HBO and Jill Scott Offer an Inspiring Portrayal of Black Women (3119 hits)
The critically acclaimed HBO series, “The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency,” is the type of program people want to see succeed. The seven-episode series stars Grammy award-winner Jill Scott and is built around independent female characters. It’s also family-friendly, which means it contains no graphic violence or profanity.
However, there are deeper qualities that make the series unique and uplifting. It’s one of the few mainstream series to star an all-Black cast and unlike other HBO series depicting Black people, such as “The Wire” and “OZ,” “The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency” portrays Black people in a positive light. Filmed on location in Botswana, the series doesn’t portray sub-Saharan Africa as a place of war and strife; but instead focuses on the rich traditional culture and gorgeous landscape. In fact, the breathtaking cinematography is a highlight of the series.
“The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency” is based on the bestselling novels by Alexander McCall Smith. Though Smith is Scottish, he was born in southern Africa and helped establish the first law school in Botswana, Africa.
The feel-good dramedy tells the story of Precious Ramotswe (Scott), a spirited woman who uses the inheritance her father left her to start the first female run private detective agency in Botswana. Another highlight of the series is Precious’ meticulous, scrupulous, and feisty secretary, Grace Makutsi (Anika Noni Rose). Viewers may recognize Rose from “Dreamgirls.”
