At the TCA press tour, Michael Lombardo, HBO’s president of programming, spoke about the future of No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Though it won’t be continuing as a TV series, there are plans to continue the story in the form of two movies.
No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency ran for seven episodes on HBO, from March until May in 2009. The comedy-drama was filmed on location in Botswana and follows Mma Ramotswe as she operates a detective agency. The cast includes Jill Scott, Anika Noni Rose, Lucian Msamati, and Desmond Dube.
This weekend, Lombardo said, “We’re talking to our friends at the Weinstein Company about the possibility of, and actually developing two scripts, possibly to do two movies. And if we can get the cast together and if everything can come together we’ve love to do it. So it’s alive.”
If they get the final go-ahead, the two HBO movies would likely be shot back-to-back. It seems they won’t be filmed completely in Botswana however.
It was reported last month that the show’s producers had relocated from Botswana to Cape Town. The Botswana government, hard hit by the recession, balked at the idea of subsidizing film production while South Africa doubled their rebate offer.
If the movies are actually made, they’ll be filmed mostly in Cape Town with occasional lensing in Botswana, the locale where the story is set.
What do you think? Are you a fan of No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency? Would you like to see it return as a pair of movies?
Image courtesy HBO.
I agree; the show must come back! HBO created an amazing things and there is much more these artists can share with us. This series makes the world a better place.
Very disappointed this show has been cancelled. The best show on television. A big mistake taking this fantastic show off the air.
This show was the best thing on TV. Bring it back, in any form, please! You can make a slot for it by getting rid of all the reality trash that’s on!
I don’t care how this series is returned. Please, JUST RETURN IT!
Please bring No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency back. It is a great show and I keep watching Season 1 over and over. It has a great cast and I would love to see them come back.
No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency was a great series, but apparently it did not appeal to HBO management because of lack of sex, violence, and dysfunctional people . As in the books, the TV show leave the viewer with a good feeling about life. I hope HBO has the sense to bring it back.
I was so excited to hear that these wonderful stories were being made into a tv series. I loved every episode of the series and wanted to share it with my friends and family. I think this was one of the best tv series I have ever watched, and it is a terrible shame that it has been cancelled. Why do so many bad or at least mediocre shows remain on the air, while shows like The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency get cancelled? It is just ridiculous! I would love to see more of the story — even if… Read more »
This is a GREAT LOSS if this series don’t return! Finally a show with real meaning. My family enjoy watching it together. A show I am proud to watch with my family. The MUSIC, CULTURE AND WONDERFUL WRITING makes me yearn for more. Finally, the actors and actresses are WONDERFUL! ITS OUR DUTY TO PUT GREAT SHOWS on T.V. !
This is painful–it is a brilliant series! Yes, it would be nice to have them make it into movies too, but the series is a profound loss. I hope HBO will re-think this and bring it back…
My family love this series and would love to see more. I have read all the books and they have done a great job at bringing them to the screen. Well done and please keep them coming
Have been checking constantly to find Season 2 only to learn today that this series has been cancelled. Can’t tell you how very disappointed I am, as are all my friends that I got started watching it. What a wonderful program–great location, story line and acting. How refreshing to find this kind of black series in English that is understandable despite the English accent. Great PR for the black community and women’s rights. Soooo tired of rap, slang, bad English (not understandable unless you are a teenager), and “jokes” that find insults funny. Two movies are better that a poke… Read more »
It is so sad that TV exec chose to cancel the shows that are the best and leave on the air some of the most boring and non-entertaining ones. This show was so entertaining and the characters were perfect and so believable. Bring it back … please bring it back but not just as a couple of movies but back again as a series.
Too sad for words. HBO keeps promising they are working on scripts, but then they have been saying that for 7 months. Maybe they are working or maybe they are just stringing the fans along. It would be a shame not to bring this wonderful program back on air.
Please, please, please try to film these books! The HBO series was wonderful and the movies would help bring these characters back to life.
I am so disappointed! I really believe that they could gather a huge following if given a chance. Many people are looking for an alternative to the garbage that is out there.