By Telesha Ramnarine
A new television pilot for Guyana’s first Creole comedy-detective show, The Granny JJ Adventures: Guyana’s Daily Detective, is set to begin filming on the East Bank Demerara in 2025.
Based on a popular series of books, the show dramatizes the efforts of an elderly grandmother to solve perplexing crimes within her community.
Despite the fears stemming from her past, the show’s creators believe viewers will be drawn into her struggles to make Guyana a better place for future generations.
Joshua Cartwright, author of Granny JJ Adventures – Guyana’s Daily Detective, and Line Producer Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts sat down for an interview with the News Room on Thursday.
They are working to promote the new TV series and encourage Guyanese businesses to invest in it through sponsorships.
Directed by Orin Beaton from the UK, the series will consist of eight episodes, each approximately 30 to 45 minutes long, airing weekly.
Around 20 years ago, Cartwright married Glenda from Soesdyke, and the books are inspired by her mother. The first book, however, was written as a way to help their daughter better understand her heritage.
“I just fell in love with this amazing place: the generosity of the people, the vibrancy of the culture, and the wonderful sayings. I love all the Creolese.
“… Especially across the diaspora, people enjoy reading this when I mention things like ‘sit down grater’, ‘wash boards’, and all the things they had when they were growing up – licks like peas. It gives people a chance to come together and reminisce about the aspects of Guyana that I loved,” Cartwright shared.
Glenda, who co-wrote the script, revealed that her mother was the inspiration for the character. “Juliet Garrett, my mother, raised ten children; she was tough, smart, and could figure me out in a flash. We want Guyanese to be able to look at the screen, ‘buss a laff’, and say ‘dat is just like me granny so-and-so!’”
Roberts, who is responsible for coordinating and pulling the project together, said what she loves most about it is how inherently Guyanese it is.
“I feel like this project is a really good way to introduce the past to the younger generation. It’s a fun way for them to learn about the past, the history, and how we were culturally,” she explained.
The Granny JJ Adventures books are available on Amazon.
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