- Release Date: June 9, 2009
- Publisher: Paramount
- Price: $29.99 on Amazon.com (Buy It)
- Rating: Not Rated
- Run Time: 540 minutes
- Special Features: “The Mystery of William Banks,” Commentaries, Cast & Crew Interviews, International Promo, Gag Reel, Deleted Scenes, Music Excerpts, “On Set with Esteban Powell”
- Starring: Benjamin Bratt, Grace Parker, Esteban Powell, Kevin Michael Richardson, Amy Price-Francis, Brett DelBuono, Liliana Mumy
- Genre: Drama
Last year A&E premiered “The Cleaner,” their first original drama in quite some time. I watched every episode of the show and thought it was a solid summer drama. I wouldn’t say its a must-watch for every viewer out there or anything but its probably at least worth a look if you are a drama fan.
“The Cleaner” stars Benjamin Bratt as extreme interventionist William Banks. William used to be a drug addict until his daughter was born. He made a deal with God that if he was given a second chance he would stop using drugs and help others with their addictions. He now leads a team of recovering addicts that will resort to unethical and/or illegal methods to stop their clients’ addictions. However, William’s line of work also means he is constantly bringing his work home straining his relationship with his wife, daughter, and son.
The #1 reason to check out this series is its original concept. I doubt there has ever been a drama about an interventionist before which means this is one of the few original shows out there. A&E does air “Intervention,” a popular reality series about addicts, but this isn’t really that similar. However, if you like “Intervention” I will almost guarantee you will enjoy this show as well.
The other positive aspect of this show is the acting. It isn’t surprising that Benjamin Bratt turns in a good performance but the supporting cast is also pretty stellar. There aren’t any supporting actors that particularly stand out but then again there are no weak links either.
On the negative side, some of the episodes are a little slow and boring. This mainly happens when the story isn’t long enough to stretch out for the 42-minute running time. To get the episode length up some meaningless dialog and pointless or repetitive scenes are added that cause the show to drag a little. This only affects a few episodes but it is still a negative. I also disliked that almost all of the addictions were alcohol or drug related. There are other addictions out there (sex, gambling, and other more unusual ones) that I think should have been explored. Hopefully season two will tackle some new ideas.
“The Cleaner” started airing just last summer so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the video and audio quality are both near perfect. Since this is a cable series working with a smaller budget, it obviously doesn’t look as good as network shows. However, the DVD set looks and sounds as good as it should.
Several extras have been added to the package. There’s the usual gag reel, commentaries, interviews, and deleted scenes as well as a look on set and a featurette called “The Mystery of William Banks.” The latter is a featurette with the cast and crew talking about the character of William Banks. Its alright but a bit short. The best bonus feature is probably “On Set with Esteban Powell.” It features the actor showing various behind-the-scenes moments like his tattoos being applied and him learning how to ride a motorcycle.
“The Cleaner: The First Season” isn’t perfect by any means but I think most drama fans will enjoy it. At the very least its something fresh and original in a sea of remakes and clones. Recommended.
