I watched the debut episode of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency on HBO over the holiday weekend, and I’m sad to say that I’m not hooked. I don’t think the show is particularly bad, but it was hard to get through the nearly 2 hour season debut and the bits and pieces of subsequent episodes that I’ve watched since have failed to draw me in. I love Jill Scott and think she’s doing a wonderful job portraying an authentic version of an Botswanian woman, down to the accent. I’ve traveled to Kenya before and found elements of the show that reminded me of being on the continent (riding the mutatoos- city “buses”, some of the landscape, etc.), but something about the storyline seems to lack power in my opinion.
I’m almost sad that I don’t like it, but maybe it’s just not my cup of tea. However, I wanted to throw a post out there and see what your initial reaction was to the series so far.
Have you read any of Alexander McCall Smith’s books? Is the series consistent with his writing style? Better? Worse?
Is this show hot or not? Are you hooked?
What do you enjoy about watching the series?
What do you think could be added to make the series better?
Here’s some article links I found interesting…
The Root- CLUES TO SMITH’S ‘DETECTIVE AGENCY’
NPR- ‘THE NO. LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY’ TAKES TV
Entertainment Weekly- ‘THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY’: IT’S GREAT…MINUS THE WHOLE ‘MURDER SHE WROTE’ VIBE
HBO homepage- THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY
Black Voices blogs- EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: JILL SCOTT TALKS ‘THE NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY’
Racialicious- ‘THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY’: RACIALICIOUS REVIEW
p.s. I think Grace Makutsi (Anika Noni Rose) who is Precious Ramotswe’s (Jill Scott) assistant and business partner strengthens the plot and secretly steals the show.
Written from the perspective of a thirty-something African American woman, Affrodite's Adventures In Nappy Hair will make you think, laugh, cry, and take action. Check it out! Blog topics include natural hair care, African American perspectives in culture/pop culture/politics, women's empowerment, stories from Corporate America, current events, and more!
