Big Mama Botswana

It was a mystery that HBO picked up a series titled The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. With main protagonist Precious Mma Ramotswe—a woman who actually helped people rather than max out their credit card—the series doesn’t really fit the mold of an HBO hit.

It isn’t set in a city like LA or New York but in the small African country of Botswana that is home to roughly less than two million people. There are no southern vampires, experienced mobsters, blood thirsty spartans, and sleazy actors.

As you can imagine then, the characters aren’t the type to have an entourage. Precious, dressed in her own bright fashion sense, is no Carrie Bradshaw, with her big momma stature. Her Mr. Big is a greasy mechanic named J.L.N Matekoni and her Miranda is Mma Makutsi, a secretary with large outdated spectacles. As for the HBO brand of violence, the show is very low on it, especially for a crime and mystery show. Precious solves the problems of a small town with her wit and wisdom on the human condition.

Despite going against the grain, there seems to be Botswana voodoo working as The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency has grown a fan base to clamor for a second season. It even won the prestigious Peabody broadcasting award last year.

Upon watching the series, I find that the magic lies in HBO keeping the series true to its roots — the novels by Alexander McCall Smith. Although living miles in a desert town, Precious and company are very amicable, earthly, and grounded folks on paper. They embrace you with their personalities. You can already hear their Twasna accent as you turn the page to unravel mysteries such as Precious finding the identity of a girl’s father without DNA testing but simple Agathie Christie-type observation.

The TV series manages to do the same and keep the charm of Smith’s character-driven stories. This is due to the fact that the series was uprooted by the late Oscar winner and English Patient director Anthony Minghella, who was a fan of the series. Aside from that, the cast has three-time Grammy winner Jill Scott as Precious and Dreamgirls star Anika Noni Rose as her assistant Grace. As impoverished as the locale may seem, the cast manages to bring it to the background and put the bursting warmth of African people upfront. They create magic with their spot-on accents and body language that give them an intangible irresistibility. It translates well to infusing soul on screen without sensationalism.

Thus, with cable TV populated with characters meant to curb your enthusiasm, No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency is meant to uplift your cynicism. In the process, it manages to solve the mystery of what viewers really want in their shows. Beneath the fangs and the Prada shades, audiences are looking for characters who are real and have a lot of heart. It is only a matter of TV giving it back to them. 

A Call With Alexander McCall Smith

Thanks to HBO Asia, I was able unearth some of the mysteries behind the No 1. Ladies Detective Agency through a phone conference with the author Alexander McCall Smith. Although Scottish in blood, Smith has a dignified British accent, the conversation as polite as tea time. Below are some highlights from the call as he discusses his thoughts on the TV adaption and the series itself.

SUPREME: Why do people love the series?

ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH: It is unusual. in a location unfamiliar to many people. Also, there is really no real crime in it. Precious is concerned about solving issues in people’s lives. We are so accustomed to seeing violence and to see something peaceful is unusual.

What do you think about the HBO series?

I had apprehensions about an attempt to make the series more violent or use bad language. I was pleased with the outcome. HBO was pleased to discover that people don’t want to experience a lot of violent action. They were to do something gentler than their usual fare.

How did you create Precious?

There was this lady in Botswana who needed to prepare our lunch. I could remember her still wearing a red dress and she chased the chicken with tremendous enthusiasm... It made me wonder what this woman’s story is. What is her background? Many years later, I sat down and made Precious Ramwotswe. There isn’t a single model for the character but many people with her characteristics.

Is Precious on TV as you envisioned her?

I never see the faces of my characters. I hear their voices or what they are wearing, but I never saw Mma Ramotswe. Yet, on the set, Jill Scott was pregnant and got bigger and bigger. It was what we wanted with the character unlike other series.

Is Botswana really a charming place?

I’m an old-fashioned writer. I’m very much like societies where people are courteous to one another. Botswana is like that.. I’m a very selective writer. All writers are selective writers to pick parts of reality to comment on. The series is a realistic one though.

 Do you enjoy writing online serials or long novels?

I enjoy the conventional novel. It is a question of different books for different moods. Sometimes one wants to eat chocolate and sometimes wants to eat cheese.

What’s next for Precious Ramotswe?

Next week, I will be writing volume 12 in the series. I write roundabout in the beginning of August. I will finish that by October and be published usually in March.

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The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency premiered August 1, at 8 p.m. on HBO Signature. It will air Monday, August 30 at 11 p.m. on HBO / HBO HD with a two-hour pilot special.

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Novel available at National Book Store.

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E-mail me at readnow@supreme.ph.