Latest news with #TheCleaner
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Crime scene catharsis: how a darkly comic video game and TV show turned me into a murder clean-up specialist
Lately I've been playing a new job sim game, Crime Scene Cleaner, while also watching BBC's comedy series The Cleaner, both of which focus on the aftermath of gruesome murders – sometimes you just need some cosy viewing to take the edge off the day. In the TV show, Greg Davies plays Wicky, the acerbic employee of a government-endorsed clean-up company, while Crime Scene Cleaner's lead character Kovalsky is a lowly janitor, mopping up blood and disposing of trash to cover up for a mob boss named Big Jim. The crime scenes in both are laughably over the top. Or are they? I've never actually seen a real-life murder scene, so perhaps copious blood sprayed over walls and ceilings and the masses of broken furniture is completely normal. Stepping into Kovalsky's plastic overshoes, the aim is to leave each location exactly as it was prior to the … um … incident. Unlike Wicky, who has to constantly deal with annoying homeowners and neighbours, Kovalsky has no living humans for company; just the dead ones that he hauls over his shoulder before slinging them unceremoniously into the back of his pickup truck. Each scene plays out in silence, save for the occasional brief chat with Big Jim and Kovalsky's own pithy self-talk. Both Kovalsky and Wicky are world-weary labourers, doing what is necessary to get through each blood-splattered scene. But there are differences between the two men: Kovalsky swipes cash and valuables to boost his bank balance (he's saving up to pay his daughter's medical bills) while Wicky just wants to get finished in time for curry night at the pub. Crime Scene Cleaner is a weird concept for a game, the unnatural offspring of PowerWash Simulator and Hitman. But despite the macabre premise, I've come to appreciate the quiet, contemplative and satisfying process of cleaning up, as Kovalsky stuffs fragments of glass, pizza slices and broken crockery into his bin bag before hurling it into his truck and getting started on all the blood spatter with a microfibre mop, pushing sofas and tables back and returning ornaments to their rightful spot on the shelves afterwards. It's immensely satisfying, despite the game's realistic yet tiresome insistence on continually wringing out your mops and sponges. Exploring increasingly bizarre locations is also a common theme between the two: Crime Scene Cleaner has a pizzeria, a museum and a spooky smart house; The Cleaner takes in an ice-cream parlour, theatre and stately home. I love that the game gives me a chance to become a more sedate version of The Cleaner's Wicky without the interference of coppers, maniacal novelists or even the killer themselves (as brilliantly portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter in the show). With his daughter ensconced in a medical clinic, Kovalsky's only (living) companion is his playful German shepherd. Its name? Dexter. Of course. At the end of each clean-up, I find myself standing back and admiring the scene, content with a job well done. Crime Scene Cleaner and The Cleaner both tap into the very essence of black comedy, where horror becomes amusingly banall. In both, the crimes have already happened, the worst has been done and all that remains is… the remains.
BBC News
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
BBC confirms second series of hit comedy Amandaland
The hit BBC comedy Amandaland, starring Lucy Punch, Joanna Lumley and Philippa Dunne, is officially returning to iPlayer and BBC One after a standout debut. Since launching, Amandaland has averaged 6.4 million viewers to date, making it the BBC's second biggest comedy launch in recent years (excluding specials), behind Ludwig (9.5 million) and on par with The Outlaws (6.4 millions), according to the latest data. The series has also been a hit with younger audiences, drawing 0.9 million 16-34s, the biggest BBC comedy audience in this demographic since The Cleaner in 2021. Watch Amandaland on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist Produced by Merman, Amandaland follows Lucy Punch as Amanda, who in series one had to downsize and up sticks to South Harlesden, or as the estate agent called it SoHa (definitely not the area around Wormwood Scrubs prison) post her divorce. With both Manus and Georgie at secondary school, Amanda had to try and get her head around raising teenagers, dealing with modern motherhood horrors like teenage drinking, fake Instagram accounts and eco anxiety. Not even a woman as certain of her parenting as Amanda could deal with those nightmares alone. Amanda's mother Felicity (Joanna Lumley) was constantly around, and completely in denial that she was, in fact, lonely. Theirs is a slightly unhealthy co-dependent relationship based on backhanded compliments and veiled snipes about her new home. After a brief spell of freedom, Anne (Philippa Dunne) was sucked back into being Amanda's minion to help her navigate the social scene with the other parents at the children's new school. Thank God for Anne. The first series also introduced a host of new characters, including Amanda's long-suffering downstairs neighbour Mal (Samuel Anderson) and JJ (Ekow Quartey), the stepfather to Mal's son Ned, as well as power couple Della and Fi (Siobhán McSweeney and Rochenda Sandall) and smooth-talking South African property developer Johannes (Peter Serafinowicz). Co-writer and creator Holly Walsh says: 'We've been bowled over by the response to Amandaland and can't wait to get co-labbing on the next series.' Sharon Horgan, Co-Founder of Merman says: 'With any new show you put out there, your main hope is to make something you love and are proud of. The extra bonus is that it's a critical hit. But to have a loyal audience of this size is just beyond your hopes and expectations. The incredible cast and writers, director and production team worked so hard on this show and it's so wonderful to see that hard work pay off. Special thanks to Lucy for being the most extraordinary front woman and to the BBC for having such faith in the idea of Amandaland from the off.' Tanya Qureshi, Head of Comedy at the BBC says: 'We always had high hopes for Amandaland, but it's been amazing to see how much viewers have embraced not just the returning characters, but the brilliant new additions too. We're so thrilled to reunite with this talented team for another instalment of Amanda's new life in SoHa.' Amandaland was created by Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters, Catastrophe), Holly Walsh (Motherland, The Other One, Dead Boss), Helen Serafinowicz (Motherland, Nova Jones), and Barunka O'Shaughnessy (Breeders, Trying, Motherland). It was written by Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz, Barunka O'Shaughnessy and Laurence Rickard (Ghosts, Yonderland). Lionsgate distributes the series worldwide. Critical Acclaim 'Punch carries most of the heavy lifting with ease, and the result is not only a spin-off that punches above its weight: it is lovely, life-affirming escapism.' The Times (5*) 'Joanna Lumley has made a career out of stealing shows. She can be great in a starring role, but when she's the support act, she's Absolutely Fabulous. From the moment she stumbles through the front door in Amandaland, Dame Joanna gathers up the laughs and sweeps them into her handbag like an aristocratic shoplifter on a spree.' Daily Mail (5*) 'With a hilarious dialogue from the same team who write Motherland, a glorious cast of characters old and news, and a dazzlingly fast and funny opening episode, Amandaland looks like being just as fabulous as its parent show.' Heat (5*) 'Amandaland will make you howl with laughter – Lucy Punch has never been better.' The Independent (4*) 'The signs are good that Amandaland could join the ranks of the great comedy spin-offs' Radio Times (4*) 'Original British comedy is enjoying a period of strength at the moment, and Amandaland has joined the ranks of the outstanding newcomers.' Financial Times (4*) 'All this action and wit is upheld perfectly by Lucy Punch, who makes the turn from enjoyable side character to magnetic main character with unexpected, brilliant ease… Turns out it packs quite the Punch.' The Evening Standard 'In short, it's genius.' New Statesman 'Amandaland is brilliant, brutal and 100% better than it has any right to be.' Stylist OH Notes to Editors Source: Barb as viewed: all homes, all devices, all viewing, data run in TechEdge 04/03/2025 PM. Please note this is not our final 28 day figure.
