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US TV
Review: The Cleaner 1×1
In the US: Tuesdays, 10/9c, A&E
A&E has something of a thing for Benjamin Bratt at the moment. As well as starring in the colossally expensive The Andromeda Strain remake, he’s now starring in the not-as-expensive-as-its-own-marketing-campaign The Cleaner.
Yep, in an effort to get away from being known as the “channel that likes to show Sopranos re-runs”, A&E is spending up to $8 million just on promoting The Cleaner, one of its first original drama series in a very long time.
Building on the dark and gritty image the network already has, The Cleaner explores the world of addiction, whether it’s addiction to drugs, gambling, sex or alcohol. Bratt, in a role “inspired” by reality, plays William Banks, a man who attempts to get over his past heroin addiction by weaning others off their addictions.
Unfortunately, “inspired” seems to mean “converted into something a bit like every other television series you’ve ever seen – and about as realistic”.
