• Is it age appropriate?

  About our ratings

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  Not age appropriate for kids under 10, age appropriate for kids over 13; suggested age 13.

• Is it any good?

  4.0

• Common Sense says

  Exceptional series based on loved books is great for teens.

Why We Rated This for Ages 13 and Up

The good stuff

• Messages:

  The series emphasizes the importance of family, friendship, and community. Precious is almost always motivated to help her clients out of a sense of morality and duty rather than financial gain. The show also exposes viewers to music, dance, language, and other aspects of Botswanan culture. It does briefly explore some complex issues like domestic violence, the disparity between Christian ideals and "traditional" beliefs in African culture, and women's changing role in the workplace.
• Role models:

  Precious is a charming, self-confident, highly moralistic woman who's undaunted by the task of blazing a new trail and taking on challenges. That said, she also sometimes goes to questionable lengths to solve her mysteries, including inviting a strange man home to set him up to get evidence of his infidelity and tracking down a missing boy despite the abductor's threats against her and her friends. She also often misrepresents herself to gather information for cases. One male character is portrayed as obviously gay, though references to his sexuality are limited to a woman's comment that "That man is very much like a woman."

What to watch out for

• Violence:

  Not much is shown, but there's mention of past domestic abuse (Precious lost a baby after her ex-husband beat her), and a boy is abducted and held captive by a group that threatens bodily harm to anyone interfering in the matter. Some episodes involve things like attempted poisonings and investigation of past murders. A few threatening animals.
• Sex:

  Some mild flirting throughout, and lots of talk about relationships between men and women. One scene in an early episode features heavy sexual innuendo when a man picks up a woman in a bar and she invites him home, where they share a passionate (albeit brief) kiss.
• Language:

  Not an issue.
• Consumerism:

  Not an issue.
• Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

  A few brief instances of adults drinking in social situations.

What Parents Need to Know

About The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

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