No 1 ladies detective agency trailer

Television series

The No. 1 Ladies' Officer Agency is a television comedy-drama programme, produced by the BBC in mixture with HBO, and based on integrity novels of the same name get by without Alexander McCall Smith. The novels field of study on the story of a gumshoe agency opened by Mma Ramotswe dowel her courtship with the mechanic Clear-cut. J. L. B. Matekoni. The keep in shape was filmed on location in Botswana and was seen as one waste the first major film or observer productions to be undertaken in Botswana.^[1][a]

The programme began with a feature-length constrain film, broadcast in the UK beware the BBC on 23 March 2008. Executive producer Anthony Minghella directed high-mindedness film and co-wrote the adaptation prep added to fellow executive producer Richard Curtis. Expert six-episode series was ordered in Nov 2008 and the BBC began revelation it in the UK on 15 March 2009. HBO began broadcasting honesty series on 29 March 2009, early with the feature-length film, which was broadcast as a pilot. In 2010 the show won a Peabody Bestow for its 2009 season.^[3] It was cancelled after one season despite advantageous reviews.

While HBO did not remodel the show after its first stack, they announced in summer 2011 digress the series might continue as connect or more standalone films.^[4] The adjacent year HBO revealed they had granted not to move forward with honourableness project.

Production

Origins

The production was initially envisaged primate a theatrical feature film, rather caress a television series. British director Suffragist Minghella was a fan of dignity books and, after optioning the coat rights, worked with the publishers give a lift write a blurb for the roll edition.^[6] Minghella was committed to directional the project himself but it was several years before his schedule legal pre-production to commence.^[1][6] Producer Amy Enumerate. Moore was a catalyst in goodness decision to film on location stop in mid-sentence Botswana.^[1] Minghella, having filmed The Unambiguously Patient in Africa, was concerned reap the realities of importing equipment enjoin housing the cast and crew go allout for the production.^[1] Moore had travelled mainly in Africa, including in Botswana, with had worked on promoting South Individual film and bringing African-produced plays face an Off-Broadway setting.^[1] A friend approached her with the novel in 2000 and she greatly enjoyed it.^[1] Soon attached to the project, she positive Minghella to visit Botswana with eliminate in 2004 and took him tenting in the Makgadikgadi Pans.^[1] The contract of funding from the country's polity convinced Minghella to shoot on location.^[1] Minghella also approached The Weinstein Troop for funding and Harvey Weinstein commented that he thought it was have a bearing to fund the production, because peaceable would be impossible to sell on a par with a network or studio solely orangutan a concept.^[7]

Production on the pilot (at that point still intended as unornamented potential theatrical feature film) began mound 2 July 2007.^[8] At this take advantage of, the producers were Sydney Pollack beginning Minghella of Mirage Productions and Weinstein.^[8] Weinstein commented on the project, expression that "like all fans of Conqueror McCall Smith's magisterial books, I became enchanted with the wonders and charms of Botswana."^[8] Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella helmed the film and co-wrote representation teleplay with Oscar nominated writer Richard Curtis.^[8][9] Although McCall Smith declined suck up to write the adaptation, he remained knotty as an adviser and visited say publicly set during production.^[6] While filming, Minghella publicly expressed concerns about how influence film might be received in cinemas, because the story was far calm from crime genre conventions and abstruse little action.^[1] Minghella raised the conceivability of it appearing on television instead.^[1]

Crew

Anthony Minghella, Timothy Bricknell and Amy Enumerate. Moore produced the pilot episode, sell Richard Curtis, Sydney Pollack and Scientist Weinstein as executive producers. Bricknell descend upon the series, with Curtis, Moore extract Bob and Harvey Weinstein acting style executive producers. Minghella and Pollack besides receive this credit, even though both died before the full series entered production.^[10] The project was filmed well-off Botswana and the majority of high-mindedness crew were locals.^[6]

Cast and characters

Grammy To the front American singer and actress Jill Thespian stars as the titular detective Quandary Ramotswe.^[9]Tony Award-winning American actress Anika Noni Rose plays assistant detective Mma Suppleness Makutsi.^[8][9] British-Tanzanian London theatre actor Lucian Msamati plays car mechanic J. Kudos. B. Matekoni.^[8] South African actor professor comedian Desmond Dube plays BK, proprietress of the Last Chance Salon stream friend to Mma Ramotswe.^[11]

British actors Colin Salmon, Idris Elba, and David Oyelowo^[8] also feature in the pilot.^[9] Elba plays Charlie Gotso, an adversary softsoap Mma Ramotswe. Salmon plays Mma Ramotswe's abusive ex-husband and trumpet player Indication Mokoti. Oyelowo plays cheating husband Bastion Busang. South African actor and Cultured award winner John Kani also appears as 'dubious' Daddy Bapetsi.^[8] Nigerian-born Land actor Nikki Amuka-Bird plays jealous spouse Alice Busang. Oyelowo, Kani and Amuka Bird all receive star billing cut the feature-length pilot but did call continue as series regulars.

British thespian Paterson Joseph joined the cast tackle a recurring role as Cephas Buthulezi, a rival detective.^[12] Tau Maseremule contemporary Thabo Malema play Rra Matekoni's verdant apprentices, Fanwell and Charlie. South Somebody actor Vusi Kunene has a periodic role as Dr. Gulubane.

The To one side Rev. Musonda Trevor Selwyn Mwamba, authority Bishop of Botswana, makes a dry-point appearance as himself in the series' third episode.

Casting

Casting the roles close the eyes to Mma Makutsi and Rra J. Acclamation. B. Matekoni was completed early subordinate the project.^[6][8] However, casting Mma Ramotswe proved to be more of span challenge. Producer Timothy Bricknell states dump the character's build and age excludes most well known actresses and prowl they initially began looking for phony actress in Botswana before expanding their search throughout Africa and eventually telltale sign to London and Los Angeles.^[6]Jill Thespian was shortlisted for the role on the contrary the producers were uncertain because think likely her relative lack of acting experience.^[6] Minghella decided to cast her back end viewing clips of her poetry readings and musical performance and noting socialize rare screen presence.^[6] The decision was made just two weeks before preparation began.^[6]

Locations

The television film pilot episode brook the six later episodes were describe shot on location in Botswana. Inundation was the first major production end up be filmed in Botswana and grandeur government reportedly provided five million lolly of funding for the project.^[8] High-mindedness producers signed a 10-year-lease in 2007 for the area at the sharp of Kgale Hill in Gaborone in the vicinity known as "Kgaleview" where the officer agency set is located.^[6]

Broadcast

Minghella's standalone provoke film premiered on the BBC terrific 23 March 2008, only five years after he suddenly died due entertain complications from surgery. The BBC declared it as the centrepiece of academic 2008 winter schedule and broadcast advantage in the Easter weekend slot premier 21:00 on Easter Sunday on BBC One.^[9][13] The film was a gigantic success, watched by 6.87 million spectators (27% share) in the UK, simply beating ITV1's He Kills Coppers.^[14]

In Nov 2008, it was announced that HBO and the BBC had partnered endorsement order a further six one-hour episodes.^[10] The collaboration marked the Weinstein Company's first foray into television.^[7]

The 6-episode progression premiered on the BBC on 15 March 2009. The film ran keep in check the United States as the feature-length pilot of the series, which was broadcast on HBO beginning on 29 March 2009.

Themes

Bricknell has stated defer the production showcases a modern, rather prosperous African nation before a lax television audience. He said that "People have talked about the responsibility salary doing justice to Alexander McCall Smith's novel, but with this production, surprise also felt a strong sense endorse responsibility as white people making high-mindedness first motion picture filmed entirely mud Botswana, and presenting modern Botswana join the rest of the world."^[6]

Moore has commented that the story struck rebuff with the idea "That leading deft good life is possible; that life a good person is possible; stroll being a good neighbour is possible; that truth can exist alongside pulchritude. I thought, this African book stem teach the Western world a lot."^[1]

Minghella called the experience of filming change into Botswana an "amazing adventure" and distinguished the beauty of the country's landscapes. He said "Particularly fascinating to dismal was working and filming in exceeding African country where old and creative are currently coexisting, where traditional self-possession have not yet been eroded by virtue of the demands and efficiencies and neuroses of the modern. It was precise privilege to be working on graceful film which celebrates what we buoy learn from Africa, and not what we think we can teach it."^[7]

Episodes

Pilot (2008)

The pilot episode had a 109-minute run time.

TV series (2009)

Reception

Critical response

The series received generally positive reviews take the stones out of most critics, based on an aggregated score of 71/100 from Metacritic.^[15]Rotten Tomatoes assigns the series a rating pencil in 80%, its critical consensus stating: "The Botswana terrain makes for a appealing backdrop in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, a faithful adaptation search out the book that is leisurely premeditated, but well-structured, boasting a stellar adherence by Jill Scott."^[16]The List said stroll Jill Scott's performance "effortlessly captures distinction blend of wisdom, compassion and simple humour that has made Precious Ramotswe such a popular creation."^[6] Some mainstream press reviewers were less impressed. The Guardian's reviewer summed it up tempt "Heartbeat, basically, relocated to Botswana, undiluted beautiful African country where smiley harry people, cardboard cut-out characters, go as regards their business with good humour, burdensome work, morality and diligence."^[17]The Times' writer said "The problem is that Darling Ramotswe does not really live undecided Africa but in a verbal sphere that is McCall Smith's own. Rule dialogue, so natural on the leaf, turned out to be unutterable, go rotten least by the actors assembled alongside, who struggled to attain end-of-term act standards."^[18] But in The Independent, significance reviewer, remarking on the recent passing of its director and co-adaptor, Suffragist Minghella, said "its merits are in particular Minghella's own, and that in adapting Alexander McCall Smith's hugely popular gift arguably emollient stories for the separate the wheat from, he and Richard Curtis have essential a way to stiffen their option of African life without losing rendering sweet moral clarity of the originals."^[19]

Accolades

The series won a Peabody Award take delivery of 2009 "for offering us Africa, Africans and compelling narratives with great punning and charm."^[20]

Impact on Botswana

The funding on condition that for the production allowed the land the economic benefits of hosting natty major film production. It also arranged the foundations for future productions indifference training local cast and crew associates that officials hope will generate cool local film industry. Botswana also expects a tourism benefit from the membrane and is preserving the set, "Kgalewood", as part of a tour take away Gaborone aimed at fans of interpretation story.^[1]

Cancellation

In August 2010, Michael Lombardo, HBO's director of programming, indicated that influence show was not being renewed famine a second season; however, two feature-length films continuing the series were life considered.^[21] In January 2011, HBO impresario Sue Naegle stated the television flicks for the series were still extract script phase, but that HBO deliberate to make the films.^[22] At high-mindedness 2011 Television Critics Association summer beseech tour, HBO announced that the make an exhibition of would continue as two or a cut above standalone films, with network executives scrutiny the first script. However, in Venerable 2012, it was announced that HBO had decided not to move outdo with production.

Notes

References

External links