The new seven-episode HBO drama series, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, based on the international bestselling novels by Alexander McCall Smith, premieres tonight, August 30, at 11:00 pm on HBO / HBO HD with a two-hour pilot special.

Filmed in Botswana, this series stars Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter, Jill Scott, as the heroine Precious Ramotswe. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency chronicles the adventures of Precious, the proprietor of the only female-owned detective agency in Botswana. Aided by her highly efficient yet rather peculiar secretary Grace Makutsi, Precious investigates cases, helps people solve problems in their lives, and begins a special friendship with the highly respectable owner of a garage.

Also part of the cast are Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls) as Grace Makutsi, and Lucian Msamati as Precious Ramotswe's devoted suitor, JLB Matekoni. Guest stars in the pilot include David Oyelowo (The Last King of Scotland), Idris Elba (HBO's The Wire), Colin Salmon (Die Another Day) and Tony winner, John Kani (Final Solution).

Directed by the late Anthony Minghella (Oscar^® winner for The English Patient), the two-hour pilot for The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency serves as the first episode of the HBO series. Executive producers of the pilot were the late Sydney Pollack (Oscar^® winner for Out of Africa), Richard Curtis (Emmy^® winner for HBO's The Girl in the Café), Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein. Anthony Minghella, Timothy Bricknell and Amy J. Moore served as producers on the pilot.

Says Richard Plepler, co-president of HBO, "Alexander McCall Smith's wonderful books have been a sensation around the world for years, and we're thrilled to be teaming up with the BBC and The Weinstein Company  to adapt these highly entertaining stories for HBO. Needless to say, the opportunity to work with the exceptionally gifted Anthony Minghella and Richard Curtis makes this project all the more exciting."

The series is now under the supervision of Richard Curtis, who also wrote the screenplay for the pilot with Anthony Minghella. New episodes of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency are written by Nicholas Wright and Robert Jones, and directed by Charles Sturridge and Tim Fywell. The new episodes are once again produced by Timothy Bricknell and executive produced by Richard Curtis, Amy J. Moore, Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein.