The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a television comedy-drama series, produced by the BBC in conjunction with HBO, and based on the novels of the same name by Alexander McCall Smith. The novels focus on the story of a detective agency opened by Mma Ramotswe and her courtship with the mechanic Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni. The series was filmed on location in Botswana and was seen as one of the first major film or television productions to be undertaken in Botswana.

The programme began with a feature-length television film, broadcast in the UK on the BBC on 23 March 2008. Executive producer Anthony Minghella directed the film and co-wrote the adaptation with fellow executive producer Richard Curtis. A six-episode series was ordered in November 2008 and the BBC began broadcasting it in the UK on 15 March 2009. HBO began broadcasting the series on 29 March 2009, starting with the feature-length film, which was broadcast as a pilot. In 2010 the show won a Peabody Award for its 2009 season. It was cancelled after one season despite positive reviews.

While HBO did not renew the show after its first series, they announced in summer 2011 that the series might continue as two or more standalone films. The following year HBO revealed they had decided not to move forward with the project.