A&E has decided to get rid of another original drama series. After two years on the air, they’re dropping The Cleaner.
In The Cleaner, Benjamin Bratt plays William Banks, a recovering drug addict from Los Angeles. Following the birth of his daughter, Banks made a deal with God that he would end his drug use and help others beat their addictions as well. He and his team of recovering addicts use whatever means necessary to help end others’ addictions. Others in the cast include Grace Park, Esteban Powell, Kevin Michael Richardson, Amy Price-Francis, Liliana Mumy, and Brett DelBuono.
The drama kicked off on July 15, 2008 and attracted 2.58 million viewers with a 1.0 rating in the 18-49 demo. Season one averaged 1.1 million viewers in initial viewings and 4.2 million through multiple airings. A&E boasted that The Cleaner was the network’s highest rated original drama to date among adults 18-49 and 25-54.
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When the show was renewed for a second season, Bob DeBitetto, A&E’s President and General Manager, said, “The Cleaner has garnered critical acclaim and a loyal audience in its first season… Its authentic, dramatic storytelling combined with superb acting, led by an exceptional performance by Benjamin Bratt, has struck a chord with A&E viewers. It is exactly the sort of high quality, engaging programming that our fans have come to expect.”
Now, following a drop in ratings for season two, A&E has changed its mind about The Cleaner. The second round of episodes concluded on September 15th and, according to THR, the cable channel has decided not to order a third.
No reason was given for the cancellation but A&E typically draws more viewers for cheaper, unscripted programming. The Beast, another A&E drama, was cancelled earlier this year, months prior to star Patrick Swayze’s death.
What do you think? Are you sorry to see The Cleaner go? Was the show any less compelling or watchable in season two?
Very disappointed that The Cleaner was cancelled. I enjoyed the show very much.
Bring back the Cleaner ….This was truely a Great show …It was real not a bunch of the fake crap that aires everywhere !!! This show is better than Dog the bounty hunter or the Kardashians for sure … Yet both of them still air !! The kardashians is just a bunch of rich chicks flaunting their money ….The cleaner is about real everyday issues for many people !!! Very disappointed I was so looking forward to many more shows ..That is how i found this ( trying to find out when it would start the next season ) .… Read more »
So frustrated to see this show cancelled! I found this show to be so real regarding addiction & recovery, which is so close to my heart. There’s so much meaningless garbage on TV these days & now we’ve lost another show that depicts both the sadness & hope of addiction. I am nearly angered! I would rather spend an hour watching “The Cleaner” than “19 & Counting” any day. Bring it back!
I am shocked to find out that The Cleaner is cancelled.
I only recently discovered The Cleaner, stumbling over it by chance. It can be uncomfortable to watch because it’s so real. Yet that is why it is so good. Benjamin Bratt plays perfect in the role and in Season 2 the other characters develop and we start to see them not as mere support roles but as real people. Maybe it’s too dark for some – a bit of humour wouldn’t hurt now and then – but I think it’s refreshing to see real stories of the dark and difficult side of human life pertrayed on the adbox in such… Read more »
I as well loved this show and was looking to see when the next season was to start – I thought it had been off too long – to my extreme disappointment – cancelled. Not even a proper send off as mentioned already…..This show was REAL and the charactors brought you into the story couldn’t wait for next episode. It is sad that a show with real heart touching stories and facts of life is cancelled – but yet the Kardashian’s go to NY remains??!! Too bad – The Cleaner will be missed in my house….
I loved this show. A&E didn’t even have the decency to give the show a proper finale. I think it may be time for networks to re-think their method of calculating ratings. Something is seriously wrong if a show with such depth is cancelled but stupid reality TV shows and teenie bopper shows keep popping up.
This is a great show. I work in a juvnile treatment center and I start to show this program to the kids and they love it. The kids keep asking me if there going to be a third season it hurt to tell them that they cancel this show after season two. It had help some of the kids open up.I hope that A & E would reconsider and do another season of this great show…..
I was just digging aroung to see when there might be a season 3 for The Cleaner. I learn that there won’t be a season 3???An awesome show that deals with issues that are related to by every family in America. I am so upset there won’t be a season 3. Please A&E, reconsider…this show affected my life and I know if there are more seasons of this show many more lives will change for the better.
i was so upset to hear this show only goin to season 2? whobmakes those decisions? they should be beaten! just because a bunch of air heads arent running around half naked doesnt mean the needed to cancel it! this show had heart, look at real and chance….. who keeps those retards still on air? and you cancel the cleaner, dumbass!
Seriously! This show was amazing! What can we do to get it back? If it was on gnome or showtime it never would have been canceled. Complete bs!
the cleaner should have stayed on air because of its realness. since it was based on a true story, that made it all the more interesting. who cares how many viewers it gets. there are other shows A&E can come up with to gain the money that they “think” they are losing. as the show being more realistic, i assume it is harder for people to accept that harsh reality of things that are happening to real people. the truth isn’t pretty all the time.
I am extremely disappointed yet again. First it was the Unit (out of nowhere), then the forgotten, and now the Cleaner. I love dramas and there are very few that are catching my eye. The Cleaner should have stayed on out of principle. Although it was edgy it definitely drew the audience in with the ever growing social problem of drug addiction. I am sad to see this show go!
I agree with the last comment from Bruce 100%. Our family is very disppointed to hear that the cleaner was cancelled.
So…another good TV series goes down in flames due to the fact that a few brainless network execs want to make more money feeding the public crap by airing mind numbing stupidity. The Cleaner was a damn good show that illistrated there are good stories out there to put on TV. The fact that this series was based on a real person and his life was extremely refreshing. Looks like it’s back to the Beavis and Butthead days…I wonder if they’re the network execs????