Customer Reviews

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: The Complete First Season

5 star:		(206)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Okay so it doesn't follow the book entirely but I really enjoyed it, almost as much as I have enjoyed the books over the years.

It has been shown on English TV already so this will contain spoilers.

The movies follows a recently bereaved woman Mma Ramotste, well acted by the little known actress Jill Scott as she sets up the only Private Detective Agency in Botswana and her attempts to get it off the ground with the help of her new secretary Mma Makutsi played by the versatile Anika Noni Rose, and Mr JLB Matekoni, the owner and super mechanic of the wonderful Speedy Motors, played by Lucian Msamati. Follow Mma Ramotste as she takes on cases, meets many new people who need her help from a woman who thinks the man who has turned up at her door is not her father, to another lady who has a boyfriend who may or may not be faithful to her.

Filmed in Botswana and South Africa, the film tries to be as faithful as it can be to McCall Smith's books and I loved every second of it!

This is the pilot movie for a new series, so lets hope it is successful!

I saw the premier of the Mc Call Smith "the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency on HBO - it was a wonderful production and the cast fit my imagined characters perfectly (I have read all eight books in this series). I can only recommend this to readers and viewers as a great experience.

Its a shame that people who have read the books are comparing it to the HBO version. I haven't read the books, so I am seeing it with fresh, unbiased eyes. I LOVE IT!!! It is well acted, funny, and it transports you to a wonderful and beautiful place where people live regular lives who have the same hopes and dreams as everyone else in the world. I can't wait til next season!

I see there is some confusion in some of the other reviews of this fantastic show whether or not the sale of this DVD is for the pilot only or the complete first season. I was confused at first, myself, until I enlarged the picture of the DVD advertised and under the title it clearly states "Complete First Season" so I can only surmise from this that I will receive all 7 shows on this one DVD that I have pre-ordered. I hope you are all able to come to this same conclusion, as well. This is one of the best shows I've ever encountered and cannot wait for the 2nd Season to start.

I've actually looked forward to Sunday evenings for the past seven weeks because of this series. Jill Scott is excellent in the role of Precious Ramotswe and her supporting cast is spot on. Though there are a few new characters and yes the series does not follow the books religiously, it is a wonderful combination of books meet film.

I will be going through withdrawal until the series returns for it's second season.

As the previous reviewer stated, it's not entirely faithful to the events in the books, but it is very faithful to the spirit. Precious takes her inheritance from her father and sets up her detective agency, finds a secretary and a good mechanic for her van, and solves her first cases. It ends very satisfactorily with a celebration for two large contributions to the local orphanage, engineered by Precious, and a proposal of marriage, turned down, for now, by Precious. The actors are wonderful, the Botswana locale and people fabulous. I couldn't wait for the US version, I ordered it from Amazon UK and watched it on my multi-region DVD player (bought from amazon.com for under $60).

I must say that I didn't expect to adore this series to this extent. I have watched each episode numerous times and each watching reveals something that I missed before. An A+++++

I have read all the books in Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series (including the latest) and the actors used in the HBO series were just as I imagined they would be. Mma Makutsi and her nervous energy and Jill Scott has done a superb job in portraying the bravery and spirit I imagined Mma Ramotswe would possess. I could watch them over and over as I have read the books more than once!

I didn't even know the book was made into a movie until I happened upon it late last night flipping channels. Mma Ramotswe's heart is the best component of this movie and these stories. She is truthful, loving, and caring with a mind that wraps around life like warm blanket. She uses her intellect to make her Botswana a better the place, the kind of place she knows it is at its core.
This is an uplifting morvie that I will always treasure.

Sometimes "not entirely faithful to the book" is a good thing.. as in this case. I highly recommend the books, audio books, and now this excellent tv program. wonderful charactors... even the few not in the books are perfect additions... and perfectly cast. I can hardly wait for more episodes and the latest book (due 4-22).