The Cleaner (2021)

While many procedural dramas obsess over the moment of the kill, The Cleaner finds its genius in the aftermath: the scrubbing of bloodstains and the disposal of biological waste. Greg Davies crafts a performance that anchors the series in a uniquely British stoicism—a mixture of professional detachment and accidental empathy. By stripping away the high-octane thrill of the hunt, the show operates as a collection of episodic character studies; each guest star provides a fresh ideological foil for Davies’s Wicky. Its legacy lies in this specific subversion of the crime genre: it treats the grisly remains of tragedy as a mere logistical hurdle. Ultimately, the series endures as a masterclass in dialogue-driven tension, proving that the most profound human revelations often occur while mopping a floor.