The Cleaner: Scrubbing the Soul of Shropshire

 

Grab a hazmat suit and some heavy-duty bleach; we’re scrubbing down the crime scenes of Shropshire. If you haven’t checked out The Cleaner on BritBox, you’re missing a show that somehow makes blood-spatter patterns and industrial-strength mop buckets… philosophical. Here are my thoughts on the series. 

Inspired by the German hit Der Tatortreiniger, this really is Greg Davies’ shining moment (or half-hour, to be precise) of dark, situational comedy. Here’s a warm, friendly recap and review of the first three seasons.

The series centers around Paul “Wicky” Wickstead (Greg Davies), a dedicated cleaning technician with a big heart. In simple terms: he’s the guy who arrives after police have gone, tidying up crime scenes, accidents, and unattended deaths.

Wicky isn’t a detective. He’s not concerned with who did it or why. His main goal? To finish his work and head over to Curry Night at the pub. But here’s the twist—he’s also a natural-born gossip! Every cleanup becomes a funny, sometimes awkward, philosophical chat with grieving relatives, curious neighbors, and even the occasional suspect.

Season 1 had some great episode moments, including “The Widow,” as the show kicks off with a bang (and a stab wound). Wicky meets Sheila (Helena Bonham Carter), who just murdered her husband after 35 years of boredom. Their polite-but-tense kitchen cat-and-mouse game sets a high bar for the rest of the season.

Not to mention “The Writer,” with David Mitchell guest-starring as a prickly novelist whose grandmother died in a freak fire. Watching Mitchell and Davies bicker for 25 minutes is basically premium British comfort viewing.

And “The Influencer” with a wicky enters the neon-lit world of teenage YouTuber Hosea (Layton Williams). A surprisingly tender episode that explores loneliness and the performative, often hollow nature of digital fame.

If Season 1 was Wicky finding his feet, then Season 2 is Wicky truly getting them stuck in some pricey resin. The guest-star list is longer, and the show treats us to some of its funniest and most awkward standoffs yet. With episodes like “The Transaction,” where Wicky helps an art dealer (Asim Chaudhry) who’s more concerned about where a blood-stained rug came from rather than the murder itself, it offers a clever satire of the pretentious art world.

And then there's “The Statue.” Wicky is caught in the middle of a town feud over a vandalized statue. Zoë Wanamaker shines as an eccentric local ruler in full force. And “The Dead End” of a trip to rural Wales leads to a gamekeeper’s murder. Roisin Conaty guest stars, and their effortless chemistry gives off major Taskmaster vibes in a murder shack.

Season 3, coming out in late 2024, is truly the most exciting one yet! Wicky ventures beyond suburban kitchens to explore beautiful remote islands and bustling village committees filled with intricate social hierarchies.

Episodes shine from “The Reunion” as Conleth Hill plays a successful old school friend, and Wicky navigates the dream life of someone “ahead” while literally cleaning up the aftermath of a grand piano mishap. To “The Lighthouse” as a soggy dive into folk horror. Wicky faces grumpy lighthouse keepers and nautical superstitions in a wet, weird fever dream of an episode.

And can't forget “The Committee” as Wicky thinks he’s great with the elderly, until a community center cleanup proves him spectacularly wrong. Steve Pemberton (Inside No. 9) elevates this episode to dark-comedy heaven.

The Cleaner truly stands out as a rare gem. It beautifully finds humanity even in the most horrific moments, delving not just into the mess left behind but also the emotional scars of lives interrupted. It’s funny, wonderfully quirky, and perfectly captures the essence of the kind of prestige comedy BritBox was made for.

Greg Davies shifts from loud, fiery comedy to a gentle, slightly self-deprecating, yet profoundly compassionate everyman. Wicky’s simple joys, a pint, a curry, and a clean floor, make him a charming contrast to the eccentric high-society characters he meets.

This anthology-style show truly shines because of its amazing guests. Helena Bonham Carter, Harriet Walter, and David Mitchell aren’t just cameos but fully developed, wonderfully human characters. Their presence adds a hilarious and heartfelt contrast to Davies’s grounding performance, making the show even more engaging.

Don’t be fooled by the bright blue van and the laughs; this show is truly visceral. The humor shines through the clever contrasts: Wicky quietly debating veganism while washing away a human-shaped stain from the sofa. It’s dark, it’s British, and it’s absolutely brilliant. But some episodes can feel a bit stagey. If the guest star chemistry falters, a half-hour can drag. But with Davies at the center, these moments are rare.

Have you seen The Cleaner? Which guest star was your favorite? Were you Team Sheila or Team Wicky? Let’s bicker about it in the comments!

You can catch The Cleaner availble on BritBox.