Parents' Guide to

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Exceptional series based on loved books is great for teens.

TV HBO Drama 2009
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all
age 11+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Christine S.
Christine S. Parent of 11-year-old
January 21, 2018
age 10+

Engaging and Visually Stunning Series

We watched this as a family and looked forward to each new episode. There are references to sex and some slightly disturbing scenes (a scene with a rogue dentist has some blood). Still, the characters and performances are incredibly appealing, and the writing is clever and fun. Plus, the scenery is stunning. Only drawback is it ends on a cliffhanger; it seems the producers believed they would get more seasons out of the show, which it's a shame that they didn't.
ScienceIn
ScienceIn Parent of 11-year-old
August 31, 2012
age 12+

TV loses Nothing!

This is the perfect example of how characters make the story, not gimmicks, props, weapons, or special effects. The power is in the way the story is written, thanks to McCall Smith. And in the fabulous way the series was cast. My MATURE 11 year old boy LOVED it. Literally laughed out loud and was drawn in by the characters.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on the popular novels by Alexander McCall Smith, THE NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY follows the goings on at Botswana's first (and therefore best) female-run detective business. When her beloved father dies and leaves her 180 cows -- a veritable fortune -- Precious Ramotswe (Jill Scott) decides it's time to follow her dream, so she sells the herd and sets out for the city of Gaborone to hang out her shingle as a solver of mysteries. While her charisma wins over everyone she meets -- including her rigid secretary, Mma Makutsi (Anika Noni Rose), and the local mechanic, JLB Matekoni (Lucian Msamati) -- it's Precious' common-sense knack for observing human nature that turns her into an effective, empathetic gumshoe.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (3 ):

It's always a leap of faith to transfer popular books to the movie or TV screen, since they risk losing a certain artful quality. But nervous fans of Smith's delightful novels can breathe easier knowing that this series has charm to spare and does the books proud. Scott is an absolute delight as the passionate, undaunted Precious, and the supporting players -- each one as talented and appealing as the next -- draw viewers into the rhythms of Botswanan culture.

The episodes' storylines touch on themes that might start fans' wheels turning, including women's struggles to break out of "traditional" working roles, domestic violence, and the repercussions of disease on the African population. Though the show somewhat glosses over some of these serious issues, it's understandable in context of the series' mostly lighthearted nature. Teens and up will enjoy the lyrical dialogue and endearing characters.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what makes this show different from other HBO series. Do you like it more or less than their other shows? Do you miss the swearing, sex, and violence typical of many of their other series?

  • Teens: How realistic do you think this portrayal of Botswana and its people is? What do you think Botswanans would think of it? What, if anything, did you learn about African culture from the movie?

  • How does the story portray African women? In what ways are they different from American women? Is Precious a good role model?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate