The new seven-episode HBO drama series, THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY, based on the international bestselling novels by Alexander McCall Smith, premieres Sunday 1 August at 8:00 pm on HBO Signature and Monday 30 August at 11:00 pm on HBO / HBO HD with a two-hour pilot special.




Filmed in Botswana and starring Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter, Jill Scott, as the heroine Precious Ramotswe, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency chronicles the adventures of Precious, an eminently sensible and wise proprietor of the only female-owned detective agency in Botswana. Aided by her highly efficient yet rather peculiar secretary Grace Makutsi, Precious investigates cases, helps people solve problems in their lives, and begins a special friendship with the highly respectable owner of a garage.

Also starring in THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY are Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls) as Grace Makutsi, and Lucian Msamati as Precious Ramotswe’s devoted suitor, JLB Matekoni. Guest stars in the pilot include David Oyelowo (The Last King of Scotland), Idris Elba (HBO’s The Wire), Colin Salmon (Die Another Day) and Tony winner, John Kani (Final Solution).


Directed by the late Anthony Minghella (Oscar® winner for The English Patient), the two-hour pilot for THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY serves as the first episode of the HBO series. Executive producers of the pilot were the late Sydney Pollack (Oscar® winner for Out of Africa), Richard Curtis (Emmy® winner for HBO’s The Girl in the Café), Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein. Anthony Minghella, Timothy Bricknell and Amy J. Moore served as producers on the pilot.

Says Richard Plepler, co-president of HBO, “Alexander McCall Smith’s wonderful books have been a sensation around the world for years, and we’re thrilled to be teaming up with the BBC and The Weinstein Company (TWC) to adapt these highly entertaining stories for HBO. Needless to say, the opportunity to work with the exceptionally gifted Anthony Minghella and Richard Curtis makes this project all the more exciting.”


The series is now under the supervision of Richard Curtis, who also wrote the screenplay for the pilot with Anthony Minghella. New episodes of THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY are written by Nicholas Wright and Robert Jones, and directed by Charles Sturridge and Tim Fywell. The new episodes are once again produced by Timothy Bricknell and executive produced by Richard Curtis, Amy J. Moore, Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein.


Don’t miss Emmy®-nominated THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY when it premieres with a two-hour pilot special on Sunday 1 August at 8:00 pm on HBO Signature. New hour-long episodes premiere daily at 9:00 pm. On HBO / HBO HD, the two-hour pilot premieres on Monday 30 August at 11:00 pm with new hour-long episodes premiering every Monday at the same time.