Precious Jill

I rarely write reviews of any type, but I am and have always been a fan of Jill Scott. I have loved her music and songwriting from the beginning and was very impressed with her acting skills in Why Did I Get Married?

So when I saw that she was to star as Precious Romotswe, of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, I was intrigued. I had heard of the series, but had never made any attempts to read any of the books.

Some have criticized the books and the HBO series as being too light-hearted and simplistic, but I for one have enjoyed the first two installments. Don't we have enough gritty realism in our own lives?

I used to watch Murder She Wrote with my grandmother and Monk with my sister. How real are they? Not very. It is nice to have an African woman featured as a detective - and most of her mysteries are not murders. I like that no one has to die. Sometimes people do, but not every time, and to me that is refreshing.

I like the humor. I like the way she uses common sense to solve the mysteries, but she is still naive about some things as well. I like that. To me, that is real. Even smart, capable people have gaps in their knowledge and experience that make them vulnerable. The lack of foresight that all of us have accounts for so many of our mistakes, but if we are able to think and act quickly, we mostly avert disaster.

I love the portrayal of Africans. We see different types of hair and dress and grooming, some traditional and some Western. I love Jill's wardrobe and the fact that her full-figure is celebrated and Precious is proud of it, but there is realism in the fact that some people criticize her for it. Some of the men call her 'fat and fabulous', while a jealous wife calls her a 'fat tart'. Isn't that just how life is?

After watching the first two episodes, I am definitely looking forward to the rest of the series.