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.
My wife and I stumbled on this series on Netflix and have thoroughly enjoyed every episode. The characters are wonderful and engaging and we want to see more. Jill Scott is amazing in the lead — a woman who is strong yet vunerable, and we love her for it. She takes the adage “fake it til you make it” to whole new heights. A very gutsy protrayal.
We urge HBO to reconsider cancelling this terrific show and make more episodes.
Chuck and Trish
We enjoy the No. 1 ladies’Derective Agency, and we will see the movie when it hit the screen, we have the number one ladies detective’ agency books and the first three dvd’s and we are counting the days for more DVD’s. Our question, will there be more DVD”s ?
Love the show completely!! I would love the movies!!
Very likley it was cancelled because both the director and the producer died within a few months of each other. Sydney Pollack and Anthony Mingella – they both had quite an impact on the production. The loss of both of them probably sent everything lopsided.
I was so displeased with the cancellation of this show. It show the reality of day to day activities in Africa. It was a great inspiration to all. I am just so displeased for the fact that all great show that have a positive msg always gets the boot but Jersey shore and all these reality show still on. Funny if you use drug sleep around with several people beat up people you are a hit/but if you have a show that details struggle and way of life in certain country we turn our nose so sad.
I love sitting back watching all episodes of this series since it first aired still to this day I watch them on my dvr. So wish this show would return. Can not wait to see what happens to the detective and the car shop owner. Please bring back thenumber 1 ladies detective agency. It is truly missed.
I am extremely dissapointed that the series was cancelled, but I will settle for a2 movies.. The series was wonderfully written simply amazing. Please bring the series back.
I love Jill Scott and loved the Number one Ladies detective agency. The country is also beautiful. I would love to see it come back as a series or movies.
What a wonderful family show, filled with incredible honesty, drama, comedy…this show has it all. Please bring it back in some form!
PLEASE bring the show back!! It was SO incredibly unique. We need more diversity in television.
What a wonderful series this was. I’ve read most of the books and have enjoyed each one. My husband and I were given the 1st season DVD as a gift and loved it. I do hope that the series will continue. I would prefer the series but would settle for the movies. It is a shame to take such a well-written, positive program off the air. Please bring it back – in either form.
another show i really loved, and thought was really well done, but started to lose me toward the end of even the 1 short season. i was even inspired by the show to check out the books, which were also very interesting and exciting to begin with, then trailed off as it become clear how formulaic they were. i think 2 movies is a good compromise between ending this franchise completely while it has still has some sparking gems (most notably the performances of jill scott and anika noni rose), and not drawing it out to the point of complete… Read more »
Again, so disappointed the series as been cancelled. I’ prefer to see the series rather than two movies, but I’d settle. Good acting, story development and so good to see a story set in Botswana.
Why do they take off the great shows..PLEASE bring it back
I cannot believe this show was cancelled. Why does our good historic shows always get canceled. I hope this show can be saved and return to HBO or to another channel that’s willing to show this again. BET, where yall at, don’t sleep on this series because it was great.