's been turned into a seven-episode series for the small screen that will premiere March 29 on HBO.

Before his death, Minghella directed the first two hours of the series, which centers on Precious Ramotswe, the woman in charge of Botswana's only female-run detective agency who not only investigates cases but serves as a kind of makeshift therapist to all who come to see her. Jill Scott stars as Ramostwe, with Anika Noni Rose and The Wire's Idris Elba in supporting roles.

This project apparently went through quite a lot to make it to the screen, and I'm curious to check out the finished product (which also aired in the UK last year). To check out a trailer for the series, just read more.

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HBO Has Female-Driven Programming On Deck

BuzzSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:31:11 -0700

This year we've seen two network TV shows, Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle, that have tried to recreate the magic of HBO's Sex and the City, with mixed results. By contrast, HBO itself is moving on, leaving SATC for the big screen and once again developing interesting and unexpected female-driven projects.

Jill Scott and Anika Noni Rose will star in Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella's adaptation of the popular book series the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. The project, about an all-female private detective agency in Botswana, was originally developed as a movie. Variety reports that this story will now be told on the small screen as HBO has ordered 13 episodes of it. If this sounds confusingly similar to another recent female detective project, never fear, I've broken down the differences between the two. As for the other female-led show HBO has on deck, it's a little quirky, so read more.

Actually, "quirky" is probably a generous way to describe this other HBO project, though I think it will end up being quirky-awesome, not quirky-awkward. Apparently, The comedy is titled Driving Around With Joni and follows "a woman who spends her days driving around Los Angeles with her French bulldog, looking for meaning in her life after the sudden death of her husband." No word on who will star as the widow. Got suggestions?

French bulldog image source