[Televisionary]

Yesterday, American Film Institute announced their official selections for the programs of the year for 2009. I'm happy that the esteemed board--which included The Chicago Tribune 's Maureen Ryan, TV Guide Magazine 's Matt Roush, Variety 's Brian Lowry, actor CCH Pounder ( The Shield ), and writer/producer David Milch ( Deadwood )--chose to recognize several series that don't get nearly as much love from critics and audiences as they should. Along with noteworthy freshman series like Modern Family and Glee (both of which I expected would end up on the list) and the always sterling Mad Men , the panel selected such unexpected entries like HBO's lyrical mystery series No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency , Starz's breakout ensemble comedy Party Down , HBO's groundbreaking (and sadly often overlooked) drama series Big Love (which had its best season yet earlier this year), saved-from-cancellation drama Friday Night Lights , and Showtime's sensational m...

HBO's Richard Plepler and Michael Lombardo took to the stage yesterday at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour in Pasadena that HBO had locked in its entire current Sunday night lineup for additional seasons next summer. The pay cabler has officially renewed True Blood for a third season, Hung for a second season, and Entourage for a staggering seventh season. All will return to the lineup next summer rather than premiering earlier. " True Blood , Hung , and Entourage will all be coming back next summer and we're very excited about it." Lombardo told the press. "So stay tuned for next June." The duo, in an executive session at the aforementioned TCA panel, also relayed information about HBO's other crop of series and whether we could expect to see them return or not, with the fate of several series still very much up in the air. Curb Your Enthusiasm returns September 20th with a new series and will be slotted together with new comedy...

Was it just me or was last night's season finale of HBO's superlative No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency absolutely heartbreaking and gripping television at its very best? Last night's episode ("A Real Botswana Diamond"), written by Nicholas Wright and Robert Jones, found Precious reeling from the revelation that her ex-husband Note Mokote (played with terrifying precision by Colin Salmon) had arrived in Gaborone even as she faced a future with JLB, Grace investigating the truth behind the Kgale Hill break-ins, and Florence the Maid taking a decidedly troubled approach to her employer's engagement. It was at turns distressing, inspirational, humorous, and thought-provoking. Throughout the first season of the lovingly crafted series, a co-production between HBO and BBC, Precious has lived in the shadow of her former husband, an abusive drunk whose beatings lead to the death of their unborn child and propelled Precious into a new life. And yet the past always ha...

"Dumela, Mma." You've read my advance review of the first few episodes of HBO's joyous and addictive new mystery series, No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency , based on the best-selling novels of Alexander McCall Smith, and heard what series star Jill Scott and executive producer/co-writer Richard Curtis had to say about the production . But, now that the two-hour pilot has aired, I'm curious to see what you thought of the HBO/BBC co-production. Did you fall in love with Scott's intrepid investigator Precious Ramotswe as much as I did? Did you fall under the beautiful charms of the Bostwana setting and want to set out on a safari as soon as possible? Did you dig the unusual uplifting energy that the series projects? Were you absolutely terrified by Idris Elba's turn as Charlie Kgotso? And captivated by the work relationship between Precious and Grace Makutsi (Anika Noni Rose)? And, most importantly, will you be watching again next week? Talk back here. Next...

HBO has become synonymous with high-end dramas that are typically pretty dark, rather bleak, and usually pretty darn violent. Series like The Sopranos, Rome, Carnivale, True Blood, Big Love , and In Treatment all offer gripping if often disheartening looks into the darker elements of the human soul. So what should audiences make of the fact that HBO is launching the far sunnier No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency this weekend? Set in Botswana, No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency , based on the series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith, follows the adventures of Precious Ramotswe (the incandescent Jill Scott), a woman who has left her abusive jazz musician husband Note (Colin Salmon) and, after the passing of her beloved father, uses his cattle to raise cash to start a detective agency in the capital city of Gaborone. I had the opportunity to watch the first four episodes of No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency , including the gorgeously produced two-hour pilot episode written by Anthony...

"Do not look where the harvest is plentiful, but where the people are kind." - Botswana proverb This Sunday, HBO is launching its newest original series, No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency , based on the best-selling novel series by Alexander McCall Smith. The series, created by the late Anthony Mingella and co-writer Richard Curtis, stars Jill Scott as Precious Ramotswe, the owner of the very first female-run detective agency in Botswana, as well as Anika Noni Rose, Lucian Msamati, and Desmond Dube, along with a host of high-profile guest stars. A departure for the traditionally bleak dramas at pay cabler HBO, No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency offers a glimpse into an Africa that's not the tragedy-ridden one we hear about on the evening news, but a joyful place where mysteries lurk round every corner. "I was a fan of 'The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency' book series before I even spoke to Anthony Minghella about them," said the series' executive pro...