The Cleaner is back and he lands his dream job

So, if you didn’t see the first series or last year’s Christmas special, it may come as a surprise to learn that The Cleaner is actually a comedy. In fact, star and writer Greg Davies wasn’t even the first person to see the potential for laughs – it’s based on a German series called Der Tatortreiniger.

Greg laid out the concept before the first run, saying: “The Cleaner is a comedy about a man who has made it his job to mop up the horrible aftermath of crimes and accidents. To Wicky, a bloodbath is just an obstacle between him and his next pint. Each week he attends a different ‘crime scene’ and meets a new character associated with whatever had happened.

“Each episode is totally different the only constant being a man with an everyman curiosity and a determination to leave things spotless. It’s also very silly at times and I hope funny.”

He added: “I think it’s a unique show in that the cleaner is the only constant character. The bizarre life events that have led to him being called unfold differently every week, and he finds himself in strange situations talking to people he has no frame of reference for.”

The stand-alone nature of the episodes lends itself to plenty of guest appearances, and the first series featured roles for Helena Bonham Carter, David Mitchell and Stephanie Cole among many others.

Season two boasts an equally impressive roster, including Zoë Wanamaker, Asim Chaudhry, Simon Callow and, perhaps most intriguingly, Shakin’ Stevens.

Some people may think it’s the quality of the scripts or the chance to work with the Taskmaster himself that inspired them all to sign up, but Greg offers a different explanation, saying: “The cast for this series are brilliant and that there are so many distinguished actors amongst them leads me to believe that the BBC have secrets that they are using as leverage. Me, the writing and production teams are very grateful for this support.”

In the first episode, he’s joined by Harriet Walter, who is one of Britain’s most acclaimed actors and has the Damehood to prove it.

She’s playing a landlady named Lisa, which should mean that Wicky has just landed his dream job – cleaning up a pub after a lethal brawl. Unfortunately, he’s promised his new girlfriend that he’ll stay off the booze, so he’s going to have to try to resist temptation..but will he or not?

If that wasn’t enough of a big challenge, he also must also deal with hard-bitten Lisa and the muscle-bound barman Cuddle (Charlie Rawes). As Wicky gets on with working his magic, he discovers that he’s also stumbled into a web of romantic and criminal intrigue. It’s a reminder that his job is often about so much more than mopping up blood and the occasional severed ear or two.