The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

To viewers puzzled or mystified by the very notion of “Africa,” to those who dwell on images of jungles, safaris, drought and famine, this television series may come as something of a revelation. Based on the novels of Alexander McCall Smith, who created the fictional No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, this production presents an Africa, specifically a Botswana, filled with familiar characters—the loyal friend and suitor, the bossy secretary, the abusive former husband—populating an extraordinarily beautiful landscape and thriving in a mid-size town. At the center of this group—and of events that take place there—is Mma Precious Ramotswe, played with exquisite, flamboyant precision by Jill Scott. Events demanding the services of a “lady detective” take place here as perhaps they do everywhere, in manners sometimes commonplace, sometimes disturbing. The mysteries she and her friends solve are sometimes trivial, sometimes dangerous, but always engaging. In short, this community is like all others—just like ours, only a little different. For offering us Africa, Africans and compelling narratives with great wit and charm, a Peabody Award goes to The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.